Bush rejects calls to withdraw nomination

WASHINGTON - President Bush rejected conservative calls yesterday to withdraw his nomination of White House counsel Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court and prepared to reassure skeptical Republicans and persuade the Senate to confirm her for the seat of retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

Bush advisers who once anticipated all-out war with Democrats over his attempts to reshape the Supreme Court have had to recalibrate their strategy to battle an insurrection among Republicans who contend he was obligated to nominate a topflight legal figure with an unmistakably conservative pedigree.

At every point the White House has hoped it might have turned the corner, it has run into more flak from the right.

Just yesterday, Weekly Standard editor William Kristol called on Bush to withdraw the Miers nomination, while Charles Krauthammer derided her selection as "scandalous" and "a joke"in a column headlined "Withdraw This Nominee."

Bush made clear yesterday that he has no intention of backing down. Asked about calls to withdraw the nomination, he said: "No, she is going to be on the bench, she'll be confirmed. And when she's on the bench, people will see a fantastic woman who is honest, open, humble and capable of being a great Supreme Court judge."

Rove told Bush he did not leak CIA name

WASHINGTON - White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove told President Bush and others that he never engaged in an effort to disclose a CIA operative's identity to discredit her husband's criticism of the administration's Iraq policy, according to people with knowledge of Rove's account in the investigation.

They said Rove's denial to Bush occurred during a brief conversation in July 2003, shortly after media reports revealed that former Ambassador Joseph Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, worked as a covert CIA operative.

Those with direct knowledge of evidence gathered in the criminal investigation spoke to the Associated Press only on condition of anonymity because of grand jury secrecy.

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald is wrapping up an investigation into whether Rove; Vice Presential Dick Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby; or other presidential aides divulged Plame's identity in violation of federal law.

Besides the disclosure of Plame's identity, the investigation is examining whether presidential aides mishandled classified information, made false statements or obstructed justice.

Rove is slated to testify before the grand jury soon for a fourth time, although prosecutors have told him they no longer can assure he will avoid indictment.

Rove offered in July to return to the grand jury for additional testimony, and Fitzgerald accepted that offer after taking grand jury testimony from the formerly jailed New York Times reporter Judith Miller.

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