Think of the Miers nomination as the Iraq of Supreme Court appointments.

[Inland]

Bush knows it isn't going well, and has little hope of it ever going well, but can't admit it without implicitly admitting an error of huge proportions.

Withdrawing her nomination now looks bad, but losing a vote after her getting beat up for another month looks even worse.

So it's stay the course and hope something turns up that will win the day or at least save face. He just has no other clue as to what to do except put a brave front on it.

[Kenroy]

1. I thought he would stick with it all the way

but after today, I think it will be withdrawn. Of course, Harriet herself will step down "to avoid causing problems for the President" but her nomination will be pulled.

There's the potential embarrassment of her nomination not even getting out of the Judiciary committee, then the likelihood of a loss in the full Senate.

The turning point was when I read a thread on FreeRepublic about how Bush mentioned her religion as one of the reasons he chose her. I expected the thread to be full of support for the President and his choice, but I was very surprised to see almost unanimous agreement that a) the choice was awful and b) his mentioning her religion was ridiculously stupid.

Also, Ann Coulter had what was actually a funny column today, and I NEVER find her funny. The unanimity of opinion against Miers is just too much.

Here's my prediction: Miers withdraws from consideration, and Bush appoints Orrin Hatch - a guaranteed confirmation with little to no opposition.

[Inland]

2. OUT of judiciary...miers may not get IN to judiciary.

I think Miers is going to kick around. To withdraw her before hearings is to admit that there never was anything to know, nothing to say about her.

And also remember, that Bush appoints someone that can sail through is a sign of pandering WEAKNESS. To even concede that the senate COULD muster the balls to reject a nominee and that Bush is going to make an appointment acceptable to it is directly contrary to Bush as the protofascist Great Leader.

The freepers HATED that Bush shied away from controversy with a stealth candidate. Just hearing that Hatch is popular in the senate will ruin Bush.

[Kenroy]

3. I think it's going to be

an issue of which hurts less.

A defeat in the Republican-controlled Judiciary committee would be humiliating. Better to bite the bullet now, withdraw the nomination, and go with a sure winner.

Yes, Hatch will piss off the base, too, but they won't be able to say he's a crony, or unqualified, or anything else. The Senate will approve him - probably unanimously. Thus, Bush turns a humiliating defeat into a win.

[Inland]

4. But that's why I brought up Iraq.

There, too, it's better to bite the bullet now.

But he aint gonna do it. Instead, he just flounders.

[electropop]

5. Oops! Time for another terra 'lert.

Pay no attention to that woman behind the curtain!