Daily Briefing: 'From Hostility to Silence to Praise'
• BushnominatesHarriet E. Miersto the Supreme Court; seen as "a woman who broke barriers in the male-dominated Texas legal world but brings no judicial experience or constitutional background to her new assignment."Bush: "I know her heart. I know her character." [ WP , NYT , LAT , WSJ , WT ]
• Mierslikely to avoid partisan fight.Kristol: "It's hard to explain whyHarriet Miersis the right pick unless you're trying to avoid a fight about someone who has expressed a conservative constitutional philosophy... it's demoralizing for the president to pass over a host of publicly identified conservative constitutionalists." [ WP , NYT ]
• DeLayis indicted for alleged money laundering; former majority leader says prosecutor "is trying to pull the legal equivalent of a 'do-over' since he knows very well that the charges he brought against me last week are totally manufactured and illegitimate." Punishment for money laundering can be life in prison. [ WP , NYT , LAT , WSJ , USAT ]
•Many conservatives express skepticism, disappointment aboutMiers; responses range "from hostility to silence to praise." [ WP , LAT , NYT , WT , USAT , USAT ]
•Nomination viewed as "more like a bunt than a bid for a home run," writesRon Brownstein.Bush"has no appetite, at a time when he and his party are besieged by problems, for an all-out ideological fight," suspectsRichard Stevenson. [ LAT , NYT ]
•Critics allege cronyism, the perception of which "is especially risky because it comes at a time when the White House has been accused of putting under-qualified political associates in top positions throughout the government." [ LAT , USAT ]
• Andrew Cardinitiated a secret vetting ofMierslast summer. Former White House counsel: "The president is very, very confident in his judgments about people, and he likes to reward loyalty." [ WP , USAT ]
• Miers' "very little record" on abortion is a challenge to pro-choice groups. [ NYT ]
•Colleagues sayMiersis a "loyalist renowned for her long hours but not hard-right ideology"; drives a red Mercedes. [ WP , LAT , NYT , USAT ]
• Harry Reid, Laura Bushprovided early support ofMiers' nomination; Democrats seem optimistic. [ LAT , USAT ]
• Miershas donated over $20,000 to GOP causes since 1991. [ LAT ]
• Robertssurvives his first day at the Supreme Court. [ NYT ]
• Roy Moore, vocal advocate of the Ten Commandments monument, will run for governor of Alabama. [ LAT ]