US Supreme Court

[Worldbystorm]

A lot of good points in the previous post.

Actually this is a very clever choice. It manages to wrongfoot Democrats and the Republican religious right. It's also very Bush, since she worked with him during the 1990s and that sort of personal connection appears to drive him far more than simple ideological positions would suggest.

One good thing about this is that neither Roberts nor her appear to be far-right ideologues. Conservative yes, and across a range of issues, but probably no more so that your average conservative FF/FGer. Neither is a Rehnquist and the overall thrust of the Supreme Court remains more or less the same as before. Conservative yes, and across a range of issues, but probably no more so that your average conservative FF/FGer.

Incidentally there was an article by Gary Younge in the Guardian yesterday or the day before about the OJ trial which was 10 years ago this week. He was ruminating on the situation of Afro-Americans and their (in his view) marginalised position in society. What amused me was that he didn't once mention the way in which under Bush there has been a strong representation by various minorities. Remember with Bush's guy's it's all capital - not skin colour.

[Ronanr]

Thanks for the complement Worldbystorm.


This is of course only one hypothesis.


Another very realistic one is that, as Bush knows her so well personally, he knows that she is reliably a conservative vote on the main issues.

However, as she is not a judge, she does not have a paper trail. Therefore, she can get in "under the radar" by tacking left/prevaricating in the confirmation hearings, and once she is through that she can sit on the court as a solid conservative vote for twenty years

[AndrewM]

Good post RonanR, however, there are two problems.

Yes, Bush doesnt have to face another election, but he has entered a period of 'legacy building' that is just an important as re-election. Iraq and the economy dont appear to be going to well, so tipping the balance in the Supreme Court is all he has left.

Secondly, you're ignoring the power of the religious right. They credit themselves with creating the Republican majority in Congress, and with re-electing Bush. Do you think they're going to take a retreat from the Conservative Revolution lying down? The Republicans could take a hammering if they stay and home and keep their wallets closed, and the idea of the third party candidacy by them isn't out of the question if McCain or Guliani win the nomination for '08, such as is happening in the current Virginia gubernatorial race. As you said yourself:

but all they can do is resolve to stay at home in the next election.

Do you not see that as a major problem. What's larger: Pro-choice Republicans or the religious right?