In today’s column, Charles Krauthammer argues for withdrawing Miers. Apparently Bill Kristol suggested she withdraw herself.
I really don’t think that would help conservatives. Let’s just say that Miers is forced to withdraw, and Bush, to make the base happy this time, picks someone to replace her that is a clear conservative. Such an action would play right into the hands of Democrats who want to portray Bush as someone who is doing the bidding of the far right. It would have taken a battle to confirm a tried and true conservative even if Bush had nominated one initially. So imagine how hard it would be to confirm, say, a Michael Luttig, if he was picked after the more moderate Miers was forced to withdraw under fire from the right.
If Democrats begin to turn sour on Miers and she is forced to pull out under pressure from them, perhaps Bush would get a chance to nominate a true conservative. But I think Democrats realize this, which is why I believe that the Miers nomiation will sail through the Senate with token opposition, ironically coming from the far right and far left.
For a fool, Bush sure is slick.