The Miers Nomination and Upcoming Senate Races

One of the many, many sad legacies of this pick is this: The Republican Party had carefully established a public perception that it valued the judiciary’s unique role in the American system of government and that it only picked eminently qualified jurists. That started with Reagan and had continued through until yesterday. While it took a long time for this to build into a politically powerful perception, we finally saw the results in the 2004 election, as Democratic Senators were defeated for obstructing these well-qualified GOP choices. Now, in one foolish gift to a crony, George W. Bush has destroyed twenty-four years of careful cultivation.

Recognize — if this appointment had been made before 2004, Tom Daschle would be the current Senate Majority Leader.