I've read a lot of diaries on whether Harriet Miers withdrawal is a good thing or a bad thing for Dems, and they all seem to focus on the same two things:
- Good -- It makes Bush look weak. Yaaaaay!!!!
- Bad -- Oh shit, now he's going to nominate Luttig or Brown.
Both valid points, and they illuminate some of the short-term consequences of her withdrawal. However, Democrats should be lamenting a missed (and oh-so-potentially-enjoyable) opportunity. Over the past few weeks, we've watched the uneasy marriage between religious Dobsonites and more traditional conservatives hit the rocks. Threats were made by the religious right -- "We'll withhold votes!" The question was asked by conservatives -- "Do we really want these people running our party?"
The confirmation hearings for Miers would have been bloody, with both sides turning on eachother -- cannibalization at its finest. I would have bought popcorn. As it is, we saw a skirmish, but now the two sides of the Republican party have returned to their marriage of convenience. As such, Dems face a weakened, but not shattered, Republican party. Good, but not as good as it could have been.