The WaPo and NYT can't quite agree what Gonzales' nomination as AG means for the Supreme Court--tho it doesn't look like it will mean anything good.
The WaPo today opined that
Republican conservatives -- while uncomfortable with Gonzales because of previous decisions related to abortion and other social issues -- were cheered that his appointment as attorney general would keep him, at least for now, from being nominated to fill a Supreme Court vacancy.
....
Many conservatives interpreted the Gonzales appointment as a sign that Bush is preparing to nominate a more ideological figure to the Supreme Court.
"I find it reassuring," said Jeffrey Bell, a consultant with ties to religious conservatives. "It shows that Bush is a loyal person, which on a different level assures people who care about the Supreme Court."
But the NYT strikes back with a story Friday headlined "Choice of Gonzales May Blaze a Trail for the High Court":
Republicans close to the White House said on Thursday that the choice of Alberto R. Gonzales as attorney general was part of a political strategy to bolster Mr. Gonzales's credentials with conservatives and position him for a possible Supreme Court appointment.
...
For Mr. Gonzales, tenure as attorney general would allow him to demonstrate his reliability to conservative leaders, many of whom say they are unsure of his views on issues like abortion and affirmative action, Republicans said. One Republican said Mr. Gonzales's nomination hearings in Congress would also "get out of the way'' the debate over legal memorandums that Mr. Gonzales supervised as White House counsel.
...
The strategy, which Republicans said was in large part the work of Karl Rove, the president's chief political adviser, would clear the way for Mr. Bush to make his first nomination to the Supreme Court a trusted conservative, thus showing gratitude to his political base for the large role they played in giving him a second term.
"It's a thank you to the right for the election,'' said one Republican adviser to the White House. "And they think they need to strike now in the post-election glow.''
...
Presidents over the years have parked future candidates for the Supreme Court in other positions in order to bolster their résumés and improve their chances. Most often, however, potential nominees are first parked on federal appeals courts, the level just below the Supreme Court, not as attorneys general.
So both agree that
- the wingers distrust Gonzales
- Gonzales' appointment as AG opens the way for a "true" conservative to be appointed to the 1st SCOTUS vacancy
The only question is whether a stint as AG will ultimately strength Gonzales' bid for the Supreme Court--less in terms of credentials than of the wingers' comfort level with him.
It's a depressing world we live in when an advocate of torture appears suspiciously "moderate" to the folks in charge.