DAWN JOHNSEN WITHDRAWS HER NAME. I predict that the next nominee will be no more to conservatives’ liking, but will have less of a track record, and less concern with reputation, so I score this as, at best, a Pyrrhic victory — which is why I argued against the block-Johnsen campaign.

UPDATE: Reader Mike Behrens says that I’m wrong:

There was no way for the Republicans to block this. Obama had a filibuster-proof Senate for a long time and a Senate Committee supermajority and yet Johnsen wasn’t confirmed. Why is that? Perhaps, because he is following Bush’s counterterrorism strategy and Johnsen’s appointment, given her views on how terrorism should be handled, gave him second thoughts on whether he wanted her there overlooking things. Everything has an expiration date and a place under the bus is reserved in advance for all things.

Hmm. Good point.