Ramesh Ponnuru has a column in the New York Times explaining why conservatives have such problems with the Miers nomination. He traces it back to the fact that conservative opinion writers have never really loved Bush; they just have supported him because they thought that they would get some of what they wanted and he would be the best they could get. That is why they put so much dependence on the judicial nominations.

In the past, conservatives had overlooked disappointments and disagreements for the sake of getting solid appointments to the Supreme Court. The president's judicial appointments will be among his most lasting legacies. But then Mr. Bush nominated Ms. Miers. Conservatives are not sure she's a legal conservative at all, and they are still less sure that she will be a forceful advocate for originalism. Not even her strongest defenders outside the administration say she would have been their top choice.

Those defenders say that we should nevertheless trust Mr. Bush's judgment. At the very moment that conservatives have begun to conclude that their bets on Mr. Bush are no longer paying off, Mr. Bush has asked them to double down. That request has even pro-Miers conservatives feeling disillusioned, and other conservatives feeling betrayed. That's what's dividing conservatives - and it's why they're thinking more and more about life after President Bush.

I agree that opposition to her nomination is not elitist or sexist or anti-evangelist or any of the other silly accusations that the administration has launched against Miers opponents. I know that there has been a lot of discontent with Bush among conservatives, but I would remind them that we didn't get choices between the ideal conservative and someone else. Would McCain have been better for conservative causes? I sincerely doubt it. I remember that some of those most critical of Harriet Miers were big supporters of McCain back in 2000. Do you really think that Mr. Gang of 14 would have been better than Bush overall in his judicial nominations. Bush has been very good for conservatives overall in his judicial nominees and I don't see any indication why he suddenly would have thrown all that away. We can be disappointed with her nomination, but let's give her a chance in the hearings. Bush isn't the type to back down because he's getting criticism, and the complaints have been heard. Now, let's wait and hear from the lady herself.