John, I’m not arguing that this was the best pick, or the one I’d have made. I’ve said it was not. I agree that stealth considerations don’t justify it. My point is that it’s already happened, and that we now need to make the best of a less than ideal situation. If Miers turns out to be a stealth conservative–a very real possibility–that will be a triumph. Would I rather have taken another route? Absolutely. But we can’t cry over spilled milk. Why decide that this is a disaster–and hurt ourselves in the process–when it still may turn out to be a victory? I wish I could be more confident of a good eventual outcome than I am. But right now conservatives need to play the game with the cards we’ve been dealt. And again, there is still a very real chance that we’ve actually got a winning hand. Why fold when victory could still be ours?