Conservatives: Unable to take "yes" for an answer

Lately, the President seem to be having a lot of trouble connecting with his base. Neo-conservatives are beginning to question the ongoing folly of the war in Iraq. Fiscal conservatives are having problems with predictions of a staggering federal deficit as the US continues to prop up Iraq while rebuilding the Gulf Coast. And this week, some social conservatives have met Harriet Miers, Bush's new choice for Supreme Court Justice, with howls of protest.

Leaving aside my inescapable feeling that when Republicans clash with each other, we all win, and the concept that anything that makes toerags (LOVE that word) like Bill Kristol and Rush Limbaugh uncomfortable has to be a good idea, this is the most pointless conflict I've seen in a long time. At least since Jones/Tarver III.

Bush, of course, has denied that he's done any litmus test with Miers on her views on issues like abortion. But you know and I know that there was no way he was putting her on the Court unless he knew what her views were. All this talk of litmus tests is just a bullshit smokescreen.

But Bush's former conservative allies are upset because they say he has not taken the opportunity to "reshape the Court." What they mean is, they're afraid that she's not conservative ENOUGH. They're afraid that they might have a Justice who might be like Sandra Day O'Connor, i.e., less of a doctrinaire conservative than Scalia and Thomas. It's not enough that it appears that Miers has enough "pro-life" credentials to turn people's stomachs. They want her to shoot an abortion doctor in the head on the steps of the Supreme Court.

So, Bill, Rush, sleep easy tonight. George W. Bush may only know a couple dozen people that he shuffles around from job to job, regardless of their qualifications. But at least in this instance, I think he's got the right person to suit your needs. Dammit.