PREDICTION: Roberts will be confirmed easily

[Walt Starr]

There's no fighting this one. You can't. He was confirmed on a voice vote 99-0 for the DC Court.

It's a non-starter. Time to go back to pounding Rove.

Oh well, I had hoped Rove would be moved to the back burner for a few weeks. Much better impact when he's indicted if there's nothing in the news for a while. Now they'll get a chance to parse words some more...

[Catch22Dem]

1. Agreed

I'd have a better chance of keeping an ice cube frozen on my driveway overnight and it's like 100 fucking degrees outside right now.

[Connie_Corleone]

2. 100% agree.

I have to catch up on the latest about Traitorgate for today.

[goforit]

3. Well what the hell,...let all those men pay for the abandoned babies!

[enigami]

4. That is the way it is written

in the constitution. Sometimes you get the bear. Sometimes the bear gets you. Should be fun to watch though.

[stevedeshazer]

5. Wow, you're really going out on a limb here, Walt

:)

[joemurphy]

6. Agree. This guy isn't my favorite either. But

we could do a hell of a lot worse. Many of us were prepared to stomach Gonzales. This guy's probably better than him.

[Walt Starr]

7. If we're lucky, he'll be another Kennedy

or Souter.

[joemurphy]

9. Right. He's not a dingbat like Janet Rogers Brown or an

out and out ideologue like Priscilla Owens. He doesn't seem nearly as nutty as Scalia or Thomas either. I say we look at our hand for the next five weeks and see if he worships devils or sleeps with little boys. If not, we politely fold and get on with things we may have more control over. Let's deal with him with cooler heads in any event.

[catabryna]

8. This is one battle...

that we aren't going to win and we need to be realistic about this. It doesn't mean I'm happy about it, but I have no intention of abandoning my party over this; what folly that would be!

As I'm sure we all know, there are a lot of pending issues that we need to be involved with at this time; * is going to be around for up to 3 years... though I'm certainly praying that he's out of office well before that time.

[kohodog]

15. I like your expression "up to three years!"

Personally, I don't want impeachment, I want resignation! Much cleaner. But Cheney will need to go too.

I don't know enough about this guy yet to decide how I will respond, and frankly I was bracing for an outrageous pick to create noise to deflect from turdgate.

[catabryna]

19. Thanks... definitely need to stay positive! nt

[SaveElmer]

10. Ditto...could have been worse.

There is too much wiggle room in his statements, and he has too many liberals giving him recommendations for us to sustain a filibuster against him.

I say we move on, get back to raking Rove et al over the coals...

[Strelnikov_]

11. The Frame Needs To Be 'Why Did He Suddenly Make A Nomination

when he was talking about taking his time last week. It's like he is trying to change the subject. He acts like he is hiding something'.

Another, as the weeks go by: 'He appears to have fairly good credentials for a pick that had to be made in a hurry due to the unfolding scandal'.

[clovis29]

12. It is out of left field... could it be a chance to distract us from Rove?

and his complicity in the Plame/Wilson affair?

[Strelnikov_]

14. I Sure Think So. It Also Shows How Worried They Are

You don't make the effort to protect something if there is nothing there.

[quinnox]

13. Unless he makes a major gaffe

I think he will get a pretty high vote for confirmation. I'm just glad it wasn't J. Michael Luttig, who was said to be a possible pick earlier on CNN. That guy is a piece of work!

[fujiyama]

16. Agreed for the most part

though I don't think Dems should vote for him anyways. A filibuster wouldn't be very prudent though in this case considering it would be difficult to justify it and the consequences of the nuclear option would be even worse when another justice retires. It's likely Bush will appoint someone even farther to the right to replace Rehnquist (or worse yet Stevens).

He's going to get through easilly.

[depakid]

17. The Dens won't filibuster anyone

so it's a moot issue.

Bush will get whoever he askes for.

[Rockholm]

18. Kinda Agree, but the next court fight is now looming.

See, with Roberts "possibly" heading to the Supreme Court, that leaves a nice big seat on the DC Appeals Court. This is the stealth seat the republicans crave. This opening will be the one to filibuster if needed.
Remember folks, nothing President Rove does hasn't been thought of from EVERY angle. This is their plan.

Edit: spelling.