Miers withdraws nomination to Supreme Court

This is not original reporting. All Information has been compiled from CNN.com article "Miers Withdraws Supreme Court Nomination" by Dana Bash and Ed Henry. Silver Chips Online posts these stories to provide students with a forum for discussion.

President Bush accepted Harriet Miers's withdrawal of her nomination to the Supreme Court today, Oct. 27, according to news reports and an official White House statement.

In a letter to the President, Miers announced her intent to withdraw from consideration for a post on the Court, acknowledging "that the confirmation process presents a burden for the White House and its staff and it is not in the best interest of the country."

The withdrawal follows announcements from several senators who commented that they needed more evidence of Miers' legal philosophy. In her letter, Miers alleged that some of these senators had requested "confidential [White House] documents and information." No senators have come forward to say that they had requested such documents.

In a statement released today, Bush announced his acceptance of Miers's withdrawal, saying that he would nominate another judicial candidate "in a timely manner." The President added 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."

Bush had nominated Miers, his personal attorney and current White House counsel, to replace the retiring Sandra Day O'Connor. Her nomination had drawn criticism from both sides of the political aisle, raising questions about her lack of experience on the bench and her unknown views on interpreting the Constitution.

O'Connor will remain on the Court until the Senate confirms her replacement.