Up or Down Vote and Be Fair

October 27, 2005

A few months ago Republicans were mercilessly attacking anyone who dared challenge the John Roberts nomination to the Supreme Court. They demanded that he received proper and careful consideration and wanted an up or down vote. They also said he could not directly answer specific questions since it might tie him down to a position and make it difficult to decide on cases in the future and they wanted no litmus test. Republicans also decried the politics in the process claiming “the other side' consistently had a negative outlook on what they do.

Now, things are different for those same hypocritical Republicans after Bush nominated Harriet Miers to the court.  He said Miers was the best qualified person in the country for the job. The shock and awe of his announcement took the Democrats and Republicans by surprise. The most qualified? Who is she anyway other than a political hack and the personal attorney for Bush?

Questions, questions… mainly for Republicans.

Republicans from many areas began to criticize Bush and Miers privately and publically. They were not happy. As the pre-hearing phase played out, she looked worse and worse for Christian Republicans and the spend then tax ones as well. 

Now, Republicans wanted a litmus test, they wanted to ask questions at the hearing and they wanted answers. They began to politicize the process and suggested there would not be an up or down vote. They were not fair to Miers or Bush who just wanted the process to play out to a final vote… up or down.

The television attack ads asking for an up or down vote were pulled soon after her nomination.  Why?

Under Republican pressures, Miers withdrew her nomination today.

The blame lies with Republicans who treated her like a Democratic nominee. Their political vindictiveness overflowed and their politics clearly showed. It also showed the line drawn by Republicans seeking re-election next year and the Administration which helped them get elected in the first place.