"You'd almost think they were doing it on purpose."

Here's a NYT op-ed by Democratic consultant Francis Wilkerson on why Supreme Court Justices appointed by Republican Presidents keep voting to preserve abortion rights:

It's the darnedest thing, but when it comes to the most sacred cause in the Republican canon, the right to life, Republican presidents somehow find a way to mess up. You'd almost think they were doing it on purpose....

[A]s more than a few abortion opponents have come to suspect, in the Oval Office the "culture of life" is from time to time trumped by the culture of electability. With abortion rights safeguarded by Roe, and Roe, in turn, safeguarded by the court, a candidate's public opposition to abortion is treated by much of the nation's pro-choice majority as a more or less immaterial wish that's unlikely to be fulfilled. For the millions of highly motivated pro-life voters, however, it's much more: it's a statement of solidarity and a solemn vow to advance their special cause.

Was the Miers pick part of an ingenious strategy to preserve the power of the Republican Party? Read this headline before answering.