Terror Threats and Judicial Threats

The terror threat against New York City's subway system - first announced by Mayor Bloomberg on Thursday - has apparently passed, with the federal government finding no hard, credible evidence that such a plot was ever in the works. Well, it certainly kept me out of the city this weekend. I never believed there was a threat myself. The existence of such a threat seemed to closely timed to Bloomberg's re-election campaign - and was announced at the same time George W. Bush was getting in even deeper political trouble - this time with his own ultraconservative base!

Speaking of which, the Harriet Miers controversy among the Republican faithful is much bigger than I thought. Conservatives have found little in the way of constitutional expertise or distinction in Ms. Miers's record, while Bush loyalists are confident in her ability to tow the conservative line. Miers's opponents on the right argue that that's not enough, demanding a Supreme Court appointment of greater distinction, while Bush supporters are happy enough with the White House's insistence that she can be trusted to advance the Republican agenda. Meanwhile, the Democrats . . . well, uhh . . .. Ahh, who cares what they think?

On the other hand, the Democrats may have an opening here. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid had suggested Miers as a possible Supreme Court candidate, perhaps with the idea (mistaken, it turns out) that she could be a consensus nominee. So here's the situation. At least half of the Senate Republican caucus is either reluctant about or uncommitted on Ms. Miers. The Democrats, knowing that this is as close to a progressive or even moderate Supreme Court justice as they'll get from this President, could help Bush get her confirmed over opposition from his own party - in exchange for a favor on an issue important to their party, like, say, health care reform. Will they bargain with Bush from a position of strength?

Nah, of course not. :-(