White House Not Tipping Hand on Next Nominee

By David Brody
Capitol Hill Correspondent

CBN.com – WASHINGTON - With Harriet Miers out of the running, Washington is once again waiting for President Bush to nominate someone to the Supreme Court.

And both Republicans and Democrats are giving Bush advice on who he should pick.

The saga of Miers now becomes a footnote in political history. The real battle looks to be coming soon. Who will the President nominate?

Senate sources tell CBN News that it will probably be in the next few days. On our CBN NewsWatch program, Senator George Allen (R-VA) told CBN News what he is looking for.

"The person the President now nominates has to be one with a clear, consistent, and demonstrable record of performance,” Allen said.

That could provoke a huge fight with Senate Democrats, especially if the President goes with a strong judicial conservative. Allen has some suggestions: Janice Rogers Brown and Priscilla Owen.

CBN News noted to Allen that Brown “could send Chuck Schumer and others into cardiac arrest,” to which Allen responded dryly, “Well, they just need to get tougher. Keep the defibulators around."

Although most political observers and Senate aides believe that the President will nominate a strong conservative, the White House is not giving any indications either way.

CBN’s White House correspondent Melissa Charbonneau recently spoke with Ed Gillespie, the man who tried to guide Harriet Miers through the Senate.

Charbonneau: Some observers are saying they would like the President to nominate someone more conservative with a much clearer track record. Would the President do that and risk turning off Democrats, or would he not do that and risk another bout with conservatives?

Gillespie: Well, obviously it depends on the person. I do think it's important that we recognize that not every nominee to the Supreme Court should come from the federal appellate bench.

Comments like those have led to speculation that the President may not go with a judge but possibly with a current U.S. senator such as John Cornyn (R-TX). Other senators would be hesitant to block one of their own. Whatever happens, conservative groups want a known commodity.

"Had the President chosen a nominee that did not leave people guessing,” said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, “I think the outcome would have been much different."

Christian Defense Coalition’s Reverend Patrick Mahoney stated, "Don't give us a stealth candidate. Don't let us try to have to figure out what their words mean. Let us have someone who has numerous opinions and they are clear on the Constitution."

Clearly, conservatives are claiming victory but they do have an eye on the future. They want to see the President nominate someone that they can get behind, and that means making sure the President gets good advice this time.

And to that end, some Christian groups are praying for the President. "We pray that you would frustrate any poor advice that might come his way," one group asked.

Many conservative groups believe that is exactly what Bush got with the Miers nomination: poor advice and that she was not properly vetted. So she came under fire mostly from conservatives who questioned her credentials, and whether she would be a reliable conservative vote on the court.

Democrats were ready to lay blame on the President's base.

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) insisted, “The radical right wing of the Republican party drove this nomination right out of town."

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee lamented how outside influences destroyed the Senate process.

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa) commented, “Instead of a hearing before the judiciary committee and a debate on the Senate floor, Ms. Miers' qualifications were subjected to a one-sided debate in news releases, press conferences, radio and TV talk shows, and the editorial pages."

So now, with the Miers fiasco behind him, all eyes will be on Bush. Will he pick a fight with Democrats by nominating a strong conservative? And, will Democrats filibuster the next pick? It is a Capitol Hill soap opera like no other.

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