Friendly Fire

One argument that supporters of the Miers nomination make is that by criticizing the pick, we are damaging President Bush politically.

Some say President Bush made this nomination to avoid a fight with the liberal wing of the Republican Party, such as the Northeastern RINO Senators who might have enough votes to scuttle a confirmation.

To that I say by nominating Miers, President Bush called this artillery barrage from an upset base on his own head.

Rather than avoiding a principled battle for a clearly conservative nominee, President Bush could've enlisted our support for a nomination battle, and we would've turned our guns on the opposition. We would've done just what we did when Senator "Scottish Law" Specter was in line to become Judiciary Chairman. At the time, Hill staffers were hiding under their desks because of the angry thunderclaps from energized conservatives echoing through the hallways. In the end, Specter did become Chairman, but our message was heard loud and clear.

Let us do the same here. Let us put pressure on those opposed to a true conservative legal scholar.

Hugh Hewitt has yet another thoughtful post today where he again calls for restraint.

One of the many interesting aspects of the debate is the depth to which the center-right grassroots appear to have embraced the idea of incremental progress towards their goal --a not surprising reflection of the same ethic which works well in investing, business-building, relationships, and many other fields. Of course there are the "right nows!" who are spoiling for a show down, but the grass-roots dismay with the Miers-bashers is not that Miers is so clearly a good choice, but that given that the president's record is very good on judges, that the direction he has taken the courts is good, that the allies in the Senate are wobbly, and that 2006 looms, there wasn't any restraint in the reaction, and by and large still isn't.

I have immense respect for Hugh, and the way he has blended law, blogging, faith, and radio into a unique voice. But, I have differed with Hugh on this nomination. Hugh acknowledges there are wobbly allies in the Senate. Again I say, then let us, the conservative base, put a little backbone in them. Use us. That's what a base is for.