Prayer and Probability

Harriet Takes One for the Team
Is there joy in Mudville?

That noise you hear is a giant sigh of relief coming from the Oval Office. President Bush has convinced Harriet Miers to withdraw her name from consideration for appointment to the Supreme Court. A bad as it is for Mr. Bush that he took another body blow to his Presidency, it could and would have been much worse. MS Miers did not stand the snowball’s proverbial chance had the President insisted on a vote. She was going to drag Mr. Bush down. The only question was, how far?

That question will remain for some time. The President is wallowing in mud and it is only going to get deeper with the coming indictments against several senior members of the White House staff. It is not inconceivable that we will have to start referring to Vice-President Cheney as Spiro II. Mr. Bush probably already wishes his problems revolved around a zipper that could not stay up rather than the quagmire of deceit and corruption his Administration continues to sink into.

How will the President react with his next selection to the Court? Will he circle the wagons and let his shrinking base, now mainly consisting of the reactionary-right, dictate a candidate somewhat to the extreme right of Attila the Hun? If he does, he seriously risks alienating the vast moderate majority of the nation. Or will he choose a more centrist nominee, and thus risk losing the backing of the extreme right that has been the life’s blood of his entire political career? Happy hunting Mr. President.

The Bush Credo - No Sacrifice Is Too Great For Others To Make.