Harriet Miers may have done President Bush two favors yesterday. Not only did her withdrawal give the President a chance to reinvigorate his presidency, but the reason she gave for withdrawing also seems to preempt Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales??¢â???¬â???¢ chances for a Supreme Court nomination.
Noting that the Senate Judiciary Committee was seeking either documents or testimony that would reveal how she had advised the President on White House actions that could come before the Supreme Court, Miers said: ??¢â???¬?????Protection of the prerogatives of the Executive Branch and continued pursuit of my confirmation are in tension. I have decided that seeking my confirmation should yield.??¢â???¬ This conflict??¢â???¬ ¦quot;and the possibility it raises that she would have needed to recuse herself from important future Supreme Court cases??¢â???¬ ¦quot;applies also to Gonzales, who served four years as Bush??¢â???¬â???¢s White House counsel.
