Harriet Miers Withdraws as High Court Nominee

Miers' Pullout Creates Political Fallout

October 29, 2005 • What is the fallout from White House counsel Harriet Miers' decision to withdraw from consideration for a Supreme Court post? What's next in the nomination process?

Implications of the Failed Miers Nomination

October 28, 2005 • Ed Gordon explores what the withdrawal of Harriet Miers' Supreme Court nomination means for Republicans, Democrats and the nation's highest court. Guests: Charles Ogletree, professor of law at Harvard, and Terry Neal, chief political correspondent for washingtonpost.com.

Why Miers Withdrew as Supreme Court Nominee

October 27, 2005 • White House counsel Harriet Miers, President Bush's nominee to succeed Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, has withdrawn as a candidate for the position. Miers faced criticism from Democrats and Republicans.

Political Woes Mount at White House

October 28, 2005 • It's a challenging time for the Bush administration. Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers is out of the running amid criticism from presidential supporters and critics. And a federal grand jury could indict White House officials in the CIA leak case. How is President Bush coping?

Political Analysis

Q & A: Miers Withdraws; What's Next?

October 27, 2005 • From the outset, President Bush's nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court revealed a public rift with his conservative base. Mara Liasson looks at how Miers' withdrawal will affect the president politically and what qualifications he might seek in the next high court nominee

'Bloggers' Weigh In on Miers' Withdrawal

October 28, 2005 • When President Bush tapped Harriet Miers for a seat on the Supreme Court, online pundits known as "bloggers" had some of the earliest and strongest reactions. We check in on what these Web pundits have to say about Miers' decision to withdraw her nomination.

Republican Opposition Made Miers Bid Untenable

October 27, 2005 • Growing opposition to Harriet Miers from Republican senators -- fueled by conservative groups and commentators -- ultimately derailed President Bush's nomination to the Supreme Court. Miers withdrew her Supreme Court bid Thursday morning.

Conservative Columnist's Miers Plan Played Out

October 27, 2005 • In a syndicated column last week, conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer, who opposed Harriet Miers' nomination to the Supreme Court, laid out a plan for a face-saving withdrawal. Krauthammer's scenario played out almost exactly as he wrote.

Tracking Miers' Downward Trajectory

October 27, 2005 • President Bush's nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court was in trouble from the beginning. As days and weeks went by, the prospects for her confirmation got steadily worse.

Senators on Miers' Decision to Withdraw Nomination

October 27, 2005 • Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, react to the announcement that Harriet Miers has withdrawn as a nominee to the Supreme Court.

Understanding the Miers Withdrawal

October 27, 2005 • Two legal experts discuss the withdrawal of Harriet Miers as nominee to the Supreme Court. Robert Destro is a professor of constitutional law at the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law. Jeffrey Rosen is a professor at George Washington University Law School and legal affairs editor at The New Republic.

Opinion

Political Damage to White House from Miers Pullout

October 27, 2005 • The withdrawal of Supreme Court Associate Justice nominee Harriet Miers from the confirmation process could prove embarrassing and damaging to the president. Noah Adams talks with Mara Liasson about the effects Miers' decision may have on the president and his agenda.

U.S. Senators React to Miers' High Court Pullout

October 27, 2005 • Day to Day features the comments of several U.S. Senators reacting to the announcement of the decision by Harriet Miers, the Bush White House's top legal counsel, to withdraw from the confirmation process to serve on the Supreme Court.

Opinion

Slate's Politics: The White House Miers Debacle

October 27, 2005 • Noah Adams speaks with Slate political correspondent John Dickerson about how Harriet Miers' withdrawal of her Supreme Court nomination could affect the Bush White House, as well as Democratic and Republican interests in Congress and the looming 2006 mid-term national election.

Miers Withdrawal Surprised Senate Panel's Leahy

October 27, 2005 • Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), senior Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, talks with Steve Inskeep about the withdrawal of Harriet Miers' nomination to the Supreme Court. Leahy says the withdrawal came as a surprise, and that Miers would have had a chance at confirmation if she had been given a hearing.

Slate's Jurisprudence: Miers Drops Out

October 27, 2005 • Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers withdrew from the confirmation process Thursday morning after heavy criticism from both Democrats and Republicans, including far-right conservatives looking for a candidate that shares their views. Noah Adams speaks with Slate legal analyst Dahlia Lithwick about Miers' decision and its political implications.

Durbin: Right-Wing Opposition Was 'Real Reason' for Miers Withdrawal

October 27, 2005 • White House counsel Harriet Miers has stepped aside as a candidate for the Supreme Court. Conservatives had questioned her qualifications for the high court, but Democrats now say Miers should have been given a Senate hearing. Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) talks with Renee Montagne.

Political Insider

Harriet Miers Bows Out of High Court Bid

October 27, 2005 • NPR senior correspondent Juan Williams talks with Farai Chideya about Harriet Miers withdrawing her nomination to the Supreme Court. Miers said in a letter that her high court bid was becoming a distraction for the Bush White House.

Neas: Miers Deserved a Hearing

October 27, 2005 • Ralph Neas of the liberal group People for the American Way. Neas' group was undecided about the now-withdrawn nomination of Harriet Miers, but he sas Miers should have had an opportunity to speak to her judicial philosophy. "The right wing has pounded their own president... into submission," he says.

Executive Privilege and the Miers Nomination

October 27, 2005 • The White House says Harriet Miers reached her decision to withdraw as a candidate for Supreme Court because of a conflict over executive privilege. Senators of both parties had been pushing the Bush administration to release documents related to her role as White House counsel.

Reactions to the Miers Withdrawal

October 27, 2005 • News that Harriet Miers is withdrawing from consideration for a Supreme Court appointment produced varying reactions. There was relief that the controversy over her nomination is over. There were also calls for President Bush to come up with a replacement who will have more of a legal track record.

After Miers Withdrawal, What's Next?

October 27, 2005 • The withdrawal of President Bush's nominee for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court sets the stage for a new political fight. Now Congress and interest groups are gearing up for the debate over who the president will nominate next.