I could make an equally strong case that considering other irons in the fire at this moment, especially the War, a big nasty fight inside the beltway would be bad timing when a so-called "stealth nominee" will accomplish the same end that one of those lightening rod nominees would. I'm sure the President and other have fully rationalized and justified this pick in their own minds.
But it cannot be disputed that "stealth" comes with a cost. It is not a free pass, and it does not energize all of the conservatives.
This nomination has cause me to have doubts about President Bush that I never expected to have. I dislike it for that reason too. I really really want to trust him. He is making that hard.
Let's say we had the big fight right now, say over Brown. The lefty groups have no doubt tons of material in the can, ready to go to trash the hell out of her. Multi-million dollar TV buys across the country. Op-Eds ready to hand to the MSM. Post Katrina, the Senate Rats smell blood in the water with Bush's poll numbers down, and the RINO gang of seven would have caved in a second. McCain would do his usual shots a Bush and be the media darling again. It would be the big fight you say we need, but there is no doubt in my mind that it is a fight we would lose, and lose badly, and the president of Senate filibuster over nominees would be firmly established.
Smart people don't pick the wrong fight at the wrong time. Only fools do, and this president is not a fool.