WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Harriet Miers, US President George W. Bush's choice for the Supreme Court, withdrew her nomination Thursday, following mounting doubts and questions about her qualifications for the job, and Bush has "reluctantly" accepted her decision.

    Miers, the White House counsel, was previously supposed to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who announced her retirement in July.

U.S. President George W. Bush speaks as White House counsel Harriet Miers (L) looks on at the White House in Washington D.C. in this Oct. 3 file photo. (Reuters/File)

    Miers' decision to withdraw came as a surprise, as she continued to make courtesy visits in recent days to Senators to solicit support for her nomination. The Senate Judicial Committee was scheduled to start her confirmation hearings on Nov. 7.

    A former personal lawyer to Bush when he was Texas governor, Miers has no judicial experience. She came to the White House as Bush's staff secretary after he became president, and was promoted to deputy chief of staff in June 2003.

    In a letter to Bush, Miers expressed thanks to him for his support and said she was "concerned that the confirmation process presents a burden for the White House and our staff that is not in the best interests of the country."

    "I have been informed repeatedly that in lieu of records, I would be expected to testify about my service in the White House to demonstrate my experience and judicial philosophy," she wrote in the letter.

    Miers insisted that her "lengthy career" as a lawyer in Texas and her White House experience provided "sufficient evidence" for consideration of her nomination, but acknowledged Senators would continue with their efforts to obtain Executive Branch materials and information, which the administration has refused to provide insisting they were protected by executive privilege.

    Bush "reluctantly" accepted her decision to withdraw, after weeks of efforts to prove she was his "best" choice for the position.

    "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," Bush said.

    With the withdrawal, Bush would have to find another candidate to fill the vacancy. "My responsibility to fill this vacancy remains. I will do so in a timely manner," he said. Enditem