The Bush Bubble Continues: Bush Blames the Senate. . . in Mier's withdrawal...

Bush’s Bubble Continues: He blames the Senate for Miers withdrawal.

It was the conservative base that trashed Miers, undertaking big efforts, and with some money and big voices: George Will, WSJ, Robert Bork, and Rush Limbaugh all lobbied for withdrawal.

Bush apparently thought the Christian conservatives could sway the support, as he bragged on her religious faith. He is found to be once more so out of touch that he ignored his own White House advice in this nomination because he was sure she would be confirmed. Now he has to either appeal to his anti-abortion / strict constructionist base or in spite of them choose a moderate will drive them further from him. He has lots of candidates with judical experience and far more qualified than Miers.

Is he a lame duck yet? No. He could re-organize the White House staff as Reagan did after the Iran - Contra scandal. But where are the wise and mature Republicans, like Howard Baker, to be found today? And Bush has never shown that sort of flexibility.

However to do that would go against his unbound sense of loyalty. Any radical change is unlikely as he must appear strong regardless of and in spite of his growing weakness. The weaker he feels the more he will project and blame, and become more enbubbled than he is now.

A great deal depends on whether Rove is indicted, and how Bush handles that. He could pardon him, and that is possible. Bush could pardon both Rove and anyone else. He would be further weakened if he did. I am estimating, that given his mojo so far, that he will be increasingly isolated by his own choices.

Then the Democrats have a chance of winning back either or both houses in congress next year, and the moderate and future hopeful Repubs will increasingly distance themselves from his failed policies and be more willing to work with Demos.

What is bad for Bush right now is good for the country and its future. He is also probably guilty of treasonable behavior in the run up to Iraq. It is no longer out of the question that he will be impeached.

When Bush was elected in November of last year, I said to conservative friends that he would exit the presidency as a failed president, based on my estimate of his character and his karma. It is happened faster than I anticipated. Praise God. His administration is one of the most corrupt, secretive, manipulative, anti-environment, pro-big business and politically divisive I have seen in sixty years of political awareness.

I cannot forget how angry my father, a small town family physician, was in the presidential election of 1940 when Wendell Wilkie ran against FDR. The AMA believed strongly that the new Social Security was the first step toward socialized medicine. Dad remained a conservative Republican, opposing any government intervention in social services as another domino falling toward national socialism. I became aware of passion and politics at age eleven and have followed the national scene mostly ever since, except for some years in a Catholic monastery, where the Abbot promoted Ike against Adlai Stevenson.

The Bush bubble continues and will be increasingly evident. This is not a bad thing for the country. The bullies in the White House and among Republicans have had their day.

Patrick Fitzgerald, indict the ultimate political spin master Rove and save the country!

Old Salty Dog