Bush’s nomination this morning of judicial neophyte Harriet Miers as the replacement for retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor smacks heavily of the cronyism that brought Bush so much criticism after Hurricane Katrina. Miers has never been a judge, and her main qualifications for a lifetime appointment to the nation’s highest court seem to be that she was loyal to Bush as White House counsel.

However, before anyone starts frothing at the mouth about this being another detestable crony pick, the liberal blog DailyKos invites us all to “sit back and enjoy” as Miers’ lack of rabid-right credentials causes the rabid right portion of Bush’s base to implode:

Several Democrats, including Reid, have already come out praising Miers, which ultimately will only fuel the right-wing meltdown on the decision.

I reserve the right to change my mind, but Miers’ biggest sin, at this early juncture, is her allegiance to Bush. That her appointment is an act of cronyism is without a doubt, but if that’s the price of admission to another Souter or moderate justice, I’m willing to pay it.

More immediately, this is the sort of pick that can have real-world repercussions in 2006, with a demoralized Republican Right refusing to do the heavy lifting needed to stem big losses. That Bush went this route rather than throwing his base the red meat they craved is nothing less than a sign of weakness.