If there is any strategy of Mr. Rove behind this nominination, it probably isn't to have her shot down in order to substitute JRB or some such 'louder' conservative.
The stragegy play would be to replace O'Connor with someone unobnoxious and quietly more conservative-- in order to draw at least one of the truly liberal justices (perhaps Ginsberg) to think that it is 'safe' for them to retire without waiting another three years to do it, hoping for a more liberal President to then be in office. There have been rumors that Ginsberg has been thinking about retirement.
It is the *next* replacement that has the potential to fundamentally change the balance of the court. Replacing Rehnquist and O'Connor just keeps the status quo, more or less. If Miers is more reliable and not the 'swing' that O'Connor was, then the balance is nudged slightly our way. But the earthquake that topples the balance will be when Ginsberg's or Souter's seat opens up.
It'd be nice if they did it sooner rather than later. If I were Rove, that's how I'd play it.
LOL...Rove is not president.