Word was if Miers were to withdraw, the cover would be the Senate’s desire for access to executive documents from her tenure at the White House. President Bush cites that dispute in announcing her withdrawal:
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…
That barely passable as an explanation. That tug-o’-war hadn’t come to a head yet. If it were, say, three weeks from now and the committee were holding up the nomination over the documents, then this explanation would have held water. Now, it’s a thin cover.
