The reason I picked Miers is that it was when the Congressional GOP first displayed signs of independence life. The, "no, you can't put your lawyer on the Supreme Court," reaction was the first sign that Bush and the Republican Party weren't synonymous, and from that point on, he was a lame duck.
After he capitulated on Miers, though, they were ready to let bygones be bygones and move on. Bush lost Congress on Social Security, and that may have been a greater setback because it was a major legislative initiative and not a failed nomination.
Katrina made Bush look indefensible.
