HEY, KARL, WATCH THEM RISE TO THE BAIT AGAIN:

Gonzales Is Mentioned in Supreme Court Remarks (RICHARD W. STEVENSON and SHERYL GAY STOLBERG, 9/07/05, NY Times)

President Bush said Tuesday that his list of candidates to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was "wide open," and he jokingly but pointedly singled out Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales.

Mr. Bush's mention of Mr. Gonzales as a possibility, in comments to reporters at the end of a cabinet meeting, fueled concern among conservatives, who were already mobilizing against the attorney general. Conservatives say that Mr. Gonzales has not shown himself to be sufficiently opposed to abortion rights and that nominating him would miss an opportunity to move the court fundamentally to the right.

Mr. Bush said that he had yet to make up his mind and that he would "take a good, long look at who should replace Justice O'Connor." But he mentioned only one name, that of Mr. Gonzales, a longtime friend and aide who, if nominated and confirmed, would be the first Hispanic on the court.

"The list is wide open, which should create some good speculation here in Washington," Mr. Bush said to laughter in the Cabinet Room, with the attorney general sitting directly across from him. "And make sure you notice when I said that, I looked right at Al Gonzales, who can really create speculation."

The President recognizes that he can whip the Right into such a froth that they'll once again trip over themselves to embrace no matter who he picks other than Mr. Gonzales.

Posted by Orrin Judd at September 7, 2005 1:09 PM