Miers withdraws as Supreme Court nominee

By Steve Holland

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President George W. Bush’s nominee
for the U.S. Supreme Court, White House counsel Harriet Miers,
abruptly withdrew from consideration on Thursday after fierce
criticism from the right and the left about her credentials for
the lifetime job.

Bush said in a statement he reluctantly accepted her
withdrawal and would move in a timely manner to fill the
vacancy left open by the pending retirement of Supreme Court
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

In a letter to Bush released by the White House, Miers said
she was concerned that the Senate confirmation process
“presents a burden for the White House and our staff that is
not in the best interest of the country.”

Some opponents had mounted a campaign to force her
withdrawal and some conservative senators had expressed doubts
as to whether Miers was sufficiently conservative to move the
divided nine-member high court firmly to the right.

Some Democrats were also skeptical about whether she was
against a woman’s right to abortion, a hugely divisive issue
that could come before the Supreme Court.

As a reason for pulling out, Miers, 60, cited the need to
maintain privacy of internal records of her White House service
that members of Congress wanted to see but Bush wanted to keep
confidential.

“I have been informed repeatedly that in lieu of records, I
would be expected to testify about my service in the White
House to demonstrate my experience and judicial philosophy,”
Miers wrote.

BUSH SHARES CONCERNS

“While I believe that my lengthy career provides sufficient
evidence for consideration of my nomination, I am convinced the
efforts to obtain Executive Branch materials and information
will continue,” she said.

Miers will stay on as White House counsel.

Bush, in his statement, said he understood and shared
Miers’ concern about the confirmation process.

“It is clear that senators would not be satisfied until
they gained access to internal documents concerning advice
provided during her tenure at the White House — disclosures
that would undermine a president’s ability to receive candid
counsel,” he said.

A senior aide to Bush said the president “obviously was not
happy about how the modern-day confirmation process has
unfolded.”

“His respect for her obviously has grown in the fact that
she was able to set aside any personal ambition and put the
presidency and the process on a higher plain,” the aide said.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican,
said he respected Miers’ decision.

“I look forward with anticipation to the president naming
the next nominee quickly,” he said.

The dispute over Miers’ nomination coincided with mounting
pressure at the White House over the possible indictment of a
number of senior officials over the leak of the identity of a
CIA operative whose husband criticized Bush’s Iraq policy.