High Noonan

The always, always brilliant Peggy Noonan has a fantatsic op-ed in the WSJ on how the W administration and Harriet Miers could extract themselves from this political tarbaby that is her nomination. Noonan has the situation dialed in almost perfectly I believe and the White House minions that monitor these things for the administration should be taking notes, and screaming to be heard at the next White House strategy session on this topic.

Pushing through such a fractious choice over the screams of your already somewhat tired and strained base is not the kind of mistake the President needs right now. The President is suffering in the polls (congressional GOP too) because the base has just about had it with what are perceived continual appeasements of the left. As I have blogged before, the President may yet face something far more perilous in the war on terror and he should not expect the left to rally to his side should he find himself in need of support, and lacking same from what should be his base. This could well turn out to be a matter of politically driven national-insecurity. Noonan seems to concur with the notion I posited in the post linked above, that a President weakened in this manner is dangerous for America.

". . .The White House can think of this--and should think of it--as an unanticipated gift. A good fight can clear the air; a great battle can result in resolution and recommitment. No one wants George W. Bush turned into Jimmy Carter, or nobody should. The world is a dangerous place, and someone has to lead America..."

Noonan offers some sober points that the aforemnetioned minions should be screaming about in that strategy session. Especially about the base and what is due them.

". . .[Ed Gillespie] who has perhaps forgotten that conservatives are not merely a bloc, a part of the base, a group that must be handled, but individuals who are and have been in it for serious reasons, for the long haul, and often at considerable sacrifice. They don't deserve to be patronized by people they've long strained to defend. . ."

Indeed, we are in it for serious reasons, and Ms Noonan is absolutely right; we deserve better than to be patronized by those who are where they are and enjoy the postions they enjoy due to our hard work. That includes the President. At the risk of sounding patriarchal; this is the equivalentof a father reigning in the son with the smart mouth who has forgotten his place. Patriiarchal or not; this is the design of our Republic, and this revolt on the right is probably too long overdue.

It is somewhat amusing to hear administration spin doctors tell us to just wait until the hearings, when our fears will be put to rest. This is amusing, because the goal for Miers during the confirmation hearings will be to say as little as possible.

As I have said before; I sincerely hope the President is right in his choice, if not the conservative base has an obligation to hold the line, even if their President won't. In the op-ed piece Noonan goes on to suggest some ways ways to finesse a Miers withdrawal, and still save face. I'm not sure that is in the offing. It is more proof of the rights ardent desire to have the President take a mullligan here, I'm not holding my breath though. Read the whole thing. -SpinDaddy