1/09/01 4:45 p.m.
The Blunder
Why the Chavez withdrawal is a mistake for Bush.

By NR’s John J. Miller & Ramesh Ponnuru

he withdrawal of Linda Chavez as the nominee for secretary of labor is severely disappointing. It certainly bursts the bubble of enthusiasm so many conservatives felt just last week, when George W. Bush completed his cabinet selection, and his team looked so good. Chavez is a popular and principled conservative. She handled her formal withdrawal today with grace and dignity. She would have been a tremendous asset to the White House.

Abandoning Chavez barely a week after tapping her may be a tactical blunder for the Bush camp. For one thing, nobody knows whether she could have been confirmed. She didn’t get a chance to defend herself at hearings, the Senate labor committee didn’t cast a vote on the matter, and Ted Kennedy hasn’t been forced to explain what’s wrong with helping a woman in crisis. It is possible to believe that with the full-throated support of Bush and the transition team, they might have won this fight — or at least made it a fight. This comes close to an unconditional surrender.

Which means feminists, Big Labor, and Jesse Jackson will get to crow about defeating a nominee without having really had to defeat her. And tomorrow, they’ll get to target John Ashcroft without the distraction of having to face down Chavez at the same time. Today’s events are wonderful news for the Left: a win without even breaking a sweat. At least Robert Bork got a vote.

Linda Chavez deserved better than this. She has been persecuted for acting in the spirit of Christian charity. She is a conservative who has acted with compassion. It is a shame she now will not serve the country.