Nevada Senator Harry Reid is blaming right-wing Republicans for killing Harriet Miers' nomination to the Supreme Court.
The Senate Democratic leader is urging President Bush to reject
the demands "of a few extremists" in picking a new nominee to the
Supreme Court.
Reid said he had recommended Bush consider Miers because he was
impressed with her record of achievement at a major law firm in
Texas, where she became the first female president of that state's
bar association.
But he says her qualifications apparently did not satisfy the
right-wing extremists who he says want to pack the high court with
rigid ideologues.
Nevada Republican John Ensign met with Miers for about an hour
on Tuesday but had not decided whether he would vote to confirm
her.
Ensign said today he thought Miers had "conducted herself with
poise and dignity at all times." He says he hopes Bush offers a
new nominee who believes in a strict interpretation of the U-S
Constitution as was intended by the Founding fathers.