I haven’t looked at the new issue yet. But a D.C.er e-mails:
The current issue of the National Journal has an “insiders” poll of 41 Republicans, all senators and House members. (The insiders are named but the responses and quotes are blind.)
NJ asked them: “Some conservatives have called on Supreme nominee Harriet Miers to withdraw. Do you think she should?”
Of the 41, only 6 said “yes” and 35 said “no.” People in the “no” column
said:
“She has the president’s trust.”
“The Republican Party and the president cannot constantly give into the conservatives.”
And …
“Those on the right that have savaged the president over this issue before hearing Miers answer a single question have done more to weaken [the] Bush presidency and undercut the GOP at a critical moment than our worst enemies could ever hope to accomplish. This is real-world politics, not an ivory tower debate … They would never have treated Clarence Thomas in the same manner, though it is hard to see how he was more qualified than Miers. That is the real double standard on which our conservative intellectual elite ought to reflect.”
NJ also polled 35 “insider” Democrats. They came out 22-13 that Miers should withdraw. The “yes” folks cited “cronyism” and Miers’ thin resume and doubtful qualifications as reasons to oppose her.
The “no” Democrats said, among other things:
“Ms. Miers deserves an opportunity to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee to present her qualifications and to answer questions.”
“Bush will undoubtably send up someone worse.”
And, my favorite:
“I am not sure that all of these attacks are on the up-and-up. I do not put it past these folks to put on an act in order to get Democrats to support her. Is she really as ‘liberal’ as they claim she is? But if the attacks are for real, then I would love to see the right-wingers beat up on each other.”
The listed insiders include: Lamar Alexander, George Allen, Jim Bunning, John Cornyn, Conrad Burns, JohnThune, Lindsay Graham, Mel Martinez, Olympia Snowe, John Sununu, Johnny Isakson, Tom Davis, Phil English, Dan Lungren, Paul Ryan, Tom Reynolds, Mike Pence, J.D. Hayworth, Pete Sessions, Chris Shays, Pete Hoekstra, Peter King, Tom Cole, John Doolittle, Msark Foley, Jack Kingston, Kenny Marchant, Jim McCrery, Patrick McHenry, John Mica, Sue Myrick, Mike Rogers (Mich.), Doc Hastings, Bobby Jindal, Mike Castle, John Boehner, Sherwood Boehert, Melissa Hart, Eric Cantor, Deborah Pryce, Cathy McMororris, Marilyn Musgrave, Jim Kolbe, Ray Lahod, David Dreier, Bob Goodlatte, John Sweeney, Zach Wamp and Joe Wilson and few others I missed.





Comments