posted September 05, 2005 08:57 AM              

Bush Nominates Roberts As Chief Justice

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush on Monday nominated John Roberts to succeed William H. Rehnquist as chief justice, and called on the Senate to confirm him before the Supreme Court opens its fall term on Oct. 3.

The swift move would promote to the Supreme Court's top job a man who currently is being considered as one of eight associate justices.

"I am honored and humbled by the confidence the president has shown in me," Roberts said, standing alongside Bush in the Oval Office. "I am very much aware that if I am confirmed I would succeed a man I deeply respect and admire, a man who has been very kind to me for 25 years."

"He's a man of integrity and fairness and throughout his life he's inspired the respect and loyalty of others," Bush said. "John Roberts built a record of excellence and achievement and reputation for goodwill and decency toward others. in his extraordinary career."

The selection of Roberts, who has drawn little criticism, helps Bush avoid new political problems when he already is under fire for the government's sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina and the president's approval ratings are sagging.

Getting a new chief justice of Bush's choosing in place quickly also avoids the scenario of having liberal Justice John Paul Stevens making the decisions about whom to assign cases to and making other decisions that could influence court deliberations. As the court's senior justice, Stevens would take over Rehnquist's administrative duties until a new chief is confirmed.

"The passing of Chief Justice William Rehnquist leaves the center chair empty, just four weeks left before the Supreme Court reconvenes," Bush said. "It's in the interest of the court and the country to have a chief justice on the bench on the first full day of the fall term."

Bush said Roberts has been closely scrutinized since he was nominated as an associate justice and that Americans "like what they see. He is a gentleman. He is a man of integrity and fairness." He said Roberts has unusual experience, having argued 39 cases as a lawyer before the Supreme Court. Bush also said Roberts was a natural leader.

The move was engineered to have all nine seats on the high court filled when the court opens its fall term.

Bush already had nominated Roberts to fill the seat of retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. It requires just take a little paper shuffling to change the nomination for Rehnquist's seat. Bush still must fill O'Connor's seat but she has promised to stay on the court until a successor is name.

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I'll admit to knowing next to nothing about the Supreme Court...but it doesn't seem kosher that someone who was originally just nominated for an Associate Justice seat, someone who has zero time in said position, is suddenly under an attempt to vault him to the highest seat.

posted September 05, 2005 07:28 PM              

I bet Clarence is really, really p*ssed .

posted September 05, 2005 09:52 PM            

If Bush put Thomas up for Chief Justice, then it would seem like a silly move to move Roberts laterally to his taking Thomas' place instead of O'Connor's.

posted September 06, 2005 01:40 PM            

A good friend keeps urging me to move to Canada. Perhaps I should consider.

posted September 06, 2005 04:06 PM            

quote:

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Q: Is it unusual for somoene who has not been on the court to be appointed to lead it as chief justice? A: No. Chief Justice William Rehnquist, who died Saturday...was a Nixon appointee who had been on the high court for about 14 years when he was elevated to chief by President Reagan in 1986. But Rehnquist was only the fifth associate justice in history to become chief. Most of the nation's 16 chief justices were not previously on the high court. For example, Warren Burger, who was appointed by President Nixon in 1969, had been on a lower federal appeals court. Earl Warren, chosen by President Eisenhower in 1953, had been governor of California.

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Hope this hels in our understanding.

posted September 08, 2005 04:36 PM              

Plus the fact his wife is an active pro-lifer, which doesn't offend me, but power of choice and respecting a woman's personal decision tends to be the law on the books in most states these days.

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Scorpio/Leo/Leo