Amy Walters, Senior Editor of the Cook Report, feels Bush will stay the course on the Miers nomination, because ultimately, loyalty and political self preservation will see Senate Republicans backing his play:
"I think," Walter said, "that for the president, he really needs something to go right here. He really needs to be able to get his traction back. I don't think it's going to do Republicans very much good to make their president not look good."
I don't know. Everybody loves a winning quarterback... but when a guy can't move around in the pocket and is constantly throwing interceptions, most teams cut him loose pretty quickly. Or, to put it in somewhat more realistic terms, Dubya's (dis)approval ratings aren't helping his party at all, and conservatives are the most pragmatic of all politicians... and politicians aren't exactly the most idealistic crew out there.
When Dubya was successfully wrapping himself in the collective shrouds of 2000+ dead Americans, Republicans couldn't climb on the 9/11 bandwagon fast enough... but with more and more Americans (especially black Americans) starting to wonder what that awful smell is ("Mommy, I think it's coming from the President"), those conservatives who aren't insanely loyal have to be looking around for a lifeboat.
Given that the Miers nomination has most of the extreme right wing in an infuriated roar right now, those Republicans who are smarter than the average bear may well be thinking that taking a firm stance against her could be a wonderful way to suck up to nearly EVERYone that Dubya has alienated with his 'nyah nyah I don't have to be re-elected I can do anything I want' attitude.
So... I don't know. It could be a rocky road for Harriet. I wouldn't be counting on party loyalty if I were the Chimp in Chief. His political capital may be as far in the red as the country's economy is right now.
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