[Larry Lucido]

Why would a junior justice ever be made Chief Justice? Only Scalia or Thomas make sense as candidates for the top post.

[Uncle Joe Cannon]

Well, Bush might appoint a squishy moderate like Alberto Gonzalez - but to keep the base quiet, he'd appoint Clarence Thomas CJ, and Gonzalez to replace Thomas' seat. Or Bush might want to appoint a young 40ish candidate, who isn't ready to be Chief Justice.

[xzins]

Why not Scalia or Thomas--- they're not part of the good ole boy network.

Now that we have 2 on our hands amidst a major catastrophe, we're going to see some interesting stuff.

The justices will be the President's fault. New Orleans is not.

I can't think of why Washington DC is disrupted so much that they cannot hold hearings on a justice. If they hadn't noticed, it is Louisianna that's flooded....and only a small bit of that.

[AlGone2001]

"Why would a junior justice ever be made Chief Justice? Only Scalia or Thomas make sense as candidates for the top post."

Most Chief Justices were brought on as such, as was Rehnquist.

[skimask]

In a way it makes sense..Bush gets two birds with one stone..Then drop Luttig, Owens, or Rogers-Brown on them. Talk about the dummies going off the deep end....Bush and Rove are trying to screw us for the next 30 years.

[crz]

Rehnquist wasnt even a judge when appointed to the USSC.

I believe..that one does not have to be a lawyer to be appointed to a judgeship or run for such an office. I stand corrected if I am worng.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

If I am not mistaken last night FOX reported a statement was issued by ?dems (forget exactly who), hearing will proceed as scheduled.

The dems risk much if making a choice to obstruct.

This is not a situation where people will go back in 2-3 weeks and start the cleanup of their homes & neighborhoods, the MSM will move on & we will all go back to our own lives.

IMHO, given the enormous number of people suddenly without a life (job, clothes, cars, etc), many will see this a what it is---the ultimate in dem self-interest.

[deport]

Why would a junior justice ever be made Chief Justice? Only Scalia or Thomas make sense as candidates for the top post.

---

Not sure what is deemed a junior justice in your definition but of the 16 Chief Justices only three have been elevated to that position from an Associate Justice position. So, history says that 13 out of 16 were below junior if you consider that someone must be on the court to at least be considered as a junior justice.

So I don't know what that does with the President's thinking now. Considering a vacancy in both a justice and chief justice, a vacancy pending approval of a nominee [Roberts-O'Connor].

[Grand Old Partisan]

Rehnquist was a junior justice.

[Clintonfatigued]

It's either Antonin Scalia being promoted to Chief Justice and Michael Luttig succeeding Scalia as Associate Justice, or Michael Luttig being nominated for Chief Justice from the Appeals Court he sits on.