The Next Pick: Alito

It appears, prelimarily at least, that President Bush has had his memory jarred. I think he is remembering two important things here that perhaps he had forgotten or dismissed.

1) That it was the conservatives that got him elected.
2) That Republicans control both branches of Congress.

The uproar on the right side of the spectrum was something that he didn't expect and I think it did send him into a defensive mode. But, with the Alito nomination, I think that he is giving us conservatives what we demanded from him--a proven originalist. Has there ever been a more telling example that the President works for the people and not the other way around?

The Miers' nomination was very disappointing because it was a slight of hand nomination, and with the way that the nomination process works, slight of hand is a lot like a party grab bag, in that you hope it is a good gift, but somewhere in the prizes you know there is a can of foot spray (David Souter.) Secondly, we don't need to play slight of hand when we hold the power. That is the whole point of winning elections. It is nice that the President is now recognizing this. I do think that Mr. Bush believed that Harriet Miers would give conservatives what they wanted--and from that standpoint he was wanting us to simply believe in him. I've said it before though, that I'm not ashamed of my conservatism, and I don't think that the best way to promote a conservative agenda is though grab-bag politics.

I think this too sets the stage for a huge battle--and I think we may very well see the nuclear option. However, from my viewpoint that option is more of a fizzle than a real bomb. Republicans have never had a history of fighting court nominees on ideological grounds and this wouldn't likely change. Good grief, they overwhelmingly confirmed Ginsburg--a documented fringe leftist.

So, now we have an acceptable nominee from the President. Let the games, er, bombs begin.