Supreme Court Indecision

The two main stories of the weekend continue to overlap each other. Sandra Day O'Connor's replacement on the Supreme Court will definitely be affected by how the Valerie Plame case plays out. If the accusations against Karl Rove are borne out, and if the Bush Administration isn't able to spin its way around them, then the President will not be in a position to nominate as conservative a candidate as many fear. But if the reality of the Plame situation doesn't match the hype we're hearing now, then expect a nominee as unpalatable to Democrats as possible. If he weren't 78, I'd almost expect Robert Bork, just to prove that the Bush people can push him through, something not even the sainted Reagan Administration could pull off. Although I'd imagine Bork himself is essentially out of the running, a younger ideological twin is easily believable. If Bush had the power, or even thought he had the power, it would be an opportunity for him to prove the Senate is completely under his thumb once and for all.

The early speculation within the liberal media has been focused on Alberto Gonzalez, who just a few months ago replaced John Ashcroft as attorney general (and who rid the Justice Department rotunda of those ugly blue curtains). We're being reminded again that he's a long-time trusted aide and friend to the President, as well as the fact that, as governor of Texas, Bush already named him to that state's supreme court. But we're also hearing that the religious right has come out rapidly and strongly against the possibility, considering Gonzalez soft on abortion. It's been said that James Dobson and his minions would abandon the administration if Gonzalez were the nominee, but I wonder of all this is a ruse. As he's being portrayed, Gonzalez comes off as one of the most moderate nominees we could get, and as such, the Senate would approve him in a minute. But is he a Trojan Horse? He may be the most moderate candidate we can hope for, but that doesn't mean he's acceptable. And would the religious right learn to live with him? It's hard to know, but if his nomination did cause a lasting rift between the Bush Administration and the religious right, perhaps he'd be a compromise we could live with.