It looks like the Miers nomination is in deep, deep trouble. A rundown:
According to the Washington Post, both Arlen Specter and Pat Leahy have serious problems with the answers she provided in her questionnaire. (Here is the Post story, and here is Miers questionnaire response).
Barely concealing their irritation during a 35-minute news conference at the Capitol, Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and ranking Democrat Patrick J. Leahy (Vt.) called the lobbying on Miers's behalf "chaotic," and said the answers she provided Monday to a lengthy questionnaire were inadequate. "The comments I have heard range from incomplete to insulting," Leahy said.
And Miers' face-to-face meetings with senators have been going so badly that apparently the White House is calling them off.
About those responses, Victor thinks Miers can't write, and Patterico thinks she can't proofread.
The Los Angeles Times makes fun of her (in the style section) as a suck up. Eddie Haskell, move over.
It's coming out that her law firm was rocked with 30 mil in malpractice settlements while she was running it, for some pretty egregious stuff (i.e. representing crooks who were defrauding people). And all that stuff about unpaid bar dues would normally be small beer, except in the current climate.
Jonah Goldberg has jumped off the boat because Miers supported racial quotas when she headed the Texas Bar. Anne Althouse has jumped off because she thinks Miers doesn't measure up.
Normally, when the Republicans are busy shooting each other the Democrats would be happy to step aside. But because of Miers' alleged views on Roe v. Wade and her evangelical background, they aren't giving her a break either. Chuck Schumer now says that she hasn't got the votes to be confirmed.
The smart money over at Tradesport (i.e. the gamblers), which has shown a lot of ability in predicting these sort of things, now thinks that Miers won't be confirmed.
According to the Sun, at least one conservative senator has privately asked the White House to withdraw the nomination. Byron York says that members of the Miers confirmation team are discouraged, disheartened, and going public with their dissatisfaction. And there are rumors that the White House is floating a trial withdrawal balloon.
Conclusion - this nomination is melting down in a hurry, and I would be very, very surprised to see it go the distance.
But which Senators are going to vote against her?
I still say she gets confirmed.
Posted by: Patterico | October 23, 2005 at 03:19 PM