Arlen Specter's Big Idea

It's Sunday, the beginning of the week, and so the competition is low, but Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) is working hard to earn kudos for the "Stupidest Idea of the Week."

Senator Arlen Specter, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, suggested on Sunday that President Bush could name Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who is retiring from the Supreme Court, to the position of chief justice if it opens up.

Sen. Specter, she's quitting, and Republicans -- the president's party and officially your party -- are glad about it. When we tell our little policy wonks scary stories late at night, we tell them that Reagan picked O'Connor and, with the voice of the evil witch in "The Green Fingernail," George H.W. Bush picked DAVID SOUTER! (I hope someone is telling George W. these scary stories.) We don't want O'Connor back -- her good opinion on Kelo v. NLDC notwithstanding.

But Sen. Specter hasn't noticed that:

"She has received so much adulation that a confirmation proceeding would be more like a coronation, and she might be willing to stay on for a year or so."

Sen. Specter, that's how the Democrats get warmed up for a battle. They "prove" themselves "reasonable" by praising someone after it's too late to make any difference. Remember how everyone learned to love Reagan at his funeral?

If George W. Bush were (God forbid) to nominate O'Connor for Chief Justice, the only people who would scream louder than the Republicans would be the Democrats. Most of the Senate Democrats would be happy to hold a couple of Supreme Court seats open until 2009 when, they hope (and again, God forbid) Hillary Clinton could fill them with Ruth Bader Ginsburg clones.

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