[Cboldt]

Wonder if this is a head fake. If not, she fits the "Roberts" mold as in not being a high profile possibility.

[Amore]

I wasn’t worried about John Roberts, I figured Bush knew where he REALLY stood on the issues. Miers is more worrisome, but, again, maybe Bush knows her well enough that he has confidence in her views.

I would hate to think that the most important qualification for this job has become the LACK of a record.

[Southack]

"Wonder if this is a head fake."

That's part of it. Unlike the one-dimensional politicians of the past, President Bush and adviser Rove are political poker masters of "framing."

Which is to say that they set up high-profile decisions in such a way that they win NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS. In this case, Miers being rejected by the Senate will set up either a Janice Rogers Brown SCOTUS nomination or a nuking of the Senate's filibuster rule, depending on how she is rejected.

...and if she isn't rejected, then a pro-life, mission-sponsoring, evangelical Christian fundamentalist lands on the life-long SCOTUS bench.

Win. Win.

Professional politics at this level haven't been witnessed since Scoop Jackson...and no doubt the intellectualism being played out here will frustrate, annoy, and drive insane those who oppose GWB from both the far Left (e.g. Senator Reid who recommended Miers in the first place) as well as the far Right (e.g. the Reform Party Buchanonites).

I expect all of the usual suspects to soon start whining about how Miers "doesn't have a paper trail" (translation: we can't stereotype and demagogue her beliefs based on a few out-of-context rulings), etc.

Watching the whining and complaints from everyone who has been outflanked is going to be a hoot!