Tom Raum, analyzing today's developments for the AP, comes to the following conclusion: George W. Bush is a weakened President.

Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers' sudden withdrawal underscores the strength of the social conservatives who form President Bush's political base and the weakness of a president buffeted by one political misfortune after another.

Her withdrawal came after restive conservatives mounted a stinging campaign against her credentials.

Josh Marshall hits a similar note this morning.

Meanwhile, Democrats will see the obvious: that President Bush is a very weak chief executive right now. This is the second time in something like a week that a nomination has been withdrawn. Yesterday, the president folded on a policy initiative for the right -- the Davis-Bacon suspension. Democrats can see that the president's initiatives really can be beaten. In fact, they're going down pretty routinely now. And more Republicans up for reelection next year will think twice before walking off another plank for the president.

More on the relationship between the timing of this announcement and the impending conclusion to the Plame investigation to come...