The White House is rumored to be quietly exploring its options for withdrawing Miers’ nomination, according to the Washington Times.

The White House has begun making contingency plans for the withdrawal of Harriet Miers as President Bush’s choice to fill a seat on the Supreme Court, conservative sources said yesterday. “White House senior staff are starting to ask outside people, saying, ‘We’re not discussing pulling out her nomination, but if we were to, do you have any advice as to how we should do it?’ ” a conservative Republican with ties to the White House told The Washington Times yesterday.

The White House denies it.

James Joyner says it’s now or never.

If the White House has serious concerns about how Miers will do in the hearings, they should persuade her to withdraw now. If they subject her to the hearings, then she deserves an up-or-down vote.

The Galvin Opinion goes out on a preddy sturdy limb and predicts:

Harriet Miers will not make the Supreme Court and probably won’t even make it to the Senate’s Judiciary Committee hearings.

Carol Platt Liebau, writing for Human Events, discusses the political fallout of such a withdrawal. (Via Confirm Them)

Politechnical lists four reasons this will be a good thing in the long run.

Paul is glad for one thing:

I’m consoled only by the knowledge that our political memories are usually short.

Charles Krauthammer has a discussion of an exit strategy.

We need an exit strategy from this debacle. I have it.

Lindsey Graham has been a staunch and public supporter of this nominee. Yet on Wednesday he joined Brownback in demanding privileged documents from Miers’ White House tenure.

Finally, light at the end of this tunnel. A way out: irreconcilable differences over documents.

Red State:

Miers competency has now become an issue and that will bleed enough blood in the water to cause a political feeding frenzy forcing a withdrawal.

The question is now how to Withdraw the Miers nomination and limit the escalating damage to the administration.

Taegan Goddard echoes Krauthammer:

…several Republican senators have joined with Democrats demanding the White House release documents relating to work Miers has done for President Bush. With the White House claiming executive privelege on the documents, this may give the administration cover for withdrawing the troubled nomination for a greater principle.

Patterico still thinks she’ll be confirmed.

Sen. Cornyn is sticking by her.

Balloon Juice observes:

The story presents an interesting problem as to who to believe- the White House, or the Washington Times?

At any rate, if Miers does withdraw, how does Bush stand up and introduce her successor as the ‘most qualified’ person for the job?

AcePilots notes the Tradesports odds have dropped like a rock overnight. (Via Unabrewer)

UPDATE: NZ Bear is putting his finger to the wind, and taking the pulse of the blogosphere. If you have a position, state it and if you’re in his ecosystem your position will be included in his running list.

To this point, I have been neutral, however, after the last week of blunders, sloppy responses to the Senate questionaire, I have come to the point where I think that she is probably a smart lawyer, would likely be a conservative judge, but just does not have the intellectual firepower and verifiable Constitutional track record to be placed into one of the most critical lifetime appointments in our country. It’s just not worth the gamble, even if you trust Bush. As such, here you go NZ: “I oppose the Miers nomination.”

UPDATE 2: Here is NZ’s page.

UPDATE 3: John Hinderaker is sticking to his guns, and writes a fascinating piece arguing against the current criticism.