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Kristol warns: Bush wants Gonzales for Chief Justice
Fox News Sunday | July 10, 2005 | colonel mosby

Posted on 07/10/2005 7:19:51 AM PDT by colonel mosby

William Kristol, who correctly predicted that O'Connor would retire before Rehnquist, now has a dire prediction. Kristol claims that Rehnquist will retire this week, and that Bush operatives are already clearing the way to nominate Alberto Gonzales for new Chief Justice. Kristol made the comments on Fox News Sunday, as part of the four member discussion panel.

According to this train of thought, according to Kristol, the White House believes that it can avoid Congressional conflict by appointing a moderate like Gonzales, and then balance it by naming a true conservative to replace O'Connor. This would effectively leave the current "balance of the court" intact.

Panelists Juan Williams and CeCe Connolly applauded this notion, and felt it was a worthy compromise. However, panelist Charles Krauthammer warned that appointing Gonzales to the court would be a huge mistake because, by doing so, Bush would "betray his base" and "betray his promises".

William Kristol said that a Gonzales appointment, or any moderate appointment, would be "incredibly demoralizing" and "disastrous" for George W. Bush, because it would completely alienate his conservative base, and cause a terrible fracture in the Republican Party.

There is more than one hurricane on the horizon.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: chiefjustice; gonzales; kristol; scotus
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To: colonel mosby

Leaving the Balance in tact is just surrendering. The whole point of winning is to change the balance of the court.


81 posted on 07/10/2005 8:27:42 AM PDT by Always Right
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To: DevSix

Reagan did not appoint Souter. Bush one did.


82 posted on 07/10/2005 8:28:14 AM PDT by Iron Eagle
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To: DevSix
I also think many should stop with the defeatist / negative comments / thoughts - Let's allow GWB to pick his man before all this -

Given that it appears that the floating of Gonzalez (Spanish for "Souter") for the Supreme Court comes directly from the White House, it would be foolish to not be very vocal in announcing our objections. If Bush were to deserve of the trust you speak of, then no one from the administration would be promoting his name, in light of already well-known opposition to Gonzalez.

83 posted on 07/10/2005 8:28:50 AM PDT by GreatOne (You will bow down before me, son of Jor-el!)
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To: DouglasKC
I almost believe that Gonzales may be a stealth candidate groomed by Bush just for the Supreme Court. Appear moderate, but really judge as a conservative.

There is no doubt in my mind that Bush -- the consummate poker player -- believes this to be so. He has promoted, indeed, created Gonzalez for perhaps this very purpose.

Bush seems to think that he is pulling a "reverse Souter." He thinks that he has insider information that Gonzales is really a strict constructionist when he (Gonzalez) has given every outward sign that he is anything but.

It's a high stakes game, and not one that we need to play to accomplish our goals. If Bush chooses to roll the dice, he'd better be right.

Of course, no one will know what Gonzales really is until after he's been on the Court for years. And long before then, the Republican faithful will be outraged and fed up.

So Bush could be right about Gonzales AND destroy the Republican party. Not a good move, IMO, and totally unnecessary.
84 posted on 07/10/2005 8:28:55 AM PDT by Iwo Jima
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To: Ron in Acreage
What's to say Gonzales won't change his mind on abortion? Souter was thought to be a conservative when Bush 1 nominated him and look how he turned out.

Souter was a known liberal by people who knew him. Unfortunately the people who really knew him were RINO's and lied to Bush about who Souter was.

85 posted on 07/10/2005 8:29:29 AM PDT by Always Right
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To: chris1
I will never waste my time again.

It wasn't a waste of time. You care enough about your country to become involved in it's future. That's what being a good citizen is all about!.

Regardless of how you may feel now, you've got to remember that it's important to take part in the process.

86 posted on 07/10/2005 8:29:52 AM PDT by airborne
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To: trek

Current Court (conservative score):

Rhenquist +1 (Chief)
Scalia +1
Thomas +1

O'Conner -1
Kennedy -1
Stevens -1
Ginsburg -1
Bryer -1
Souter -1

CURRENT NET = -2.5 (Chief +)


Bill Kristol's Court:

Gonzales -1 (Chief)
Kennedy -1
Stevens -1
Ginsburg -1
Bryer -1
Sourter -1

Scalia +1
Thomas +1
New Associate +1
Bryer -1

KRISTOL NET = -2.5 (Chief -)


Promised Court (by President Bush):

New Chief +1.5
Scalia +1
Thomas +1
New Associate +1

Kennedy -1
Stevens -1
Ginsburg -1
Bryer -1
Souter -1

PROMISED NET = -0.5 (Chief +)

P.S. Kristol is just trying to get the pro-life base to go nuts and do something stupid. Does anybody here really think Bill Kristol is pro-life? HA!


87 posted on 07/10/2005 8:30:24 AM PDT by advance_copy (Stand for life, or nothing at all)
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To: airborne
So, we, as citizens, should not even debate the issue? Just keep our mouths shut and keep our thoughts to ourselves?

No, I didn't say that (or anything close) what I was suggesting is to stop the crazy whining before ever big decision or event. There are so many that are in constant defeatist / whine moan before ever single decision (or event, a la Elections) about how "everything is going to turn out wrong....and THEN they are done with the GOP...blah, blah".

It just gets old and tiring.

88 posted on 07/10/2005 8:30:38 AM PDT by SevenMinusOne
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To: ken21
and joining them will be the purists on this forum who will exhibit their terrible 2's and cry they're voting for hillary.

It must be so nice to have such a lofty perspective.

89 posted on 07/10/2005 8:30:41 AM PDT by ModelBreaker
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To: Vicomte13
Nominate anybody who's come out for Roe to ANY Supreme Court vacancy, and the Republican majority is over.

That is so backwards. If Bush does not nominate Justices who are anti-abortion, the Republican party will cease to exist in 5 years. Abortion is the #1 vote gainer the GOP has. Taxes and Guns are #2 and #3.

90 posted on 07/10/2005 8:31:38 AM PDT by Always Right
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To: Vicomte13

I also agree with Kristol.


91 posted on 07/10/2005 8:31:50 AM PDT by Jackknife (No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.-MacArthur)
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To: colonel mosby

Agree completely. And, there's the possibility of four slots opening up. Somebody had better ram a piece of steel up Frist's backside and take Grassley off the hunt for the $700 toilet seats for a while.


92 posted on 07/10/2005 8:32:15 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Scratch a Liberal. Uncover a Fascist)
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To: airborne

Buyer's remorse!


93 posted on 07/10/2005 8:33:10 AM PDT by chris1 ("Make the other guy die for his country" - George S. Patton Jr.)
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To: chris1
"Take me for example. I am an attorney, voted and volunteered for GWB twice. I spent a lot of time because of this very issue. I am already ticked at GWB over the illegal immigration issue and would consider it the last stab in the back I ever take again for the GOP if he nominates a moderate or someone like Gonzales. I will never waste my time again."

Well, on the illegal immigration issue, while I am against GWB's stance, there is sufficient representation in Congress to fight it.
On the issue of the Federal courts, the Republican party has been saying for years that one of the reasons people should elect their party is to stop Judicial Activism, and change the direction of the courts. GWB's promise ( and the nitpickers can say that he didn't make a promise, only a statement, in which case the nitpickers can kiss my a__ ) was that he was looking to put more judges like Scalia and Thomas on the court. Already, you are getting the dissemblers out in the media trying to spin Gonzales as a good thing.
If the game is make a promise with respect to something in order to get the majority, then pull away the football like Lucy does with Charlie Brown when the rubber hits the road, I am similar to you. The GOP can look for the illegal vote, the felon vote, the homosexual vote, and the feminist vote from now on. I'll be done with them. That is not an idle threat.
And as for being called a traitor or whatever for saying this, those people that do so can do the same as I mentioned before ( kiss my a__ ). This is a forum for conservatives, not for party cheerleaders.

94 posted on 07/10/2005 8:33:30 AM PDT by Tench_Coxe
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To: GreatOne
If Bush were to deserve of the trust you speak of,

Our CIC most certainly does deserve our trust! And he has most certainly earned it. Now stop your silly whining over a Bill Kristol "warning" (Kristol is a child).

Furthermore lasting Gov't change is done via increments (in reality) and Gonzalez is head and shoulders above O'Connor to begin with. The fact is GWB knows Gonzalez much better than you do. Much better.

95 posted on 07/10/2005 8:35:06 AM PDT by SevenMinusOne
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To: DevSix
This is the opinion I voiced See my post # 16..

-"Chucky Schumer said that this was a war.

If Gonzales is picked, the President is surrendering territory."-

If that's crazy whining to you, we have little more to talk about.

96 posted on 07/10/2005 8:35:15 AM PDT by airborne
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To: DevSix

Exactly right. Kristol is trying to demoralize pro-life conservatives.


97 posted on 07/10/2005 8:35:19 AM PDT by advance_copy (Stand for life, or nothing at all)
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To: Republican Red
Kristol also thought John McCain was a better choice for President in 2000.

Bush is a fine man, a good man. McCain is a jerk, and is crazy to boot.

BUT---if Republicans squander a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change for the better the very course of history by appointing two SOLID CONSERVATIVES to the SC, we might as well have McCain or whoever.

98 posted on 07/10/2005 8:35:21 AM PDT by gg188
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To: Justanobody

Me too! Some don't feel that he deserves "President" in front of his name and to them I say......GO TO HELL!:(


99 posted on 07/10/2005 8:36:31 AM PDT by Dawgreg (Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.)
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To: Tench_Coxe

I was one of GWB's biggest cheerleaders in 2000 when he was running, and in 2004. But something has changed with him since re-election.

He seems to have lost his way and has become just another typical DC pol.


100 posted on 07/10/2005 8:37:04 AM PDT by chris1 ("Make the other guy die for his country" - George S. Patton Jr.)
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