"Many are wondering why the Republicans who criticize the nomination of Miers pushed for the hearings to start Nov. 7th. My understanding is that they are trying to get to a committee vote ASAP, so that they can stop the nomination in committee, while they still have the momentum in the media against her, without dragging the coverage out into the new year. Some GOP Judiciary committee members and senior staff have suggested that this nomination is hurting the Republican party, and that they need to get over this quickly. Thus, there is now talk of the President pulling the nomination. If they vote her out in committee, the Republicans in the Senate save face, and the Democrats lose their credibility to vote against the next nomination.But the politics is more complicated than a simple vote count shows. If Miers doesn't make it out of committee, Republicans may still try to position it "like a couple incidental defections led by the Democrats to stop a fair up or down vote, rather than a revolt by Republicans." This is something that some Democratic Senators are worried about. Nonetheless, Democrats "are starting to figure that it will be better to have a right-wing appointment to campaign against in '06, than be beaten up for confirming an 'unqualified Bush crony.'"
"Kennedy, Biden, Schumer, Feingold, Durbin, are sure to vote NO as things stand, and Feinstein, Leahy, and Specter aren't far behind. I heard from a Graham staffer that Graham and Hatch are also talking about coming over, but it's only somewhat likely that both will turn. Of course there is Kohl who will probably vote NO if necessary, but I have not heard anything from his office. The only thing I have heard about Brownback is that his staff has advised him against going against the Bush base if he doesn't have to."
Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.
Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country, including the Washington Post, USA Today, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer and Christian Science Monitor.
Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.
