There is no more deep seated or emotionally heated dispute than one amongst family. This is the amusing folly the conservative movement and Republican Party finds its self in this fall before the mid-terms of 2006. Elitists, populists, neos, cultural, economic and every other hybrid of conservatism are marching in a circle of musical chairs around the Janet Meirs nomination. Some are complaining about the choice of this tune. Others are displeased with the seat they had and see a chance to grasp a new one. Yet others are refusing to budge one bit. All as a lumbering left is just trying to steady itself enough to pluck away a chair or two if the room would just quit spinning.

I trend towards this latter, more sober view. I am not moving. In truth I find the whole show more promising than amusing, heated or destructive. The conservative movement is now the political corral that falls under a Republican party that has become a big tent to cover all the commotion. We are not a movement of just Ivy League intellectuals, pick-up truck and NASCAR good ole-boys, corporate capitalists, Catholic laity, Evangelical faithful, white collar, blue collar, Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian, or African Americans. This movement is all of the above. This conglomerate is not cobbled together out of allegiance to the central funding apparatus. It is not defined by fear, anger or delusion as are our main adversaries. We come together on a common ground of reason, compassion and over lapping philosophies of truth, possibilities and hope.

This was not always true but todays conservatism is the only current workable political template that has the potential to expand, include, encompass, adapt and meet the challenges a diverse American populace faces in a changing world now and tomorrow. Conservatism can do this because it is diverse and not tied to out dated alliances and the baggage of divisionist identities and victim mentalities.

One analogy I must offer to my corral of contentious brethren is this. Our high end, judicial purist and Ivy League siblings are like unto the razors edge of a great blade. Their refinement and ability to penetrate the tough hide of liberal/socialist dogma and disingenuous major media doctrine and practice is formidable to all comers. Yet they are not enough to take and hold the beach heads they break open. Others of us in varying degrees are less honed, connected and refined. Still it is the weight and angle of our efforts that have widened the openings over the years. Some of us are but the stock and trunk, little edge but equal in tensile strength, bringing adding weight, length and reach to the tapered razor sharp edge. Lastly are those that make up the handle, the elected majority that our combined efforts have made the driving force of this nation. At present George W. Bush is the hand we have placed our efforts into. His wieldings will be judged in years to come and I for one expect more of an evident impact than the constant legacy repair, document destruction and ineptitude rebuttals that dog the last Presidents heels.

Once the music dies down and Janet Meirs takes her seat so will the rest of us conservatives. In this current light we are simply showing there is no lemming mentality or mindless automatons amongst us. Our tent door is open and we are adding more rings to the corral and so the tent grows. To our left listing cohorts gleefully looking for an angle of assault, we must keep the keys of governmental control and bid them a long rest and sweet dreams. By the time they realize the music has stopped the Judicial branch will be back on a solid originalist conservative footing with the lightning fast mark of W upon it for decades to come and those left standing without a seat in 2006 will be them.