Harriet Miers has withdrawn her nomination to be a Supreme Court justice. Earlier today President Bush announced he had accepted her decision. Miers had come under intense criticism from the Christian Right and many Republican senators. In a letter dated today, Miers said she was concerned that the confirmation process “would create a burden for the White House and our staff that is not in the best interest of the country.” Miers went on to write that she needed to withdraw because Senators were seeking White House records that could not be released because of executive privilege. Conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer wrote last week that this would be the honorable way for Miers to withdraw. He ended his column by saying “Faces saved. And we start again.” In a statement today, Bush said he “reluctantly” accepted her decision to withdraw.The two have been close friends for nearly two decades. Miers began working for Bush when he was running for governor of Texas in 1994. She remains White House counsel. Miers would have become the third woman to have served on the Supreme Court.