[HatSteel]

Will there be a trade?

Will Rove backchannel a deal that has O'Conner retiring first AND Bush nominating a replacement who is agreed upon as a SWING VOTE.....someone with feet planted firmly in the middle squishy ground where Sandra Day live?

In return for Bush's willingness to deal, he will ask for an identical strict constructionist to replace Rehnquist + Agreement on the next Chief Justice.

The point would be to have a court that ends up looking exactly as it does now. 4 left, 4 right and 1 middle.

Personally, I'd prefer the nuclear option and ramming through strict constructionists.

[pittsburgh gop guy]

O'Conner is not in the middle squishy ground!!!! She is a lib - and proved it this week.

She is on crack, as proven by her ruling on the sodomy case today. She is just plain nuts.

And I hope she goes. Just as long as it is not the Chief Justice, Scalia or Thomas!

[linn37]

You don't make deals with liberals.

[proud American in Canada]

", I'd prefer the nuclear option and ramming through strict constructionists."

So do I.