Miers

She's a consensus pick - in that there is a consensus forming that she is a "Bush's crony" type and not the manna that conservatives felt they were due.

It's another wait and see candidate, but most Senators (including Reid) seem pleased with her, enough for me to wager that she makes it through confirmation with relative ease. I suppose the more conservative Senators could pull a surprise, but I'm doubtful she'll receive much opposition from Democrats either, unless something comes out. And then in the years to come, we find out how conservative Miers really is.

If she was chosen for her loyalty to Bush, whom she once called "the most brilliant man she ever met" (maybe she doesn't get out much?), I have to wonder what lawsuits may come forward over the years against him. Perhaps Bush realizes that having an ally on the nation's highest court will come in handy when word gets out just what he's done behind the secrecy walls of the White House.

In other words, maybe George Stephanopoulos knows what he's talking about.

I can't help but think this is one large head fake on behalf of the Bush administration - that there is something out there they think will take down Miers, and give Bush an avenue of "I tried a consensus pick and failed, so here comes the most conservative judge I could find." Or even that Bush thinks the calls of cronyism and inexperience will prove to be her undoing. Either way, that was my first instinct once I heard about Miers nomination.

So it will be interesting to watch the weeks to come.

*UPDATE* Miers and abortion:

President Bush's choice to fill the seat of retiring Supreme Court Justice and moderate abortion rights supporter Sandra Day O'Connor was a leader in an unsuccessful fight to get the nation's largest lawyers' group to reconsider its pro-abortion rights stance.

(snip)

Although Miers' personal view of abortion was not explicit in 1993, Leonard Leo, a White House adviser on Supreme Court nominations highlighted her efforts as part of the reason that "conservatives should be very happy with this selection."

"As a leader of the bar, Harriet Miers was a fearless and very strong proponent of conservative legal views. She led a campaign to have the American Bar Association end its practice of supporting abortion-on-demand and taxpayer-funded abortions," Leo said a memo on the Miers nomination.

Was Miers just looking to make the ABA more abortion neutral, or did she really feel that Roe v. Wade should be overturned? Unfortunately, there's not much out there to suggest an answer to that question, and we may have to wait for her vote on the Supreme Court to find out.

As far as the right's disappointment of a "stealth nominee," I can offer them this bit of solace. A majority of the country still supports abortion, so choosing a nominee that would overtly smack them in the face may not be the best way to garner public support. Just as the President has extreme right wing views on some issues, he did not campaign overtly on them. He chose more middle of the road stances to promote, and of course the idea we would get hit by terrorists if Kerry became President.

Still, conservatives to this point have been very pleased with what he's accomplished.

I simply cannot see the President picking anyone pro-choice to serve on the court. And this may be another instance of hard core right with a middle of the road face.

*UPDATE, TOO* Ezra at TAPPED sees things differently.

*UPDATE, THREE* Ryan Lizza finds a report penned by Miers for the ABA:
Here are two of the report's recommendations:

Supports the enactment of laws and public policy which provide that sexual orientation shall not be a bar to adoption when the adoption is determined to be in the best interest of the child. ...

Recommends the development and establishment of an International Criminal Court.

All I can say is hmm...