I just got back to the computer a little while ago. The chatter around here and the new editorial all echo my basic feelings: Eh.

Miers strikes me as an obvious affirmative action choice (as was Justice O’Connor, let us not forget). She may be a reliable vote. She may be conservative and she’s most likely more conservative than O’Connor, but she’s fundamentally underwhelming from what we know so far.

We can go to school on her record more. But, at first blush, what bothers me more is the political calculation here. Bush could very much use a brisk confirmation battle right now. His base is forgetting why he should be supported. Confirmation battles over big ideas are clarifying in ways that are good for the public and good for a president whose principles are getting blurry. The Miers pick comes along at precisely the wrong moment. Bush is saying “trust me” at exactly the time when conservatives want to be reassured they can trust him. The last thing he needs right now is to dip into his house credit one more time.

Bush has a history of running against the wind of his strongest critics, which is one of the things I love about the guy. For example, people said Bush was too unilateral and hostile to the international community, so he appointed John Bolton. But, either by accident or design, this time around he seems bent on countering a different kind of criticism. He’s been getting beaten — somewhat unfairly — for his alleged cronyism of late. This appointment seems like the Bolton approach; “Oh yeah, you think I’m into cronyism? Well here’s my former personal lawyer from Texas!”

But there’s a key difference. Hosility to the international community and “unilateralism” (code for protecting America’s interests first) are principles Bush wins respect by defending. Cronyism is not a principle, or at least one not easily defended. Miers may be great stuff, but I don’t think anyone can doubt Bush picked her because she’s his gal Friday.

Bush’s instincts about where his principles should be are often right. But in this case the principle seems to be that Bush’s instincts are principle enough.