[Loyal Buckeye]

William Kristol and others always assume they know more than the man in charge.

[FReethesheeples]

Bill Krystol said it very eloquently re Gonzales:

"YIKES!!"

[WoodstockCat]

Kristol really, really, wants to be "right" on Gonzales. I think he might be right if Stephens retires but not until/if then.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Exactly right.

[samadams2000]

If its Gonzales..the pocket book and my families votes dissappear. I like most conservatives will self insure.

[FReethesheeples]

I mean: Bill Kristol (corrected spelling: sic) said it very eloquently re Gonzales:

"YIKES!!"

[Dog Gone]

If Bush nominated someone like Roberts for the O'Connor slot once, why does Bill think that he wouldn't do it again? He can be so annoying at times.

[tjg]

Kristol is correct that the short term political advantage lies with choosing someone acceptable to the left.

I personally think Bush will take the long view, and put up a fight for the person he thinks is most likely to move the court in the direction he wants. The Bushes may have some wierd relationship with the Clintons, but W is not Bill. My money is on Bush doing what he thinks is best, not what is easy or politically expedient.

[Cautor]

Kristol wouldn't know a real conservative if he/she kicked him in the ass. He was McLame's buddy as I recall. And his record of being wrong on things is immense. I trust Dubya a lot more than Kristol and other Weekly Standard lites.

[hflynn]

Billy Crystal is a more on the money political pundit than William Kristol. Bush seized the opportunity to grab the CJ and did it. Kristol is playing checkers Bush is playing chess.

[jkoenig]

Not sure where all the hostility to Kristol is coming from...!! Anyway, what I am wondering about is whether Bush can nominate and get confirmed an O'Connor replacement (hopefully a conservative) in time for that person to participate in the partial-birth abortion and parental notification cases now on the Court's docket. Dems will be motivated to keep O'Connor on the Court as long as possible!!!! I think they will hold their fire and concentrate on the O'Connor replacement, particularly if that person is a true conservative.

[Spok]

"the president deprived himself and his supporters of the easiest argument for his next nominee: that surely a reelected conservative president is entitled to replace a conservative justice--Rehnquist--with another conservative."

There is no argument that will assuage the clamor of the left in selecting Supreme Court justices. What would be a huge mistake would be for Bush to acknowledge that a nominee has ANY political leaning, left or right, and that it is relevant to the nominee's confirmation. That reduces the process to a quid pro quo compromise that the Democrats would never observe with a Democratic president.

[Soul Seeker]

Kristol is not in the President's inner circle.

No one that is speaking is in the President's inner circle.

Everyone was wrong about who he would pick last time.

Ergo, all people spreading these doomsday scenarios are nothing more than rumor mongers.

Kristol WAS the person to report on O'Connor's resignation, but O'Connor is a 'moderate". It is not a stretch to imagine kristol is well connected to the 'moderates' in D.C. If he reports on kennedy or Stevens leaving, I'd pay him attention. Otherwise, no.

[Ol' Sparky]

One understands the attraction of Roberts as chief. But with this action, in one fell swoop, the president deprived himself and his supporters of the easiest argument for his next nominee: that surely a reelected conservative president is entitled to replace a conservative justice--Rehnquist--with another conservative.

Precisely. And, if Bush doesn't name an originalist and conservative with a proven track that is pro-life, all political hell should be unleashed on the Republican party.

There is absolutely NO reason for anything but someone that verifiably has the views of Rehnquist, Scalia or Thomas to be nominated. If conservatives don't demand and get anything less, we're wasting our time supporting the Republican party and nothing is going to significantly ever going to change in this nation.

[ontos-on]

Regarding the appointments to the Court which the President is making this year, I have a question which is puzzling to me. Who is it really that we know is an adviser to GW on the Supreme Court nominations, AND whom we can count on to give him the message as to the importance of who to pick in directing the court to a constitutional [conservative or rightward] direction. For eg, if Luttig is the best choice available, who in the inner circle of the President, is likely to advise in this direction --even with regard to individuals or as to what the President should be trying to accomplish and how to do it? Is it Rove or Cheney? I don't really think of them as knowledgeable in the realm of judges. How did W arrive at Roberts? How can we hope that he will go further now and choose Luttig or Edith Jones? Who is the person behind the scenes?

I mean, GW appears to have a close personal relation with AG Gonzales, and it is obvious that the AG could not be counted on to counsel in the manner which we would believe appropriate. So, my question is, who is it that is close to the President and whom we can be counting upon to be making the case to the President?

[NeoCaveman]

Let it be,
Michael Luttig or
Edith Jones or
Emilio Garza or
Janice Rogers Brown

[jscottdavis_for_48th_district]

I myself sent a letter to President Bush and reminded him of how Hollywood's left has trash talked him throughout his Presidency. It's now payback time! I expect President Bush to certainly go with Conservatives.

[You Dirty Rats]

So there is no good reason for Bush to flinch. But he could. He may be rattled by the criticism for mishandling hurricane Katrina.

Bush rattled? LMAO!!! What a stupid comment!!

[John Lenin]

We are back to square one and not even sure how Roberts will turn out, W has to put up a strong conservative or risk losing his biggest supporters.

[Cincinna]

Ted Olson my choice.
Please remember Barbara Olson in your prayers for the victims of 9-11 on Sunday. I still miss her very much.