As a post-script to my point about the Republican senate majority, I don’t

share Hugh Hewitt’s fear that rejecting Miers will make large numbers of

evangelicals sit out the next election. If the president were to follow a

Miers withdrawal with Luttig or another strong social conservative, James

Dobson and the evangelical base would happily unite behind the

president. The Republican senate is indeed the key here. But it’s the

fear of senate Republicans of a bruising battle over a non-stealth

candidate that is driving this problem, not the demand of evangelicals for

a co-religionist on the court.