Kossacks and Democrats are salivating over the wrong wing implosion taking place over the Miers nomination. The
WSJ, Powerline, and others are in full meltdown over the betrayal by dear leader. "Why, he's, he's, NOMINATED A CRONY!" Even Jonah "Hear-No-Evil" Goldberg had to admit the nomination looks suspect.
I'm as gleeful as anyone; it's fun to watch them be surprised that the Emperor is naked, and the timing couldn't be better on the edge of an advancing wave of investigations and indictments. It's a good time to be a Democrat. And that's exactly what Rove wants you to think!
Friends, Kossacks, Countrymen, lend me your eyes. Do we forget that the Shrub is not alone in the White House? that his advisers are shrewd backstabbers whose purpose is to retain power at all costs? Do you imagine that Karl Rove did not anticipate the backlash from the far right? Of course he did! He's thinking many moves in advance. He wants the base to be pissed as long as their anger is directed at the outgoing Shrub. Miers's nomination is a chess move designed to lure the Knights away from the King; Miers is a pawn and if we celebrate we have taken the bait.
Bushco doesn't give a damn whether Miers is confirmed because her nomination is not about the Court. It's about keeping power in 2006 and 2008. Repubs need a way to distance themselves from the Administration, and they need it quickly. They can't do it on Iraq because they all voted for it; Katrina was the government fuck-up that woke up much of America. Corruption, cronyism, graft, indictments--if you're a Republican Senator facing an even marginal race in 2006, you have to disavow much that is Bush II. How can you do that and not piss off your base? You get the lame duck pawn to take the fall by nominating a crony. Piss off your conservative support so the knuckledraggers can direct their anger at the President (Cheney won't be the WH candidate in 2008, anyway), and Repubs can righteously say in 2006, "Hey, I voted against Miers because I wanted to protect the Sacred Institution of the Godly Supreme Court. She was a crony and had no qualifications, and we don't know, but she might have liked fags, I voted against her! What was Bush thinking??" You repeat this over and over again, as loudly as you can in as many ways as possible.
Not a single Dem should vote for Miers. If they do, voters will say again in 2006, "What's the difference between Republicans and Democrats? They all voted alike for Miers." Stand on a principle this time. She's not fucking qualified! Make this about the Court, and Dems can take the moral high ground. Play politics with it by appearing to support a Bush crony because the wingers hate her, and you go for Rove's pawn while the queen (2006 midterms) stands vulnerable.