It’s Your Turn, Harriet Miers

In the White House’s latest attempt to “clear the air” from the decay-ridden, corpse-like stench that is the second Bush term, rumors are floating that new chief-of-staff Josh Bolten is looking to slap a big ol’ pink slip on Bush’s counsel and general punching bag, Harriet Miers. Man, this woman has taken more abuse than Tina did when she was back with Ike.

When Bush dangled the Miers piñata last year, also known as her Supreme Court confirmation, you just had to feel sorry for her. It always seemed to me that Ms. Miers was just an extremely loyal individual who simply tried to do the best job she could as the president’s private counsel. Now pledging allegiance to that man in the first place is a glaring error in judgment, but, that aside, she always seemed like a genuinely decent individual. So it was either monumental stupidity on Bush’s part to think she wouldn’t be torn to shreds by the media and political pundits when he trotted her out as O’Connor’s replacement or just cruel indifference to the humiliation that he had to have anticipated. Now, some people might say that she should have declined his offer to be the next member of the gang of nine. But, really, was that even possible? I mean, the President asks you to do something and, well, you just kind of do it (see Powell, Colin). Besides, I have a law degree and am WAY less qualified than Miers to be a Supreme Court justice, yet if I were asked to accept the nomination you bet I’d jump on that. Lifetime appointment. That’s an even better deal than those whiny French kids got a couple of weeks ago.

And now she’s getting fired? After conducting herself with grace and aplomb, quietly fading away while the jackals (me included) laughed and threw food (metaphorically, mostly) at her? Nuh-uh, Harriet. Girl, you’ve been wronged. It’s time to get angry. Like, Oprah-angry. And that means only one thing….Nasty Tell-All Book Time! Get on the phone with Kitty Kelly. Schedule a lunch with Paul O’Neill. Make some calls, honey. Because you came to Washington to do two things: protect the President and kick some ass.

And you’re all done protecting the President.