Conservative outrage over the Gang of 14’s deal on judicial nominees was in bloom yesterday, with plenty of activists playing the blame game. Naturally, most of the ire was reserved for the senators who played a direct role in the negotiations, but I was surprised to see how many on the right are placing some blame at the feet of the president.
Manuel Miranda, director of the National Coalition to End Judicial Filibusters and former Senate Judiciary Committee staffer, said Mr. Bush did not work hard enough to get votes for all his nominees, and didn’t keep Republicans in line and defeat the minority Democrats.
“This is a loss for the White House bigger than any loss on Social Security,” Mr. Miranda said. “[The White House] did not weigh in and every president in the future has been damaged.
“These were the president’s nominees and the presidency’s prerogative,” he said. “The White House needed to invest action, not just words.” […]
“I wish the president had done more,” said Eagle Forum President Phyllis Schlafly. “He has the biggest megaphone of all.”
Putting aside the fact that Miranda’s idea of “action” includes outright theft, it’s interesting to see the right hold Bush at least partially responsible for their failures. It suggests the White House effort to straddle the fence between heavy-handed control of the Senate and hands-off detachment wasn’t entirely successful.
Oddly enough, I thought Bush had played this one fairly well from a purely political perspective, and had largely shielded himself from the controversy. He was pulling Senate strings quietly, while pretending to let the Senate reach its own conclusion. He’d make the occasional comment about up-or-down votes, but he was largely in a position to avoid blame if the chamber imploded in partisan warfare.
But for the far right, as usual, nothing short of full compliance with their every wish will suffice. It’s apparently not enough that the president nominated radical jurists for the bench and pushed the Senate to do his bidding; conservatives also expect Bush to stake his presidency on the fight.
The right sure is a fickle mistress.
