[Supreme Court]

On the Miers Nomination

A couple hours ago, the White House announced that Harriet Miers had withdrawn her nomination to the Supreme Court. As mostly expected. There is a lot to be said about the politics of this nomination, but my first reaction is: good. She was the worst kind of nominee. You always hope for a justice chosen for his or her stellar mind and qualifications, a person who can rise above political considerations, and in whose hands you're delighted to entrust the constitution. Worse are those candidates like Scalia who are clearly stellar but ideological. Worst of all are the nominees with no qualifications save that they are loyal soldiers in a political machine. These nominees are the sign of an unhealthy government that has degenerated into partisan feuds and is no longer competent to uphold the Constitution. I've no idea whether Miers would have proven to be disastrous, but that's not at issue. Her selection was an example, like so many decisions George Bush has made, of the ill health of the country. It would have been a terrible lowpoint for the Supreme Court.

At the moment, not having any idea who Bush will choose next, I feel like we've dodged a pretty big bullet.