You are not meeting me halfway. This is the way I saw it from about day 3 after the nomination. I assumed she would be held out there until the clamor from the right "forced" her withdrawal. That clamor preempted the left beautifully and oposition to Alioto was reduced to pro forma posuring.
Harriet Miers didn't have one damn thing to do with getting Alitto confirmed.
Sorry - there is nothing I have seen or heard that has ever led me to believe that Miss Harriet's nomination was part of a master plan.
Too many variables to calculate this as part of a master plan from the git-go.
A brilliant rescue of a blunder seems more realistic.
Hey - any other Freepers out there who thought the whole Miers thing was calculated from the very beginning to turn out this way in its entirety?