The Night Watchman: Bush SC Nominee to come Today

CBS Up to the Minute just reported that Bush will announce his Supreme Court nominee today to replace Harriet Miers. ABC is reporting it as well LINK - Luttig & Alito are the top two candidates according to "sources close to the White House."

This shouldn't come as a surprise, since many have assumed Bush would make a quick announcement following Harry's withdrawal and what was perhaps the first indictment in the Plame investigation.

However, Democrats should not afford Bush this opportunity to change the subject, though it may utimately prove meaningless if further developments occur in Fitzgerald's investigation.  Bush does not have the country behind him - a trait he shares with only Nixon during a Second Term scandal - and he is clearly identified as a conservative.  

And instead of the President moving toward the center for his next pick, which could provide him some cover by scoring a quick political victory and ease the partisan divide enough to give him some breathing room, it's clear that Bush and the Republicans are hostage to the extreme right-wing, who have demanded Bush honor his pledge to appoint their judges(Scalia/Thomas mold) and dismissed any attempt to respect the judicial legacy of Sandra Day O'Connor.  

Conservatives in the GOP definitely want a fight.  And the Democratic Party should give them one.