Owen Front-Runner to Replace Justice O'Connor
Robert Novak says federal Appellate Judge Priscilla Owen is the front-runner to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor:
According to White House sources, Bush met secretly with Owen last week. While not decisive evidence, this was no mere get-acquainted session beginning a long exploration. He knows and admires his fellow Texas Republican. The countervailing political pressure on Bush is to name a Hispanic American, and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is a Texas Republican the president knows and likes even better than he does Owen. But signals last week he might name Gonzales probably should not be taken seriously.
[. . .]
Owen is viewed as the strongest choice and, at age 50, able to guarantee a conservative court for 20 years.
After the great job of misdirection the White House pulled off concealing Roberts prior to President Bush's July 19th announcement, I wouldn't bet the farm on Owen or against Gonzales.
Still, it would be interesting if the President were to name any one of the recently approved appellate court appointees... the ones already approved by the Senate's "Gang of 14" moderates.
Posted by: Bat One | Monday, September 12, 2005 at 07:39 PM
Wasn't it Novak who reported the late-night White House phone call to Edith Clement for the first vacancy, which turned out to be a "thanks for playing" phone call?
Clement is from New Orleans and is a woman. That gets my gentlemen's bet.
Posted by: KipEsquire | Monday, September 12, 2005 at 06:30 PM
Novak isn't exactly batting 1.000 when it comes to Supreme Court predictions these days ...
--|PW|--
Posted by: pennywit | Monday, September 12, 2005 at 06:10 PM