The Moose observes that the President gave the right a treat and will attempt to trick the left.
With the nomination of "Scalito", the political forces are arrayed for an Armageddon type court battle. After a brief diversion, the President has returned to the home base. The right is swooning and the left will be in a rage. The end of times battle has probably arrived.
This war between the bases will center on abortion and Alito's sole dissent concerning the notification of husbands. It seems likely that this nomination will result in a filibuster and the deployment of the nuclear option. It is all so very predictable.
Everyone will play his/her designated role in this epic Washington confrontation. And the President has played the polarization card.
The Alito nomination is evidence that Mr. Rove is once again riding high in the saddle. The Rovian solution to all of the Administration woes is a to give a hot-button treat to the base and attempt to trick the Democrats into alienating swing traditionalist values voters. Meanwhile, folks will ask, "Scooter who?".
The politics of polarization has been the governing philosophy of the Bushies. It got them re-elected and it is the only way they know to govern. With this understanding, the Alito nomination makes complete sense.
After Hurricanes Katrina and Libby, the President has now found a safe port in a storm. That may seem to contradict the fact that we are entering the ultimate confrontation in Washington. To the contrary, this is the type of chaos in which the Bushies thrive.
The President is now back on what Rove considers terra firma. -- | 
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