Thoughtful commentary on the Miers nomination
Powerline (rightfully) calls for respect between those who agree with the nomination of Miers and those who disagree:
The Bush “loyalists” and others who support the Miers selection should respect the right of disappointed conservatives to forcefully air their critique. Not only is this their right, but such commentary provides useful feedback to the administration about the sentiments of a portion of its supporters. At the same time, the critics should respect the expectation of the loyalists that the vote on Miers not be driven by disappointment or punitive considerations, but rather by an open-minded assessment of the options.
Finally, both sides should respect the good faith of the other, as we all try to sort through this messy situation. Not everyone who undertakes an open-minded assessment will reach the same conclusion, and it’s fine to criticize reasoning and conclusions with which one takes issue. But calling fellow conservatives toadies, bed-wetters, or elitists, or telling them to just shut up, is immature and unhelpful. Let’s leave that sort of thing to the left.
John Hawkins at Right Wing News recently polled some right-of-center bloggers (including yours truly) about the Miers nomination. Here are the results of that poll.
The Washington Times reports this morning that half of the Republicans in the Senate doubt Miers. So it appears that even if Miers makes it through the first phase of the confirmation process, what happens in the Senate amongst Republicans will be anyone’s guess.