On the show that aired before the press conference, Kristol generally approved of him. However, Barnes said he would have preferred someone stronger (I forget his actual wording). Mort's response to Barnes' mild displeasure w/this nominee was to say that Fred wanted a judge who was a 'conservative activist'. Barnes, of course, said that wasn't true.
We were all burned by Souter, so I'm not leaping into the air with glee.
However, I am cautiously optimistic that Dubya has learned from the mistakes of his father. Also, I think Dubya is more savvy about people and scoping them out than most anybody else out there, so there isn't anyone I would trust more to get beneath the PR and see the essense of someone.
But even the best people are fallible, so I have been praying for God to grant wisdom and patience to our President.