BREAKING NEWS - JOHN ROBERTS NEW CHIEF JUSTICE

Before returning to visit the devastated Gulf Coast this morning, the President announced the nomination of Judge John Roberts to succeed William Rehnquist, (who died Saturday), as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. This comes as somewhat of a surprise since there are two others, Scalia and Thomas who have seniority on the court and are conservatives. With two vacancies on the high court the President is actual shuffling paper work and changing Roberts nomination to succeed Rehnquist rather than Sandra Day O'Conner who announced her retirement earlier in the summer but said she would serve until a replacement is found. This swift move also signifies that the President is moving quickly to fill both vacancies and to try to insure little or no disruption in the work of the court. More significantly it also shows that Bush is reshaping the court and building a more conservative coalition with the nomination of Roberts as Chief. Roberts like Rehnquist could serve more than thirty years on the court but the difference is that Roberts would be chief throughout his term. Look for the libs to delay this nomination and the hearings for several reasons, not the least of which is that even with O'Conner staying on until her replacement is confirmed, the balance of the court as it stands at this moment leans more left which is exactly what the libs want so they might push there agenda through the high court while the opportunity presents itself. Senator Edward Kennedy has already eluded to this on Saturday immediately after the passing of Chief Rehnquist when he demanded a delay in the hearings, "so that the Senate and the Administration could concentrate" on the Gulf Coast recovery in the aftermath of Katrina. When has Kennedy ever concerned himself with anyone who is drowning or stranded in the water! Other Democrats have mentioned delaying the hearings along with Kennedy. The Supreme Court will begin its new term on October 1 and any delay will keep the court leaning to the left. The government does have the capability of performing both the hurricane recovery and confirmation hearings at the same time and incidentally I don't see Kennedy or any of his cohorts physically helping in the clean up efforts preventing them from their duties in Washington! The President's nomination of Roberts as chief is going to make this confirmation process one of the if not THE most interesting in the history of the nation!

Ken Taylor