Push, Meet Shove

By now, you are well aware of the fact that Sandra Day O'Connor has finally resigned from the Supreme Court. While O'Connor caused much frustration to the right during her two decades on the Court, her decision to leave the Court and the job she loved for her husband is commendable.

Now, it is time to look ahead. The President promised during both campaigns to appoint strict constructionists to the high Court. Now, it is time for him to make good on his promise. Both redstate.org and confirmthem.com have had excellent coverage of the short list.

For the record, there are just two nominees who have been discussed who would be absolutely unacceptable. J. Harvie Wilkinson and Alberto Gonzalez have been bandied about for years. Both have shown hostility toward traditional values and would consider themselves bound by the judicial legislation for which the Court has been known since NRLB. Surely stare decisis has its place, but it is far more important to be faithful to the Constitution than faithful to the countless amendments that have been written by tyrants in robes who have shown such eagerness to extend their powers beyond the "cases and controversies" that come before them. If the President chooses either of these individuals, then the Republican Senate had better reject them.

Fortunately, the President seems to have gotten the message that conservatives are dead serious about the Court. If he blows this nomination, or any nomination, Republicans will suffer severe losses in 2006 and beyond. The Reagan Revolution will be over, and those who came over based on the socially conservative leadership of our greatest President will return either to the sidelines or the Democrat Party.

Now, the names supposedly on the short list are John Roberts, Michael Luttig, and Emilio Garza. Any one of these three, among others would be an excellent choice. The President must, however, make his decision based on neither race nor sex. This is not the Clinton administration. Republicans have the White House and 55 Senate seats. The President should nominate and the Senate should confirm the person who would make the best Supreme Court Justice for decades to come, be it a man or woman, white or minority.

This is the President's test. Pass and he could leave his Party with long-term majorities in Congress, the upper hand in the 2008 Presidential race, improve the Supreme Court dramatically, and change the country for the better by restoring the high Court to its limited role in our government. Fail and he would make improvement in our nation's culture and government impossible, validating the abuses of power by dictators in robes.

Now is the President's time. He must come through.