When In Doubt, Attack
Victor Davis Hanson offers the president some advice at National Review Online:
But now, with the Miers' withdrawal, the president might as well go for broke to reclaim his base and redefine his second term as one of principle rather than triangulating politics. So he should call in top Republican senators and the point people of his base--never more needed than now--and get them to agree on the most brilliant, accomplished, and conservative jurist possible. He should then ram the nominee through, in a display to the American people of the principles at stake.
There is probably no better way to bring the base back together than a no-holds-barred brawl with the Dems.
Hanson also reminds the president of a lesson that has been taught again and again, but rarely learned:
The odd thing is that so far the conventional advice to the president--keep the discussion on Iraq only to U.S. national security, not the upheaval of the existing corrupt order; reach out to the Democratic Senate; curb your idealistic rhetoric with Syria or Iran; ignore shrill enemies; nominate someone that the opposition will not seriously object to--has only emboldened critics here and abroad.
What you may see as compromise, your enemies view as caving in. It's high time for Bush to drop the gloves and start throwing.
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