Bush's first choice was Hispanic woman in order to boost "diversity"

By Aussiegirl

Senators did not heed the call to get out en masse to rally support for Miers, reports Novak. Cornyn was the only one who agreed to push her case. On the other hand, seeing as how Bush's other choice seemed to have been a Schumer supported liberal Hispanic woman for diversity's sake, one wonders how dedicated Bush really is to his "Scalia and Thomas mold" pledge, and what kind of a nominee we might get if Miers' nomination somehow fails.

Townhall.com :: Columns :: Hurricane Harriet by Robert Novak

Telephone lines to Republican senators sizzled last week with calls protesting the nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court. That followed reluctance of the senators to heed the call by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and the White House to go to the Senate floor to boost Miers.

Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas associate of Miers and her friend for 15 years, was the only speaker praising her during Tuesday's "morning business," though the leadership had hoped to fill that period with Miers boosters.

A footnote: President Bush had advised senators that his probable choice for the Supreme Court was federal Circuit Judge Consuelo Callahan of California. Bush touted Callahan's diversity as a Hispanic woman, but she is liberal enough to be recommended for the high court by Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer.