George W. Bush’s agents have convinced conservative Republican senators who were heartsick over his nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court that they must support her to save his presidency. But that does not guarantee her confirmation. Ahead are hearings of unspeakable ugliness that can be prevented only if Democratic senators exercise unaccustomed restraint.
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Officials charged with winning Miers’ confirmation told me neither of these issues is troublesome, but in fact they suggest incompetence and neglect by the White House. To permit a conference call with scores of participants hearing close associates of the nominee predict her vote on abortion is incompetent. To nominate somebody implicated in a state lottery dispute in the past without carefully considering the consequences goes beyond incompetence to arrogant neglect.
“Unspeakable ugliness,” coupled with what we heard yesterday about Miers’ “incomplete” questionnaire suggest we have a nominee who, to put it nicely, isn’t ready for prime time. We’re seeing a lot of that these days. So much so that confirmation votes now are apparently being pitched by the White House itself as loyalty votes rather than affirmations of the merits of the candidates.