WP: White House Delay On Court Nominee Is Calculated Plan

[kskiska]

Stretching Out Time for Selection Intended to Cut Into Senate Debate

Every spring for the first three years of President Bush's administration, Karl Rove and other top aides gathered to prepare for the possibility that a Supreme Court justice would retire. Yet, when a seat finally opened in Bush's fifth year, the strategy to fill the vacancy suddenly turned into hurry-up-and-wait.

More than two weeks since Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement on July 1, the famously disciplined Bush White House has yet to name a replacement, nor does it look likely to do so for another two weeks. The delay has surprised and dismayed some outside White House advisers concerned that the resulting political vacuum will complicate Bush's selection by allowing a free-for-all interregnum when all sides lobby, advance their candidates and tear down others.

But the delay represents a calculated decision by the president's team that it is better to take slings and arrows on the front end to try to shorten the time the Senate has to consider a nominee on the back end. If Bush names a nominee between July 26 and 28, as many advisers now predict, that would leave fewer than 10 weeks in which his choice would be vulnerable to attack if the Senate votes before the court's term starts Oct. 3.

Bush, who has emphasized the importance of seating the new justice by then, tried to lay the groundwork for such a timetable with his weekly radio address yesterday.

(snip)

But the Bush White House was expecting Rehnquist, who is 80 and battling thyroid cancer, to retire this summer, not O'Connor. That reshuffled the political dynamics involved in replacing the first female justice and a key centrist-conservative who has been the court's swing vote for years. In addition, her surprise announcement came on a Friday before a holiday weekend followed by a Bush trip to Europe for a Group of Eight summit, making it impractical to announce a replacement right away.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/16/AR2005071601064.html

[skids]

1. Heheh....

...I be they are recalculating now that they need news to compete with the Plame Affair. It would be funny if they had to drop their name sooner than they had planned because of their own blunder.

[napi21]

2. Well, just a big TS if they don't confirm a replacement before the court

reconveins. O'Connor said she would stay until a replacement was confirmed, so it's no big rush!

I don't think the WH tactics are going to work!

Especially if there are inditments issued by Fitz!

[krkaufman]

6. Agreed. Take whatever time is necessary. n/t

[kurtyboy]

3. Someone--I don't remember which insider--said this would happen

I remember a story that came out before the USSC handed down its June decisions that when Rehnquist resigned, the President would wait for as long as possible to nominate a replacement (into the fall...) so that a returning Senate (and any opposition groups)would have only a limited time to mount an opposition campaign, complete with background research. The President would then call on Congress for the UP-DOWN vote before full consideration and vetting had been accomplished.

Ironically, this cynical approach (if true, and indicators today point to it) might yet backfire majestically. If indictments are handed down in the Plame case, Bush will be hard pressed to nominate anyone but a moderate to the Court--he'll need every bit of deal-making support he can get in Congress to avoid an impeachment.

But then again, he might make a nomination from Church tomorrow.

Oh yeah, he doesn't attend all that often....

[DanCa]

4. I got a sneaking suspicion that the nominee is going to split the party

The conservative Fristians who want to overturn roe vs those who don't.

[blonndee]

5. Thanks for posting this. I just had an OMG moment.

...the OMG wasn't from surprise or shock but instead a re-realization of just how BAD and SNEAKY this fucking group of people is and how badly they could hurt the rest of us. You re-inspired me just as I was about to give up.

[slater71]

7. Waiting for vacation

Chimpy will not revel his choice until his vacatin in to weeks when he goes to the pig farm for a month.

[Cocoa]

8. hoping his poll numbers will go up

they're at an all-time low now, especially his credibility.