For the record, Thomas was *NOT* a sure thing.
He was a protoge of Senator Danforth, a nice man and one of the more 'wobbly' Senators out there.
We had no reason to expect Thomas to be as good as he is, and no reason to expect Kennedy to be as bad as he is ... maybe its the confrimation process that did it. Maybe Thomas' independent streak helps him stay away from the DC Kool-Aid.
Frankly, Roberts is a bit more of a sure thing, because so many other conservatives know him personally.
*GASP*
The same Senator Danforth critical of the religious right and Bush and procedures of the Bush administration in the WOT was Thomas' mentor? Clearly he's overdue to "grow" as a Justice any day now.
I'm just no impressed by the weak arguments the detractor's have raised thus far.