Washington Post:
Gonzales Could Be Bush's Sista Souljah
By Terry M. Neal
Washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Friday, July 8, 2005
Is it possible that President Bush's pending Supreme Court nomination could provide him with his very own Sista Souljah moment?
In the midst of Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign, the candidate attended a meeting of Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition and launched a rebuke of the group for providing a forum to black rapper Sister Souljah, whose racially inflammatory comments had recently been in the news.
Clinton's purpose was to demonstrate his ability to stand up to a constituency to which he was perceived to be beholden. For Clinton it was African Americans. For Bush it is social conservatives....Gonzalez could be the best political choice for Bush. Bush has already solidified his base. Polls show his support among Republicans, while having declined since his reelection, is still strong. But his popularity has dropped dramatically among self-identified moderates and independents....
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By nominating Gonzales, Bush could appeal to moderates, who make up the segment of the electorate he's losing and whom he needs for next year's midterm elections. He could appeal to Hispanics, the demographic group his party is courting hardest, by nominating the first Hispanic to the court. He almost certainly could get Gonzales through without fear of a filibuster by Democrats. He can satisfy his inclination to reward the loyalty of his friends, appointing a man who has served him as general counsel in Texas, and whom he later appointed as secretary of state, and then as Texas Supreme Court justice, before bringing him to Washington....
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But here's the kicker: Gonzales could turn out to be exactly the kind of justice that conservatives want. If you read between the lines and study Gonzales's statements and rulings as a Texas Supreme Court justice, it's not so clear what they portend for the larger sorts of issues he could face on the nation's highest court....
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/08/AR2005070801392.html