No Mas! No Mas!

OK I give. I was holding out hope that Dubya's choice of Miers was evidence of some hidden strategery, But I can't do it any more. I think the pre-9/11 Bush has returned to depress and dehabilitate the conservatives. From
David Frum's Diary on National Review Online:

Their reaction to the nomination has been almost perfectly unanimous: Disappointment at best, dismay and anger at worst. Here's the tough truth, and it will become more and more important as the debate continues: There is scarcely a single knowledgeable legal conservative in Washington who supports this nomination. There are many who are prepared to accept, reluctantly, as the president's choice. Some still hope that maybe it won't turn out as bad as it looks. But ask them: "Well what if the president had consulted you on this choice," and the answer is almost always some version of: "I would have thought he was joking."

Dubya's done more for the country, both good and bad, than anyone expected. Nevertheless, his tendency to give ground where none is warranted, to compromise at the time when battle is required, demanded even, has been his greatest shortcoming. Whereas the union is strong, the threat of civil unrest a mere phantom, we need a true leader to stand firm and let the strength of his ideas sway the people to follow. We need a divider, one who will draw the lines of debate so stongly that our positions cannot be reconciled or compromised away. The president's frequent returns to the safety of middle ground do a disservice to him, his conservative constituancy and ultimately the country as a whole.