Miers Withdraws as Supreme Court Nominee

(via FoxNews) President Bush announced the withdrawal of Harriet Miers as a nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court. The President reluctantly accepted her letter of withdrawal.


[Update 0945 EDT]

It's being reported that Miers talked to President Bush last night and asked if she could withdraw.

From the Chicago Tribune:

President Bush said he reluctantly accepted her decision to withdraw, after weeks of insisting that he did not want her to step down. He blamed her withdrawal on calls in the Senate for the release of internal White House documents that the administration has insisted were protected by executive privilege.

"It is clear that senators would not be satisfied until they gained access to internal documents concerning advice provided during her tenure at the White House -- disclosures that would undermine a president's ability to receive candid counsel," Bush said. "Harriet Miers' decision demonstrates her deep respect for this essential aspect of the constitutional separation of powers -- and confirms my deep respect and admiration for her."

Washington is stunned by the news since the withdrawal of a nominee is quite unusual. It has occurred with only seven of 150 nominees in the history of the Supreme Court.