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.
Bush can nominate someone to be on the Court in time. The question is Congress and rule of thumb is to expect disappointment from them.
Kristol is the mouthpiece of McCain. This is where hostility arises.