Rehnquist To Retire After Bush Returns

Bob Novak is now saying that Chief Justice Rehnquist will retire after President Bush's return from Europe later this afternoon...

Rehnquist to Retire?

Robert Novak reports that Chief Justice Rehnquist is going to retire before weeks end. Given that it is now Friday morning, that would not leave much time for it to happen. I suppose we shall find out in the coming hours...

Ex-Senator Thompson To Assist Nominee

Former Senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee (now District Attorney Arthur Branch on Law & Order), was chosen by the White House to guide the nominee selected by President Bush through the nomination process.

Schumer Goes To War?

The Drudge Report is reporting that Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was overheard telling someone, in relation to the upcoming Supreme Court nomination battle, that "We are contemplating how we are going to go to war over this."

The conventional wisdom is that the nomination battle will be contentious, regardless of the President's selection. Given that conventional wisdom bandied about by the media is frequently incorrect, it might be wise to wait and see who the nominee is, before making any grand conclusions.

No doubt, Senator Schumer and others will attempt to ruffle the feathers of whoever is nominated, but in the end, there should easily be enough votes on the floor of the Senate to confirm all but the most controversial or potentially problematic candidates.

Back From The Abyss...

Campaign Line will be returning shortly, given the time constraints of law student summer associate life. For now, check out an interesting post, made in November by one of our very own, regarding Justice O'Connor's potential replacements:

http://campaignline.blogspot.com/2004/11/replacing-oconnorwith-who.html

Break...

Campaign Line will be in a temporary holding pattern, while law school exams are conducted. Stay tuned for extensive new material to be posted during and following the Christmas holiday season.

Seasons' greetings to all!

Kerry Blames The Tape?

Geraldo Rivera reports that Senator John Kerry has placed at least part of the blame for his defeat on the Osama Bin Laden tape that was released the week before Election Day. I would agree with the Senator that foreign affairs were the primary reason for his defeat in the election, but it would be revisionist history to blame the tape alone for Bush's victory.

One should not forget that it was Senator Kerry (along with CBS/New York Times) who made the (not) stolen explosives the major story in the week prior to the election. The Senator was primarily responsible for keeping so much focus on Iraq and the war on terror by focusing endlessly upon the issue (against President Clinton's apparent advice). Indeed, in exit polls, those who expressed most concern about the Bin Laden video seem to have favored Senator Kerry. Granted, it was only by a small margin, and the exit poll results are suspect, but there is little reason to believe that the tape caused a groundswell of support for the President. Additionally, most tracking polls and regular national polls taken in the days immediately preceding the election showed little difference as a result of the tape. If anything, the polls in waning days of the campaign showed the race tightening slightly - not a surge in support for the President.

Hope For Center-Rightists In Italy

Given all the emphasis the mainstream media gives to how much foreign governments despise President George W. Bush and America, it was a breath of fresh air to read Michael Novak's account of travels in Italy. Apparently, there is a growing movement there against the secularism that seems to have had an increasingly strong hold on Continental Europe - both intellectually and politically.

Judicial Watch: North Carolina

In addition to the larger Republican majority in the Senate, the replacement of a few Democratic Senators - particularly Senator John Edwards of North Carolina - will also make it easier for President Bush's judicial nominees to receive Senate consideration. Traditional Senate procedure allows a single Senator to block consideration of a judicial nominee from his or her state.

The Associated Press reports that three judicial nominees from North Carolina had been blocked by Senator Edwards, but will now receive approval of Senator-elect Richard Burr. Two of the appointees were to North Carolina federal district courts - Bob Conrad and James Dever. Additionally, current federal District Judge Terrence Boyle, had been nominated to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, which sits in Richmond, Virginia.

The President would have to renominate all three for them to receive consideration.

NOTES: In addition to North Carolina, South Carolina will also now have two Republican Senators, given Senator-elect Jim DeMint's recent victory. While the same is true of Georgia, outgoing Democrat Senator Zell Miller was certainly no opponent of the President's judical nominees.

The Senate delegation in Colorado will also now be split in the 109th Congress, giving Senator-elect Ken Salazar's victory. Salazar replaces retiring Republican Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (who switched to the GOP in 1995).

Bush Advancing Secularism?

Today, columnist Christopher Hitchens weighs in with an interesting article, arguing that President Bush is acutally advancing secularism through his foreign policy. Hitchens raises an interesting point: While the Left has unloaded a mountain of insults at religious conservatives in the week since Election Day, the author points out that in fighting Al Queda and Islamic militants in Iraq and elsewhere, President Bush has actually been a great supporter of more secular Islamic groups. It is ironic that leftists, like Michael Moore, cast extreme Islamic radicals as freedom fighters, while heaping scorn upon Christian evangelicals (who, compared to their Islamic counterparts, are anything but radical).

Ashcroft, Evans Leave Cabinet

Josh Ashcroft and Don Evans will be leaving the Bush Administration...