Fred Barnes Offers Advice To Dubya on "Rebuilding"

(Hat tip: Laura Ingraham)

Fred Barnes, writing for The Daily Standard, notes that "the withdrawal of Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers is the first step on the road to political recovery for President Bush":

It gives him the opportunity to select a well-known judicial conservative for the Court vacancy, rally conservatives who opposed or were skeptical of Miers, and rebuild his political base.

Winning confirmation won't be easy. Democrats already have their story down: Bush capitulated to the far right in jettisoning Miers and his new nominee will be a right-wing extremist. My guess is Democrats will stick to this narrative no matter whom the president chooses from the roster of a dozen or more conservatives with strong credentials and deep experience in constitutional law.

But a fight would be good for Bush. Battling for a highly qualified nominee, this time with conservatives on his side, would hasten the consolidation of his base. And if he's going to accomplish anything significant in the three-plus years left in his second term, he needs his base. He'll also have Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist with him enthusiastically--and prepared to impose the "nuclear option" to shut off a Democratic filibuster if necessary.

Once a new nominee is confirmed, the next steps for Bush are fairly obvious.

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