Posted on 07/04/2005 9:20:24 PM PDT by GOPGuide
[SNIP]
On Friday, with the announced retirement of Sandra Day O'Connor from the Supreme Court, It took a few minutes for the news to set in on Capitol Hill, among Republicans and Democrats alike. After all, even the White House in briefing Republican leadership on the Hill spoke in the belief that it would be Chief Justice William Rehnquist who is retiring.
"The White House seemed to be expecting Rehnquist first, that was what my boss was getting briefed on," says a staffer for a Senator sitting on the Judiciary Committee. "We were told Rehnquist in July, possibly later this year."
Rumors are already swirling about a possible third retirement after November. The most likely would be Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who according to former Supreme Court clerks may be in poorer health than Justice Rehnquist.
"That's the seat for [Albert] Gonzales, that third seat if it opens up," says Department of Justice staffer. "All of this depends on how the first nomination goes, but the assumption here is that this is not the time for Gonzales."
As of this writing federal Judge Emilio Garza is the frontrunner to replace O'Conner. There are several indicators, which may all be red herrings, but that is half the fun.
First, Texas Sen. John Cornyn met with the President, as well as Chief of Staff Andrew Card and several members of the White House Counsel office early Friday. Up on Capitol Hill, rumors were quickly swirling that Cornyn had been offered the Supreme Court nomination. Those rumors were fueled when his senior staff essentially went underground for several hours.
But later in the day, Cornyn was making television appearances to discuss the nominations process, as well as placing an op-ed about the process.
Cornyn is now believed to be the President's point person in the Senate to help measure the level of support for potential nominees. "He's the President's 'consultation' guy," says a Senate leadership source. "That's how we're proceeding. If he is the nominee, we will be surprised again. But that's nothing new with this White House."
Cornyn and Garza know each other from their days in Texas and other legal circles.
Another indicator of Garza's status is that several senior Republican staffers on the Judiciary Committee have begun poring over court rulings from the period of 1987 through 1990, a period when Garza served as a U.S. district judge before his elevation to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.
That research, though, could just as well apply to Judge Edith Hollan Jones, who has been sitting on the Fifth Circuit since 1985. Jones was considered for possible Supreme Court nominations by President George H.W. Bush.
"Being thin and small will be a plus in hell - she'll handle the heat better."
Oh, I hope not. Thin and crispy never appealed to me. Plus I never assumed that hell had flames. Maybe it's exposure to Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, but it gives me pleasure to imagine each person has specially tailored punishments. For people like Ginsburg, I imagine being forced to speak her oath to defend the Constitution over and over again would be enough.
It going be veryyyyy interestng Fall or Summer this year
Counting our chickens before they are hatched, ey? Having gotten gains so many terms in a row, it may come as a suprise but we can lose seats in 2006. This is especially true if the war doesnt show improvement and the GOP gets bad press for overreaching on SCOTUS debate.
Bush does not seem to share the love for Ms Brown that we do.
Bush needs to appoint Luttig, Roberts and Jones. In that order.
I believe the LORD is at work here!!
Janice Rogers Brown
Michael J. Luttig
Senator John Cornyn of Texas
All true, but keep in mind that the MORE conservative our Senate, the more conservative our SCOTUS appointees can be, so there is some small logic in delaying *some* SCOTUS nominations (not for O'Connor or Rehnquist's replacements, of course) until after the GOP adds 3 more net Senate seats in 2006 (because Dems have been fighting President Bush, the Iraq War, Tom DeLay, lower Court appointments, and now SCOTUS appointments...rather than concentrating on their vulnerable Senate seats in 2006 - meaning that they will suffer and lose in the races that count in the following November).
I can't wait until somebody uses "eminent domain" to build a McDonald's on top of her gravesite.
-Dan
That old goat Ginsburg will NEVER resign no matter how sick she is. Avowed Leftist that she is, she would consider it her duty to die on the job. tht way maybe she can squeeze one more "destroy America" vote in.
I guess you missed how the Dems sliced and diced John Ashcroft when he was up for AG Huh?
The Dems would turn on their own mother just to keep a conservative off the court
To: Drammach
"I prefer someone (anyone) with an established record of conservative, constitutional decisions.. "
I will not be surprised to see the name of Sen. John Cornyn mentioned here, although I would prefer to see him run for president in 08. But he might be 100 times more valuable on SCOTUS.
23 posted on 07/04/2005 10:40:45 PM CDT by de Buillion (Abortion kills more Democrats than Republicans, More Liberals than Conservatives!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]
I posted this a while back on another thread. "Supreme tort reccommends Janice Rogers Brown....................."
Keep in mind that most clueless people on both the far Left and far Right have no *idea* why the Bush's have been buddy-buddy friendly with the Clinton's (i.e. the people who put Ginsberg on the SCOTUS in the first place)...
I have similar beliefs. I believe she'll join Blackman and others in a room where she will listen, for all eternity, to 40 million plus babies scream as they are being suctioned apart.
Well, I guess the lefties in the Senate won't demand she be replaced by a "moderate" O'Conner clone.
You can't get any more extreme than the ACLU.
A 6-3 conservative court? The libs would be driving off bridges.
Maybe she's sick at the thought of losing her home to eminent domain.
Maybe she's sick at the thought of losing her home to eminent domain.
LOL! Sounds just like Democrat VOTERS!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.