The folks at Democrats.com are hoping that Senate Democrats will conduct an in-depth investigation into Harriet Miers's early career, including the possibility that funds under her control were used to buy the silence of someone who knew just a bit too much about Dubya's Air National Guard service.

These would be the Senate Democrats led by Harry Reid --- the same Harry Reid who personally encouraged Dubya to nominate the wholly unqualified Miers as a Supreme Court Justice in the first place. And the same Reid who issued this statement on the nomination immediately afterwards:

I like Harriet Miers. As White House Counsel, she has worked with me in a courteous and professional manner. I am also impressed with the fact that she was a trailblazer for women as managing partner of a major Dallas law firm and as the first woman president of the Texas Bar Association.

In my view, the Supreme Court would benefit from the addition of a justice who has real experience as a practicing lawyer. The current justices have all been chosen from the lower federal courts. A nominee with relevant non-judicial experience would bring a different and useful perspective to the Court.

I look forward to the Judiciary Committee process which will help the American people learn more about Harriet Miers, and help the Senate determine whether she deserves a lifetime seat on the Supreme Court.

I'm sure a lot of conservatives like Harriet Miers too, on a personal level --- but that hasn't stopped them from denouncing the nomination, for the very good reason that she simply has no apparent qualifications for the job. But rather than focus on that, the leader of the Senate Democrats chose to mention up front that she's "courteous and professional" --- terms in which you might praise a particularly helpful airlines reservations clerk.

And the ostensible reason Reid suggested the pick in the first place? Wanting to avoid a bruising confirmation fight. Well, what's wrong with fighting? It would give the Dems a chance, at the very least, to show how their own ideals are right for the country, and how the Republicans are wrong. Which is about all that they can hope for right now, with the Republicans in firm control of all branches of government. They need to decide whether they want to be the party of Franklin Roosevelt, or the party of Alan Colmes.

But anyone who has their hopes on the payoff business, current hobbyhorse of left-wing opponents of the nomination, might want to look into her law firm's tax practices, a matter that's getting some attention on the right, particularly since a tax fixup is how she got into Dubya's circle in the first place...