Miers nomination pulled

Bush’s Supreme Court pick cites ‘ burden for White House’

WASHINGTON — President Bush withdrew the nomination of White House counsel Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court on Thursday in the face of erce and virtually unprecedented opposition from within his own Republican party.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R- Tenn., said a new

nomination was expected soon. “ The

next one is going to come, I think, fairly

quickly,” he said.

The White House blamed a Senate

request for internal documents related

to Miers’ work in the administration — which Bush said he would refuse — for the withdrawal. Bush spokesman Scott McClellan said Miers informed Bush on Wednesday night that she planned to withdraw and gave Bush a formal letter Thursday morning.

“ It is clear that senators would not be satis ed until they gained access to internal documents concerning advice provided during her tenure at the White House — disclosures thatwould undermine a president’s ability to receive candid counsel,” Bush said shortly before leaving for Florida to assess damage from Hurricane Wilma.

Senators wanted the documents because of Miers’ limited judicial record and paucity of legal writings. She had never been a judge.

In her letter, Miers expressed concern “ that the con rmation process presents a burden for the White House . . . that is not in the best interest of the country.”

Cover story

Rare move: White House counsel Harriet Miers, pictured Oct. 18, is the rst Supreme Court nominee to withdrawsince the Reagan administration in 1987. McClellan said Bush was “ deeply disappointed in the process” and would “ move forward in a timely manner to name a new nominee.”

Mierswas the rst Supreme Court nominee to withdraws ince the Reagan administration in 1987, when Douglas Ginsburg exited after revelations about earlier marijuana use.

But several Republican senators and strategists acknowledged that the decision was less about documents and more about tension between Bush and his conservative base over his choice.

Hearings on Miers’ nomination were set to begin Nov. 7. Miers would have been grilled by senators from both parties who planned to test her knowledge of constitutional law.

Frist spoke to White House chief of staff Andy Card Please see COVER STORY next pageu

By Haraz N. Ghanbari, AP