I've been tuned in to the echo chamber all day, and no one buys the reason (executive privlege) given in the resignation letter is the real reason behind the withdrawal. It's a no-brainer folks. You don't nominate the White House counsel (or anyone else who holds a position in the current administration), and expect that the Judiciary Committee won't ask for the documents. Playing the executive privlege card was the "falling on her sword for her president" tactic to allow the White House to push the nomination reset button. It just allowed Bush to save face on what has been a disastrous nomination, and 'do-overs'.

We will soon see if in fact the mildly paranoid theory currently floating aroud, ie that yet another brilliantly evil Rovian plot is unfolding according to plan. That plan being that an extreme right wing ideologue will be nominated in the wake of the Miers withdrawal, and be confirmed as they never could have been without the Miers debacle or something similar to manipulate the process well enough to squeak through another Scalia snake with 51 votes.