With one of the highest ranking White House staffers under indictment, Congressional Republicans are sending the White House a clear message: the only way to get back on track is by moving noticeably to the right. CQ Today's Midday Update (a free email service) has the story.

The charges against I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby are another staggering blow to a White House already reeling from the ever-mounting toll of the war in Iraq, sky-high energy prices and the withdrawal of President Bush’s nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court.

Sen. Robert F. Bennett, R-Utah, said the CIA leak probe had drained Bush’s political capital and the credibility of top aides. “There’s been a constant drip. This is another one,” Bennett said.

Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., said the case would force Republicans to concentrate on moving issues that can energize their base, such as proposed spending cuts. “It’s like in the old days, when the Indians attacked, the settlers got their wagons gathered round and they got the job done,” Burton said.

Rep. John T. Doolittle, R-Calif., said Bush could make a fresh start “by giving us a good, conservative Supreme Court nominee who has a long track record.”

If the Republicans believe that it's time to cede the middle to the Democrats, so be it. The GOP majority in the House has rested on a coalition of conservatives and blue state moderates; without the latter in the GOP fold, the Democrats might have remained in power in 1994 -- and most certainly will take back the House in 2006.