more weird prep-dropping and/or subcategorization

[David Metevia]

I found these from the past:

Miers withdraws Supreme Court nomination - The Changing Court ... Oct
27, 2005 ... Confronted with criticism from both the left and right,
Harriet Miers on Thursday withdrew her nomination to the US Supreme
Court.
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9837151/


Appeals Court Candidate Withdraws Nomination - Los Angeles Times Barbara
Durham, a conservative Washington Supreme Court justice, disclosed
Thursday that she is withdrawing her candidacy for a seat on the US 9th
Circuit ...
articles.latimes.com/1999/may/28/news/mn-42041


On the face of it, the construction is something I would say.....until I
start to analyze it and wonder how the person nominated can withdraw
something he did not submit.

DM

-----Original Message-----
From: Laurence Horn
Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2009 16:00
Subject: more weird prep-dropping and/or subcategorization

headline and first paragraph from a Huffington Post story today:

Bill Richardson Withdraws Commerce Secretary Nomination

WASHINGTON - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on Sunday announced that
he was withdrawing his nomination to be President-elect Barack
Obama's commerce secretary amid a grand jury investigation into how
some of his political donors won a lucrative state contract.

I don't recall this construction before, with the nominee withdrawing
his own nomination to a cabinet position, although I'm not sure I
could say "withdrawing from his nomination" either.  I guess I'd use
"decline".  Or something.   But for me, only the President-Elect (or
President-Select, as Rush Limbaugh and his ilk like to call him)
could withdraw Richardson's nomination, assuming the nomination
itself really exists in the first place before Obama is sworn in.

LH

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