Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Edith behind doors #1 and 2

Tonight (9 EST, 8 here in Monkville) the President will announce his nominee to replace Justice O'Connor. TradeSports says it's Edith (Joy) Brown Clement; Erick at Redstate.org is on record saying that his intheknow types tell him the President will nominate Edith Hollan Jones.

Here are some basics: Clement was a district judge appointed by George H.W. Bush (error before, this bio info is corrected) before being appointed to the 5th Circuit by George W. Bush. She's Louisianan, 57, and less well-known than Jones. Clement was reportedly interviewed by Cheney. She is a conservative and the Right thinks she's more confirmable (?) than Jones. The hope, she's retuos = reverse Souter. The likelihood, another O'Connor with perhaps a bit more in common with Rehnquist but NOT a Scalia/Thomas. [Updated] Paul Mirengoff (Powerline's Deacon) fears that she is a female Souter because there is no evidence of her having strong conservative roots and Republican nominees without strong conservative principles tend to drift left on the high court (Brennan, Warren, Blackmun, Stevens, O'Connor, Kennedy, Souter).

Jones is 56 and the runner-up for the post that went to Souter. Thus, she marks another opportunity for Bush to make up for the mistakes of his father. She is on record saying that Roe is a crap decision, which it is from a legal standpoint (read it for G*dsakes, it is horrid regardless of your view on abortion). She is Houstonian -- remember that because Bush likes his Texans (a reason that Garza is a favorite to be the first Hispanic Justice). And she is an iron-clad conservative. No doubts or stealth aspect to her.

The Monk prefers Jones, not least of all because if she gets confirmed, Nan Aron and Ralph Neas will wind up conniptive.

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