VIDEO-Sandra Day O'Connor for Chief Justice?

[Coltrane]

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/07/10.html#a3849
That was the story that came out on Face The Nation. Arlen Specter said that Sandra Day O'Connor has been approached to come back and take the mantle from Rehnquist

[longship]

1. If true, that would be good news.

But if true, it may hide something much more insidious going on.

O'Connor --> Rehnquist.
Atilla the Hun --> O'Connor

[Wapsie B]

2. I can hear the earth rumbling

beneath the gop as we speak. No way there wouldn't be hell to pay for this.

[hedda_foil]

3. Let's take a step back.

Spector and Leahy are clearly signalling that they want * to nominate O'Connor. She's just as clearly not someone that the cabal would even consider. Yet these very smart, very politically savvy judiciary committee old-timers wouldn't float the idea publicly just for kicks if it's as much a non-starter as we would think because * doesn't compromise and doesn't take hints from Senate moderates.

So, there's something going on beneath the surface of this trial balloon. Is there a tradeoff here? Obviously * doesn't do tradeoffs under anything approaching normal conditions, so if there is it must be over something incredibly valuable to the cabal and it must be under the control of the Senate Judiciary Committee as well.
Let's see, what else is controlled by the judiciary committee that the cabal would do almost anything to prevent? The Senate doesn't start impeachments and it's too soon for that in any case. Are they threatening to convene a formal (think Watergate) Senate investigation of the Plame leak if Bush doesn't nominate O'Connor?

Wouldn't that be interesting? The American people would be the winners either way, because in one case the composition of the SC won't change very much or the Committee, and in the other, we'd get a Watergate-style investigation of the leaks.

[elfin]

4. Nah - she wants OUT

and has wanted OUT since 2000. Just hung on so her preference for Bush in the "selection" wouldn't look quite so bad.

Waited through 2004 so would look a bit better for her legacy.

If it were offered, she would turn it down - wants to golf.