Rehnquist came onto the court over 30 years, prior to RvW and a number of other decisions that have seriously eroded the fabric of our country. Justices are appealing to foreign law. Judicial tyranny has run wild. We cannot afford someone simply because she is a friend of the President anymore. In addition, conservatives had fought long and hard for a chance to change this court. I am unwilling to trust such a big decision to any one man. F
What IS true is that because she is a friend of the President and he has worked with her for a long time, he is dead certain about how she feels about the Constitution and the role of the judiciary. He knows she is an originalist, he knows that she has the temperment suitable for a jusge, and he knows she is an ethical person.
That is why she was nominated, not because she was his friend. If he wanted to nominate a friend he could have picked Don Evans.
Many supposedly highly qualified nominees have proven untrustworthy-- Souter, Kennedy come to mind. President Bush knows this candidate. The decision is not entrusted to one man. The senate will hold hearings on her confirmation.