Has the other side blinked?

[tinrobot]

From the New York Times:

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 - There is still much to learn about Harriet E. Miers, but in naming her to the Supreme Court, President Bush revealed something about himself: that he has no appetite, at a time when he and his party are besieged by problems, for an all-out ideological fight.

Many of his most passionate supporters on the right had hoped and expected that he would make an unambiguously conservative choice to fulfill their goal of clearly altering the court's balance, even at the cost of a bitter confirmation battle. By instead settling on a loyalist with no experience as a judge and little substantive record on abortion, affirmative action, religion and other socially divisive issues, Mr. Bush shied away from a direct confrontation with liberals and in effect asked his base on the right to trust him on this one.

The question is why.

On one level, his reasons for trying to sidestep a partisan showdown are obvious, and come down to his reluctance to invest his diminished supply of political capital in a battle over the court.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/04/politics/politicsspecial1/04assess.html?ex=1286078400&en=c698161595f7a7b0&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

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Historically, Karl Rove fights back by upping the ante to divert attention. An controversial candidate would draw attention away from the other problems the administration faces. Bush didn't back down on Bolton, for example. Now they seem to have backed down (at least by some people's interpretation, including many conservatives)

Is this the classic moment - the moment where the other side blinks?

Only time will tell, but regardless, we need to push hard and keep pushing while we have them on the run.

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. Something has gone seriously wrong behind the scenes

Whatever it is it must be pretty good.

[stevietheman]

2. What if... Bush doesn't take Rove's advice any longer?

What if Bush now shuts everyone out and makes his decisions in a vacuum (the space between his ears)?

Just a thought.

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. Or rove is no longer "trusted"

because they know he is about to get indicted?

[charmsicle]

4. My friend and I were talking about this earlier today

I'm thinking she really was a Stalking Horse, put there to let the Republicans object and refuse to confirm her, thereby giving them some well-needed distance with the White House. Then Bush could pull out the "real" nominee that they would confirm.

My friend pointed out that Bush is all about the loyalty, and Miers is the latest of his "brilliant" ideas. She's loyal, she's in his back pocket, she's a lawyer, what more do you need? He's built his whole administration around doing whatever the fuck he wants, public opinion, reason and common sense be damned. That's really kind of frightening. How could he possibly think this woman is qualified? She makes Roberts look really good, though, doesn't she?

[tinrobot]

8. Rejecting a nominee is "loyalty?'

Bush hates people who don't support him fully. That's his definition of loyalty... why would he purposely invite people to criticize him and reject his nominee?

I'm not sure his ego would take that.

I honestly think the number of people Bush can trust is withering quickly, and this nominee is symbolic of that loss of trust.

[OrwellwasRight]

5. Don't let the orchestrated outcry from the "conservative base"

fool you. It is likely that Rove orchestrated it so placate the Repub moderates.

As a Bush loyalist and insider, who has NEVER had to actually judge cases on their merits, holding them up to the standards of the law, she will judge withher only skill: rightwing ideology.

Don't be lulled into thinking she is not as conservative as Scalia or Thomas. Dollars to Donuts she most certainly is.

Bush "is one of the most brilliant men I have ever met." -Cave Dweller Harriet Miers.

[Az]

6. I suspect its something a bit different

I think the GOP has backed away from George and company. Feeling isolated and under assault they have been growing a bit paranoid. So the only individuals he trusts are those in the bunker with him.

Its not that he went for a compromise. Mier is sounding more and more like a worst case scenario in many ways. Its just he didn't pick someone from the pool the rest of the GOP is aware of. He doesn't have the depth of knowledge or the connections to any other circles in DC. He went with what he knew. A crony. Someone not out to get him or abandon him.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

7. Clobber the crony candidate.