Monday, September 05, 2005

Stop me if you've heard this one...

Now Roberts as Chief Justice? The man would be in charge forever. Dictator for life? I don't know, I could follow them all. Suffice it to say, it's pretty depressing. Of course, on the other hand, I have to feel that the bar for entry will be raised pretty high. How do you get a guy with no experience and make him chief justice? I don't understand how this administration thinks sometimes.

Oh, and please note how quickly Bush acted in this instance as compared to New Orleans. Here's your lesson:

Politically Advantageous Appointment = Good, Requires Immediate Attention
American People Dying = Not Important.

Here's the story from the Post.

Bush Nominates Roberts as Chief Justice
By Fred Barbash
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, September 5, 2005; 10:15 AM

President Bush announced this morning that he will nominate John G. Roberts as the 17th chief justice of the United States.

If confirmed, Roberts will replace William H. Rehnquist, who died Saturday from cancer. Roberts clerked for Rehnquist in 1980 when Rehnquist was an associate justice.

Bush had selected Roberts in July to fill the seat of retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Today's move, which was surprising primarily in its speed, avoids a prolonged public vetting of an entirely new nominee for the chief justice's job. While some liberal organizations have stated their opposition to Roberts' appointment as an associate justice, there was little doubt that he was going to be confirmed for that position, barring any startling revelations.

O'Connor has made her resignation effective with the confirmation of Roberts as associate justice. If she sticks to that plan and stays on until a new replacement is confirmed and if Roberts is confirmed as chief justice in the next month, the court could get started on its new term with a full contingent of nine.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said that was the president's expectation.

McClellan suggested that there would be a "short delay" in the schedule for Roberts' confirmation hearings, which were to begin tomorrow.

"Our goal remains to have Judge Roberts in place by the time the court comes back into session. So we're still working from that backstop," McClellan said. He said there had been "some initial discussions" with leaders of the Senate about a new timetable for Roberts' confirmation proceedings.

Posted by crimnos @ 11:14 AM