Alito: The Second-Best Nominee for the Supreme Court

PRESIDENT BUSH WENT out of his way last month to let the nation know that Harriet Miers was "the best candidate" for the Supreme Court. Apparently that wasn't true. In fact, Just Inside the Beltway knows of a couple of lawyer buddies who may have been better candiates. But Bush presses on, this time doing his best to draw attention away from the fact that a White House staff member was indicted for the first time in 130 years.

How?

By nominating a judge to the Supreme Court who is sure to 1) create a major fight between the Dems and Republicans, 2) make Ann Coulter and the far-right very happy 3) make sure that in about 3 days the entire country will be saying "Scooter who?"

Just Inside the Beltway doesn't begrudge Bush for nominating the guy he wants, afterall he is the President. The problem is that this nomination now looks so transparently disingenuous in the wake of the Miers debacle. What was wrong with Alito the first time around, no indictments to worry about? How does Miers even get in the same league with a experienced judge like Alito (leaving his ideology aside for the moment), let alone pass him and get the nomination?

It seems clear that Mr. Rove, fresh off his indictment-free weekend, is back in charge. Rove's mantra for the past 5 years has been simple: when things get tough, lay a big sloppy kiss on your base and tell them that you love them. Alito is a conservative for all conservaties -- all the right views on states' rights, gay issues, abortion, etc. I'm sure Dr. Dobson, Gary Bauer, Ralph Reed, and the like are patting themselves on the back right now. Their efforts (along with Bush's disaster of a week last week) have given Conservaties the nominee they wanted.

With the Alito nomination, Bush not only gave the right-wing a big, fat kiss -- he slipped them some tongue.