It means a number of things:
This morning, George Bush's nominee to the US Supreme Court, Harriet Miers, withdrew her nomination. [Story here.]While nominee Miers gave very high-handed reasons for her withdrawl, the real reason is obvious:
Bush's decision to nominate Miers, his White House counsel and a longtime adviser, had divided his supporters, many of whom wanted a nominee with a clear record of opposition to abortion. - CNN
Saying that the Miers nomination had "divided his supporters" is an understatement akin to saying that hurricane Katrina caused some "discomfort" to the citizens of New Orleans. Conservative extremists had no faith that Miers would be a Justice they could depend on to overturn Roe v. Wade. Conservative extremists have an overwhelming need to remove federal protection for women's reproductive rights. Conservative extremists immediately showed their lack of faith in Mr. Bush upon his nomination of Miers. This week a Conservative extremist group started a $250,000 media blitz opposing the nomination. Just yesterday a broad selection of GOP senators expressed their widening doubt over the nomination.
So today, she's withdrawn. What does this mean?
It means a number of things:
1. George W. Bush is completely beholden to his most extreme right-wing base. With 66% of Americans now deeply questioning his ability to lead in Iraq, Mr. Bush now only has his most extreme supporters behind him. He must please them.
2. Those few remaining supporters of Mr. Bush DEMAND the end of women's reproductive rights in America. Despite the fact that the majority of Americans are pro-choice, those few who remain faithful to the embattled Mr. Bush, cannot abide women's reproductive freedom.
3. Regardless of how long a history of civil rights abuses, judicial theology, or Bork-like ideological radicalism Mr. Bush's next nominee posesses, he or she will almost certainly be confirmed. This is only slightly uncertain. The GOP's Senate majority and the Democrat's unwillingness to fillibuster provide a near open door for a hell-bent and determined anti-Roe nominee. One more point here, even though the senate made a deal not to use the Nuclear-Option, it still exists and the same radical conservatives who forced Miers' withdrawl, want to use it.
4. With Chief Justice Roberts in place, and with a theologically chosen Justice replacing the swing-voting Sandra Day O'Connor, we could see the overthrow of federal protections for women's reproductive rights in the next year. Those same radicals upon whom Mr. Bush depends for his continued support will not be satisfied with the overthrow of Roe, but hope for the end of the Griswold decision that made birth control available to Americans. Regardless, it is a near certainty that Roe will be overturned within the next few years.
What does this have to do with Virginia?
Once Roe v. Wade is overturned the determination of reproductive rights will be turned over to the states. Our state legislature is currently dominated by an extreme group of conservative idealogues. There are those delegates who not only oppose abortion, but oppose condoms, sex-eduction, or birth control of any kind. While it seems likely that the Democrats will pick up some seats in the house in November, a Democratic takeover is practically impossible.
Therefore, with the withdrawl of the Miers nomination, we are nearly guaranteed that the next Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia will determine whether or not women retain the rights to make decisions for their own bodies here.
In the September 13 Gubernatorial debate, former Attorney General Jerry W. Kilgore took one of the most cowardly stances in American political history. Despite his statewide campaign promising to support anti-choice conservative radicals, when pressed on the issue of whether he would sign a bill outlawing abortion, Mr. Kilgore refused to answer on the grounds that it's an "hypothetical" question.
With the Miers withdrawl and the current national political climate, the question is "hypothetical" no longer. It is a near certainty that the next Governor will determine whether the women of Virgina have access to adequate healthcare, or whether they and their doctors are criminalized by the state for the most important and personal of medical decisions. Jerry W. Kilgore is very much beholden to George W. Bush. He is a Bush "yes-man" all the way.
Tim Kaine has promised never to criminalize the decisions made between women and their doctors. The majority of Americans and Virginias are Pro-choice. The majority of Americans and Virginians believe that the best way to reduce abortions is access to education and healthcare. The majority of Americans and Virginians know that abortion rates are highest in those areas where the anti-choice movement has had the most effect.
"Jerry Kilgore believes that you can't be anti-abortion unless you want to make abortion a crime, and I fundamentally reject that," Kaine said. "I've always opposed making it a crime -- outlawing a woman or a doctor for participating in an abortion. And you don't have to criminalize women or their doctors to be anti-abortion." [more here]
If you do not believe in making criminals out of women and their doctors, then you absolutely must bring every voting member of your community to the polls on November 8 to support Tim Kaine and ensure that he is the next Governor of Virginia.
Now, more than ever, ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES.