[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.

[SoDak]

I cannot see any scenario that doesn't end with Scalia as Chief Justice.

[parabellum]

we're still waiting for kennedy to open his papers on conversations he had with his lawyer while mary jo was still alive and trapped in the car that drunken ted drove off the bridge.si vis pacem,para bellum

[LS]

I spent two hours with Justice Thomas, me and my students, last Feb. He took a great deal of time to explain how court matters really work. When he discussed the role of the CJ, it is truly a figurehead position. He gets one vote; the way the court makes up its mind, according to Thomas, was that everyone did their own work, completely out of touch with anyone else. There was, he said, NO "buttonholing" people in the halls---"that's all TV stuff." Each justice comes to his or her own conclusion on every case. Then they sit and go around the table and each person gives an opinion. Then they vote.

HE SAID EVEN THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL DECISIONS TOOK NO MORE THAN 15 MINUTES TO RENDER!!! The Chief Justice had no extra "weight," no special influence, nothing. My point is that it is far, far more important to get a conservative vote rather than a symbolic chief justice. Gonzolez must not be that new justice. I'd rather have Brown and make GINSBERG CJ!