Focus on the Family’s James Dobson aired a broadcast Wednesday disclosing what Karl Rove told him about Harriet Miers the weekend before she was nominated. I agree with Markos of Daily Kos, it sounds like spin.

But we also talked about something else, and I think this is the first time this has been disclosed. Some of the other candidates who had been on that short list, and that many conservatives are now upset about were highly qualified individuals that had been passed over. Well, what Karl told me is that some of those individuals took themselves off that list and they would not allow their names to be considered, because the process has become so vicious and so vitriolic and so bitter, that they didn’t want to subject themselves or the members of their families to it.

Crooks and Liars adds its criticism here.

[Dobson] goes on to say that all these other great candidates were too terrified to go through the confirmation process because it’s so vicious (new GOP Talking point). I guess Harriet Miers isn’t the most qualified pick, she’s the one with the most guts.

The Rocky Mountain News reports that Dobson issued a challenge to the Judiciary Committee, practically daring it to subpoena him:

“If they want to do that, then I just suggest that they quit talking about (it) and just go do it,” Dobson said in a pre-recorded radio program. “But I won’t have anything to say that I haven’t just told millions of people.”