HUGE: Senator Brownback is not on Board with Miers for Supreme Court (yet)

[NYTimes]
This is huge, because Sen Brownback is of Kansas, and is discussed at length in "What's the Matter with Kansas", where he is described as a Republican "Con" -- a conservative elected as the Kansas' moderates were swept out of office by religious conservatives who took over the Kansas GOPs (he's also a member of the Judiciary Committee, which must approve her nomination for it to be voted on by the full Senate). It explains that he was converted to the anti-abortion cause late in life (ahem) and is likely a political opportunist taking advantage of religious conservatives zeal, and making the most of the "promising the undeliverable" bargain that Republicans have with religious conservatives (i.e., GOP politicians promise to repeal abortion, and are foiled at every turn, which fuels their outrage, which fires up their base, which re-elects them, etc. etc.)

So what does it mean when he says "Ms. Miers had not persuaded him to vote to confirm her"? He left his meeting, he says, not convinced she would overturn Roe v. Wade. As one who speaks for the religious right, his lack of backing is shocking -- it's the academic conservatives (think tanks, etc) who have been against her. Brownback will run for President in 2008, and likely wants Roe v. Wade un-repealed so that his base is still fired up. If he votes to kill her in committee, he could see other GOPers follow his lead.

Wow.