Adios Harriett

Be careful what you wish for.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush on Thursday accepted the withdrawal of Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers, according to a statement from the White House.

In her letter to the president, Miers said she was "concerned that the confirmation process presents a burden for the White House and its staff and it is not in the best interest of the country."

"It is clear that senators would not be satisfied until they gained access to internal documents concerning advice provided during her tenure at the White House -- disclosures that would undermine a president's ability to receive candid counsel," Bush said.

In the end this worked out about as well as it possibly could have for Bush, given the blunder he made in the initial nomination, and will now likely come back to bite the Democrats in the butt. Bush was given the grace to "reluctantly accept" her withdrawal, rather than yanking the name himself and admitting to a mistake, while blaming the Senate for wanting documents that would "compromise" the office.

There's a hard rain a'gonna be falling on the White House shortly because of Treasongate, and Bush can ill afford to tick off his base - the scant 30% who are still actively supporting him. What this means for the Democrats, if you'll allow me a moment to make predictions, is that you're going to see Bush move quickly to nominate one of the serious, fire and brimstone conservative judges who were on the table before Miers showed up. The hard core neocons are spoiling for a fight. They want another Robert Bork to be nominated and they want the nuclear meltdown of the Senate which will result from the fillibuster and "nuclear option" resulting from it.

Not only do they think they can win (and they still very well might, because there have been cracks showing in the "Gang of 14" lately) but it will distract the news cycle's attention away from the Plame, Rove, Libby business, the failing war in Iraq, hurricanes, and everything else that is plaguing this disaster of a presidency. The media will hone in on a Senate confirmation showdown like flies to honey.

So, if you were calling for a "no" on Miers, be careful what you wish for. I think the next name you see is going to make you a lot less happy.