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.
I agree 100%, she has a perfect Liberal voting record and considering she was an ACLU Lawyer before being nominated by Clinton and embraced by Orin Hatch once she was nominated. There is no doubt that she came to the Court with an agenda and retirement is not an option. She probably has Kim Gandy of "NOW" as her Power of attorney just in case any decisions need to be made while she is unconscious :-)
If we're really dealing with the "Bill and Ted" version of the afterlife, then hopefully Heaven will send down a "Good Robot" version of Ginsburg that makes conservative rulings, that Bush can appoint to take the place of the real one. :)
-Dan
Just political reality. Here's why the GOP *gains* 3 net Senate seats in 2006 elections:
1. Dems have to defend more incumbents in 2006 than do Pubbies (i.e. the math says that we'll win),
2. Dems are behind in fundraising (i.e. the money says that we'll win),
3. The Heartland is finishing up its historic realignment (no longer the Solid South for Demcorats; now the whole Heartland is Republican),
4. Republicans finally outnumber Dems in voter registrations,
5. The Dems have been distracted from their key Senate races (e.g. by attacking GWB, DeLay, filibustering, etc.),
6. The Trend. The GOP keeps winning and winning, gaining leads in state governorships, state legislatures, the House, etc...so continued gains in 2006 for our GOP dominated Senate fits in with the historical trend-line.
Even Nixonian-resignation-level political blunders couldn't blow 2006 for the Pubbies in the Senate.
GOP gains +3 Senate seats. You heard it here, first.
Justice Kennedy would move further left.
An untrustworthy gaggle of dictators. IMO
As long as a Republican is President, Ginsburg will not retire. The only way she goes out before Jan 2009 is death or physical incapacitation.
In fact, It would be a tragedy if Gonzales will replace Ginsburg. Besides, I don't like Garza (maybe a moral conservative but not an Originalist à la Thomas). Instead, we need a strong conservative with a limpid applied background (of sentences...), not simply a republican exponent of the minorities. Not only abortion is at stake, my friends. We have to and we could win many seats (any other news about Ginsburg?), BUT we should have learned from our previous mistakes too.
+1 to +3 is a possibility, as is break even or even -1.
I would guess so! We're being rewarded for something we've done right!
And to think some people say there's no such thing as miracles. I mean, really, what are the odds????
If she is that sick, maybe she will be incapacitated. 3 1/2 years until the next preisdent is sworn in. That can be a looong time for a sick person.
I feel you're right. But maybe she could retire before Stevens. I hate him more than Ginsburg, because he betrayed those who elected him many years ago.
Sound thinking. What do you think of Judge Clement?
Bush will pander to white women, don't you think?
He can't have 8 men on the court when/if Roe ever gets struck down.
Sounds like the Senate will go beyond nuclear this fall and go directly to the antimatter option.
Bush will not choose J R Brown for either of the first two nominations. It simply isn't his style.
Bill: You ditched Napoleon.
Ted: Deacon, do you realize you have just stranded one of Europe's greatest leaders in San Dimas.
Deacon: He was a d--k!
Only a dream, my friend. Even if some liberal Justices will retire before 2009, surely we will make at least a wrong appointment. I hope to be wrong.
"GOP gains +3 Senate seats. You heard it here, first."
How many of those are RINOs?
RE: Ruth Bader Ginsburg---From your lips to God's ears.
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