Maybe it could ultimately be a good thing that Bush chose Roberts as his nominee to replace Chief Justice Renquist. After all, he's simply replacing one right-wing idealogue with another.
And this frees up the spot formerly occupied by the more moderate Sandra Day O'Connor.
With Bush's ratings at an all-time low, would he dare to nominate another ultra-conservative, rather than a moderate, preferably female, alternative that might win back a lost popularity point or two?
OK, yes, you're right, he probably would nominate an extremist wacko. But perhaps circumstances are precarious enough that the Democrats might finally grow a spine and evolve into something other than a lame-ass, wimpy rubber stamp for the neocon agenda?
Anyway, we can dream about the possibilities.
From Women's eNews:
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With John Roberts a virtual shoo-in as the next chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, many observers of the High Court are now turning their attention to a question of greater suspense: Who will President Bush name to replace the first woman ever to serve, the retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor?
O'Connor played a crucial role of consensus builder and many times her vote determined cases of intense concern to women and minority men. Thus, her replacement will be key to whether the court will preserve and even expand a wide spectrum of precedents, ranging from legal abortions to affirmative action.
Most women's rights leaders contacted by Women's eNews said they considered it quite possible that Bush will nominate a woman to succeed O'Connor. Martha Burke, chair of the National Council of Women's Organizations, put the odds at 50-50.
Burke doubted, however, that such a female nominee would come with a similar legal profile as O'Connor. "The chance of another moderate woman replacing her is fairly low," Burke said.
The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and the Chicago Sun-Times have all reported recently on rumors that several female judges with strong conservative leanings might be under consideration for O'Connor's seat. They include federal appellate judges Priscilla Owen, Edith Clement and Edith Jones; all sitting on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Other possibilities include Judge Karen Williams of the 4th Circuit; Judge Janice Rogers Brown of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia; and Michigan state Supreme Court Justice Maura Corrigan.
Some believe these lists ignore a significant cadre of other potential nominees.
Drucilla Stender Ramey, president of the bipartisan National Association of Women Judges in Washington, says that Bush could select from a long list of highly experienced female judges with moderate views to name a woman to the Supreme Court. "While the president obviously has the right to appoint someone of quite a different stripe than his predecessor, the current president has a large field of extremely capable, experienced women judges who would fit the description."
Below are brief biographies of those mentioned by Stender Ramey, leaders of women's bar associations, advocacy organizations and others watching the process.
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