A Smart (and Fabulous!) Pick

Judge John Roberts

He's the man!
Former managing editors of
The Harvard Law Review, Unite!

I've always been a partisan of John Roberts' (I noted on air at KABC the night of Justice O'Connors' retirement that he'd be my top pick) -- for one silly reason and a good one.

The silly one? Judge Roberts, like me, is a former managing editor of the Harvard Law Review.

More importantly, he is a first rate lawyer, a conservative, and, by all accounts, a fine person of integrity.

What does the pick signify?

(1) President Bush wanted a true conservative and a real intellect -- someone of stature who will make his tenure on the Court count. This nomination will, in fact, move the court to the right (vs. O'Connor).

(2) President Bush doesn't want a big, controversial fight (as he would have gotten with Judge Luttig, Judge Jones and some of the others). Roberts is a long-time Washingtonian, with many friends and many ties in D.C. -- on both sides of the aisle. He is well known, and well-liked -- and would be the most difficult of all potential nominees to filibuster or trash. He is certainly the most un-Borkable judge on the shortlist.

(3) President Bush doesn't bow to the dictates of "political correctness" -- to pick a woman, or to pick a Latino, or to pick anyone but the person he thinks would be best for the job. Kudos to him for breaking the cycle some would put in place of there being a "woman's seat" or some such silliness.

Happy, happy day!