'Wingers mobilizing against Mukasey? Whatever else he may be, Mukasey clearly isn't a Harriet Miers type appointment -- that is to say, manifestly not qualified for the job and also not clearly a movement right-winger, which is what really deep-sixed Miers' nomination. Incompetence and cronyism just provided more weapons. They weren't what really did her in.

But the conservative support or acquiescence in this appointment could prove as brittle. Hay is already being made of the fact that in 2003 Sen. Schumer (D-NY) put Mukasey's name forward as one of five possible appointees to the Supreme Court who he viewed as "ideologically moderate."

A big part of the equation here, of course, is President Bush's extreme unpopularity and his general political impotence. There's little to be gained any more by kow-towing to this president and much, by any number of measures, to be gained by bucking him.

On a different level, there are at least four possible agenda items the White House has to consider sending Mukasey up to the senate. 1) Ease of confirmability, 2) Getting investigations/subpoenas dealt with, 3) moving war on terror anti-rule of law agenda, 4) moving general conservative agenda.

Cheney's big agenda item is probably #3; and he probably doesn't care much about the other three. #2 probably matters most to everyone else at the White House. #4 probably matters most to 'wingers who are less and less invested in Bush by the day.

Then again, don't forget #2a -- Mukasey's background is in public corruption. And apparently he's a bit of a stickler about these things, from, say, the Pat Fitzgerald school (or maybe it's vice versa). In any case, that may not be great news for Sen. Stevens and various members of the House who are hanging by a thread.

Could get interesting.