Republicans Anonymous

Ronald Reagan was a master of the One-Two Nominee punch. First, he'd nominate a completely incompetent boob to draw fire. When everyone pointed out the obvious, Reagan would "compromise" by withdrawing the completely incompetent boob (cough, cough Robert Bork) and then nominating the ideologically correct stooge Reagan actually intended for the position. Time after time, the Democrats wore themselves fighting against the decoy and were criticized for "partisan abuses." They then confirmed the "compromise" candidate with little discussion.

President Bush, however, seems to be nominating completely incompetent idiots under the theory that an incompetent President should help other incompetents' careers. Case in point: bi-partisan criticism of John Bolton for UN Ambassador:

Fifty-nine former US diplomats have written to the chairman of a key Senate committee in protest at the nomination of John Bolton as ambassador to the UN.
...
...(T)he former diplomats insist (Bolton's) hard-line views on states such as Cuba and Syria, as well as previous paid employment for the government of Taiwan, make him an unsuitable candidate.

"Given these past actions and statements, John R Bolton cannot be an effective promoter of the US national interest at the UN," they wrote.

"We urge you to oppose his nomination."
Source: BBC News Ex-US diplomats round on Bolton March 29, 2005 (Emphasis in original.)

It'll be interesting to see whether the Democrats are smart enough to oppose John Bolton on a straight party-line vote. It'll be more interesting to see whether enough Republicans place the country's interests ahead of their own short-term interests and join them in rejecting this idiot's policies (and his idiot nominees, too.)