The Earth Rumbles

Mt. Miers has officially exploded. Chalk up another disaster on the Republican charts.

The problem with Bush’s nomination isn’t just that it’s an uninspired blunder of a pick. The problem is that it’s an uninspired blunder of a pick at a time when the right can’t handle another fissure in the cracking party unity.

Tom Delay has been indicted (twice!) – probably unfairly – but it’s a major blow to the party regardless of its validity.

Hurricane Katrina gave the PC left an unending supply of new ammo with which to flail their arms and stupidly charge Bush of racism, callousness and class discrimination.

Karl Rove and others involved in Plamegate are still held in high suspicion by many.

The war in Iraq has grown into a minor fiasco to be slogged through, and much of the public is disgruntled with its handling.

The dual impacts of Katrina and Rita were used to portray the Bush administration and the Republican Party led federal government as a massive operational, logistical failure, with the head of FEMA revealed as an uninspired crony of little ability.

And now, large segments of the right, after initially dipping their feet into the waters of stern Bush bashing over the administration’s willingness to spend massive amounts on Katrina clean up, are vehemently speaking out against a major Presidential initiative.

All this to say that things do not bode well for the immediate future of the Republican party. It’s a testament to the disunity and small-mindedness of the Democrats that the country hasn’t been whole heartedly flipped by now. Like the disorganized, anti-everything rally held at the Capitol recently, the party is awash in fiery outrage, but can’t seem to direct it into a focused, consistent, palatable message for long enough to launch a significant attack.

Now, with the right cracking, that may change.