While I'm on a political tangent:
Alito Sworn in As Associate Justice (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060201/ap_on_go_su_co/alito;_ylt=AnhFZxQvyro0KU0JM16wcTtI2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--)
Here's my read, and it may be totally offbase:
Miers was never a true candidate for the Supreme Court. I think that GWB knew that she'd never get anywhere with the Senate conservatives, and perhaps even she knew she wouldn't. She was the feint to the left so that GWB could come back with the more conservative candidate, one with all the credentials career-wise that he wouldn't be able to be derailed on that reasoning. It would have to come down to a strict political/philosophical reasoning to vote against, which is much harder to mount.
Could I be wrong? Certainly. But I think that Miers was never a serious candidate, but the tethered goat to make the job of confirming Alito all the easier. I think that Alito was the true choice all the while.
I thought so too. But I can't figure out why he needed it. As much as I dislike Alito's ideology, he's eminently qualified for the post. And I think he could have broken a filibuster even without Myers.
Agree with both of you. While many conservatives think Alito was a "win", if they overturn Roe the Republicans will lose every national election until its reinstated.
Miers was a huge blunder, not a devious tactical move.
Bush can get anyone half-way decent nominated that he wants. Republicans control the house and the senate. If he wanted to fake candidate to make it easier to sneak in another, he would have picker a hard-right conservative.
Miers wasn't a hard-right conservative, she was a joke, and her failure didn't make it any easier for the next guy.
He is just that incompetent, that he wouldn't understand why picking his private lawyer to be a supreme court justice would be such a big deal.
He is just that incompetent, but Rove is sly as a fox. You REALLY think Bush thinks for himself? The country ain't that farged up.
I'm not sure Bush can wipe himself, much less think.