Hugh

    The petulance I've seen over the past week from the 
    conservative movement's "Intellectual Priesthood" (a term 
    borrowed from Fred Barnes) has been truly disheartening, 
    but also instructive and deeply revealing. 

    Since the conservative movement has enjoyed a unity of 
    purpose for so long....basically since the elections of 
    1994, the split over the Miers nomination seems to be 
    uncharted territory for many of us.

    Part of that "uncharted territory" would have to be the 
    jarring disconnect I feel while reading blogs and 
    listening to radio shows of high profile conservatives. 
    The preening bitterness seems to have taken on an almost
    *competative* edge as many of the punditocracy seem to be 
    vying for the status of the Most Aggrieved, Most Concerned,
     or Most Deeply Disappointed. One of the most repeated 
    (and offensive) themes of the whining is the "We worked 
    so hard for Bush and THIS is how he rewards us?" sentiment
    ....as if Bush were beholden to us in a way a hapless 
    stooge is beholden to a mob boss. The same pundits that 
    deride liberals who speak of President Bush as some sort 
    of "puppet" for conservative interests, now seem to be
    clamoring for exactly that: a puppet-like President who 
    faithfully follows their every command.