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Wednesday, September 07, 2005

From Best of the Web 9/7/05

Chief Justice Roberts
Well, our dream did not come true. President Bush announced yesterday that Judge John Roberts, originally his nominee to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is now his nominee to replace the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist. The Senate delayed Roberts's hearings from today until next Monday, in part to allow for Rehnquist's funeral, which is tomorrow.

This means the Supreme Court will live to see another Day, as O'Connor's retirement does not become effective until the Senate confirms her successor, which almost certainly won't happen before the court's term opens in October.

Democrats are worried. "Before the Senate acts on John Roberts' new nomination, we should know even more about his record, and we should know whom the president intends to propose to nominate as a replacement for Sandra Day O'Connor," Reuters quotes Sen. Ted Kennedy as saying.

Mary Jo Kopechne could not be reached for comment.

The conventional wisdom is that the president will appoint a woman or a member of an ethnic minority. We have a favorite or two who would qualify, but we won't mention them for fear of jinxing the thing.