current events

White House counsel Harriet Miers withdraws nomination.

Yeah, I know. No great surprise here though the Bush Administration hasn't been big on admitting to mistakes, but that's probably why the Mier backpedaling took so long.

The spin the White House put on this, as stated by Miers was: "While I believe that my lengthy career provides sufficient evidence for consideration of my nomination, I am convinced the efforts to obtain Executive Branch materials and information will continue."

Pretty amusing that they really think they can wallpaper over this huge political misstep by insinuating that internal security is the reason for her withdrawal from the nomination process. But that's not the focus of this post. What I'm more concerned with is how this will affect Miers.

Just imagine how this fiasco is going to follow her. Even her obituary is going to focus on her ill fated nomination to the Supreme Court. While this is better than being cut to pieces during a fractious confirmation proceeding that she'd no doubt fail, still I feel a lot of sympathy for Meirs because this is a large cross to bear.

You have to wonder why the White House would have chosen to give Miers the nod. I'm quite sure the only reason she was vetted at all was at George W's insistence but didn't anyone have the sense to advise the President that she had no chance of being confirmed? Apparently not.

The only reason I don't have more sympathy for Miers is that she agreed to this process--so the error in judgment was partially hers. I suspect had the decision been totally hers, that she'd have withdrawn her name from consideration a lot earlier. I blame the White House for dragging its collective heels and forcing Miers to endure this degree of criticism from both sides of the party lines.