“Today the White House announced the withdrawal of Harriet Miers’ nomination to the Supreme Court. I had not taken a position on her nomination and along with my Democratic colleagues was prepared to give her a fair and diligent review. Unfortunately, after first vigorously pushing Ms. Miers, the White House now appears to have caved to right wing political pressure and compromised the nomination process to our nation’s highest court.
Today our country is facing many challenges. We are cleaning up from hurricanes that have ravaged the Gulf Coast. We are fighting a war overseas. And we are confronting serious health care, education and economic challenges here at home.
Americans are looking to President Bush to make decisions that unite our country. Our nation deserves a Supreme Court nominee who represents mainstream judicial practice and unites the Senate just as Justice O’Connor’s nomination did two decades ago.
It is my hope that the President will give serious time and thought to a nominee who mainstream Americans will view as fair, ethical, independent and qualified. The President needs to take this moment to show that he is a leader for our entire country – not just an extreme few.”
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