Bush Eyes Clarance Thomas for Supreme Court Chief Justice [Giving Liberals Nightmares Alert!]

Washington Whispers-U.S. News and World Report | Monday December 16, 2002 | Paul Bedard

[ewing]

White House aides are floating two names to replace aging Chief Justice William Rehnquist: Associate Justices Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia.

Top Bushies say the conservative Scalia has the edge but not to count Thomas out-even though Dems still try and tag him as Anita Hill's sexual harasser.

Bush, however, has been told that Justice Thomas isn't keen on going through the meat grinder again.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

That was BEFORE Clinton. It may be more difficult this time to use the sexual harassment argument.

[ewing]

This could be a brilliant political play, make Thomas the controversial nomination while the other two replacements sail through.

[EternalVigilance]

Absolutely.

[ewing]

Imagine the Dims bring up all of those golden oldies against Justice Thomas post Moanica.

Trent Lott could boom 'Where were you guys 4 years ago on this stuff!..' (like he would ever do that)

[CyberAnt]

I don't think Hillary could do that - at least not lawfully - because x42 has already been denied the privilege of practicing before the Supreme Court. If he cannot practice there, I wouldn't suppose he could head the court - but then we are talking about the Liar in Chief - so I guess anything goes!

[don-o]

According to White House aides O'Connor, Rehnquist, and Stevens are leaving.

Hope Dubya don't mess up these opportunities a la Daddy's Souter fiasco.

Is there a time frame for who leaves, when?

[Recon by Fire]

Is Stevens a RAT appointee?

[ewing]

The Toon can apply for reinstatement to the U.S. Supreme Court after 5-6 years I think.. just in time for 2008!

[SamAdams76]

Scalia would make a fine chief justice but let's face it, and I'm being selfish here, Scalia is 67 years old. On the other hand, Thomas is just 54 (same age as GWB) and would have a good 20 years ahead of him, maybe more.

I would also like to see, as an earlier poster has pointed out, the sheer hypocrisy of the 'Rats pulling Anita Hill out of cold storage after shilling for serial sexual harrasser Bill Clinton for 10 years now.

[ewing]

Nothing in ther article, but if Terrell wins Louisiana I would expect some vacancies now that the GOP has the upper hand and is in firm control.

[EternalVigilance]

Good points.

[mhking]

I love it! I love it!!!!

[don-o]

Is Stevens a RAT appointee?

Top of my head - I think Nixon or Ford

[mhking]

Black conservative ping

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[Billthedrill]

Oh, I hope he goes for Thomas. Nina Totenberg and Harry Belafonte would have nuclear hissy-fits, the Dems would end up looking like the hypocrites they are when it comes to sexual harrassment, and with Powell, Rice, and Thomas occupying three of the most powerful offices in the world, black voters will finally start asking pointed questions about who is doing the talking and who is doing the achievement.

This means that Clarence Thomas will have to stand tall in the face of incredible vilification, in the same proud tradition as Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, and yes, Martin Luther King. He's got the stuff. Bush should do it.

[Arthur McGowan]

Howard Phillips warned Orrin Hatch, with TV cameras running, that Souter was a corrupt individual. Phillips pointed out that Souter, as a member of the board of a New Hampshire hospital, had voted to perform abortions at that hospital. Phillips argued that that was evidence of a corrupt character--making Souter unfit to serve on the Supreme Court--and evidence of a vested interest in abortion--i.e., that, having personally involved himself in the killing of babies, Souter had a personal interest in maintaining the lie that abortion is a legitimate activity. Hatch tut-tutted and pooh-poohed Phillips, saying that "while I agree with you on the issue of abortion, good people disagree on this issue," and that the only thing the Senate should make judgments about is "judicial philosophy" and professional conduct.

Of course, Phillips was 100% correct on this and Hatch was 100% wrong. Hatch's (and many other "pro-life" Republicans') fatuous, idiotic statement, that "good people disagree" on the subject of baby-killing, was proven, once again, to be the gaseous emission that it is. People who promote baby-killing are evil. Souter was a baby-killer before he got to the Supreme Court, and he has been a baby-killer ever since. If you appoint an intellectually-dishonest, corrupt, violent person to a government job, don't expect him to be something other than an intellectually-dishonest, corrupt, violent government official.

[johnny7]

This would be great! HA! The fema-nazis will go crazy.

They love a rapist but when Clarence mentions a porn star, they go mental!

The dude has been whipped by the left more than Jesus. He needs his due.

Hillary would tout Ginsberg... one hag to another.

Thomas, like Scalia, think and toss aside emotion. They are an anathema to the socialists.

[ewing]

This is great.

Rove is a master at pulling the Dims strings, they are probably rioting at DU already!

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Agreed. Our problem also included weak-kneed Republicans

[Senator Pardek]

Nixon.