Well, Harry Reid was definitely on to something when he said the radical right torpedoed Harriet Miers' nomination. It turns out that Samuel (Sc)Alito isn't really Shrub's choice at all. He was the far right's choice.
For instance, the Christian Legal Society loves him.
The Christian Legal Society, he said, has "made it known to the White House who we believe are our top three most qualified candidates consistent with the president's stated views that he is looking for judges who faithfully interpret the law, not legislate from the bench."
Judge Michael W. McConnell on the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is top of the list for CLS, a 42-year-old, 3,400-member nonprofit group that says its mission is "to do justice with the love of God."
Second is Judge Edith Hollan Jones, who practiced law in Texas and now sits on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. The third candidate is Samuel Alito, a 3rd U.S. Circuit judge from Philadelphia.
And so does Focus on Your Own Damn Family.
While LaRue isn't willing to make recommendations herself, several possibilities are being floated in D.C., she said. They include:
--Michael McConnell, a judge on the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. McConnell is not only a conservative, but the former University of Chicago law professor has long been considered one of America's most distinguished legal minds by both liberal and conservative law professors.
--John Roberts, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit since 2003, who is considered a top prospect.
--Samuel Alito, Jr., a judge on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia, also considered a top prospect.
--J. Michael Luttig, a Texan on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond since 1991, known to the current President Bush.
--Edith Jones, a judge on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, who came close to being elevated to the court by then-President George H.W. Bush.
--Larry Thompson, who served as the number two man in the Justice Department under Attorney General John Ashcroft.
--Ted Olson, the solicitor general of the United States until last summer. Olson represented George W. Bush in the 2000 post-election Bush v. Gore case. His wife was a passenger on the 9/11 plane which crashed into the Pentagon.
--Emilio Miller Garza, a judge on the 5th Circuit, who also narrowly missed selection as the first Hispanic justice in the 1980s.
In other words--Shrub has completely surrendered to the far right. And the juicy part is that with the snowballing of Harriet Miers, the nuclear option is dead too.
I bet Bill Frist is wondering, "Why is Harry Reid smiling?"
Update [2005-10-31 10:29:50 by Christian Dem in NC]: Bill Frist escorted (Sc)Alito to the viewing of Rosa Parks' casket--and mentioned on CNN that he wants him to have an "up or down vote." Good luck, Doctor.