Republican Senators on both ends of the spectrum say the next Supreme Court nominee is the one they are prepared to fight. The GOPers are going to the mat on this one:
As President Bush moves to fill the second vacancy on the Supreme Court, he faces a new challenge in finding a jurist who can not only withstand Democratic scrutiny but hold together the support of Senate Republicans as well.So, for the hard core right wingers, who want to run for President, the next nominee is going to be politicized. And, apparently, it's okay for the right wingers to apply litmus tests and play politics with judicial nominees, but if the liberals do that, it's bad. Double standards never bothered the GOP.
Polls have shown Mr. Bush's approval ratings near the lowest levels of his presidency. And Senate Republican strategists say that since his nomination of Judge John G. Roberts Jr. to the court, members of their conference have grown increasingly willing to disagree with the White House, notably on matters like stem cell research, Mr. Bush's choice for ambassador to the United Nations and the war in Iraq.
Some, including Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee, the majority leader, and Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, a member of the Judiciary Committee, are considering their own bids for the presidency.
Now, both socially conservative and more liberal Republican senators say they may vote against confirmation of the next nominee if the pick leans too far to the left or the right on prominent issues like abortion rights.
