And now, a word from the opposition
Why now? Then what?
Kos
So Bush was supposed to spend all week interviewing potential Supreme Court nominees, but suddenly rushed the nomination forward today. Is Roberts really the guy they wanted, or the first guy that was potentially palatable that could be rushed to the podium?
And for a decision so important, why rush the process longer than necessary?
Well, there's that thing about Rove.
As we all know, Rove is trapped between two wars -- one is legal and Fitzgerald could care less about Roberts, and the other is political. Tonight's announcement, and the rash of false leaks throughout the day, meant Rove got a reprieve from the steady stream of damaging stories about his involvement in the illegal outing of an undercover CIA agent.
So the administration had to act quick, and nominated Roberts to the high court.
The future of the Supreme Court is at stake, and these guys will even truncate that process for short-term political gain. Par for the course.
So who is this guy Roberts? He has only two years of judicial experience, and his legal advocacy can be dismissed as doing the bidding of his bosses.
Fair enough. I'm willing to hear the guy out. We're not going to get a Ginsburg, but I'd be happy with an O'Connor-style moderate conservative. For all we know (and for all the religious-right knows), Roberts might be that sort of guy.
But he has to be honest and forthcoming, unlike his previous confirmation hearing. The Senate must take its time deliberating over the nomination. And this is something that all sides should want, not just ours. For all the right wing knows, this guy may be the next Souter who simply pretended to be virulently anti-privacy.
As Roberts answers all questions posed, we can then decide whether it's worth opposing or not. And as that process plays out, we can make sure that Rove isn't forgotten in all the Supreme Court hoopla.
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