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New U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts (R) shares a light moment with U.S. President George W. Bush (3rd L) and the Archbishop of Washington, Theodore McCarrick (2nd R) on the steps of St. Matthews Cathedral in Washington, October 2, 2005.

Reuters has Supreme court to open term with new chief justice.

The John Roberts era at the Supreme Court begins on Monday, when the youngest U.S. chief justice in 200 years presides in a term that will include cases on contentious issues such as abortion, assisted suicide and financing of political campaigns.

As the 17th U.S. chief justice, the 50-year-old Roberts succeeds fellow conservative
William Rehnquist, 80, who died a month ago, in a lifetime job that positions him to help shape the American way of life for decades.

The Supreme Court opens its term tomorrow with a number of important cases (abortion, assisted suicide, and Anna Nicole Smith) that should be decided along the same philosophical lines as the Rehnquist court.

After tomorrow’s opening, watch the President name his next nominee, Federal Appeals Court Judge Priscilla Owen.

Technorati Tags: John Roberts, Supreme Court, Priscilla Owen

President Bush watches as Judge John Roberts is sworn in by Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2005.

The 17th Chief Justice of the United States.

Congratulations Mr. Chief Justice Roberts………

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Penn., speaks on Monday, Sept. 26, 2005 in the Senate in Washington, regarding confimration of John Roberts as Chief Justice of the United States.

The ASSociated Press has Roberts Heads Toward Easy Confirmation.

Judge John Roberts will be confirmed by Thursday and then attention will turn to the next nominee.

President Bush gave a hint today.

“I will pick a person who can do the job. But I am mindful that diversity is one of the strengths of the country,” Bush said Monday. He is under pressure from many quarters — including his wife — to pick a woman or a minority for O’Connor’s seat.

Although Flap was wrong on the date and time, he expects Judge Priscilla Owen to be named this Friday.

Senate leaders and the top two lawmakers on the Judiciary Committee speak with members of the media, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2005, after a White House meeting with President Bush to discuss the second vacancy on the Supreme Court. The meeting was similar to one Bush held in July, one week before he nominated Roberts to fill the shoes of the late Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist. Left to right are Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Arlen Specter, R-Penn. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.

The senior Democrat on the Judiciary Committee announced Wednesday he will vote to confirm John Roberts for chief justice of the United States after leading lawmakers met with
President Bush to discuss candidates for the other high court vacancy.

The announcement by veteran Sen. Patrick Leahy (news, bio, voting record) came amid virtually unprecedented executive-legislative branch jockeying over not one, but two high court openings, seats left vacant by the death of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and the retirement of Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

Roberts’ confirmation was virtually assured even before Leahy’s announcement. The Vermont senator’s decision, made public shortly after he and three other leading senators met privately with Bush at the White House to discuss candidates for O’Connor’s place on the bench, came on the eve of the Judiciary panel’s vote on whether to favorably recommend Roberts’ confirmation.

Who cares?

Is this the attempt by Democrats to look reasonable in the Robert’s confirmation process. Judge Robert’s confirmation is assured and Leahy’s support is meaningless. But, then again, it is no surprise that Kennedy and Kerry will vote against the confirmation.

The Robert’s confirmation is guaranteed and the President is now moving to his next nomination.

Captain Ed has Dividing The Dems

Tehnorati Tags: John Roberts, Supreme Court, Patrick Leahy

Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, said she was conflicted about the nomination. “I’m sorting out what I feel now,” she said.

The New York Times has Frustrated by Roberts, and Unsure How to Vote.

Senate Democrats are deeply conflicted about how to vote on the nomination of Judge John G. Roberts Jr. to be the nation’s 17th chief justice, and appear divided about how, and whether, to use their vote to send a message to President Bush as he selects a candidate to fill a second Supreme Court vacancy.

Good grief these poor leftie souls cannot make a decision?

GIVE ME A BREAK!

They do NOT want to vote for Judge John Roberts because he is a Republican nominee, and a conservative..

Judge Roberts is eminently qualified and was confirmed by the Senate just two years ago for the Federal Court of Appeal.

Judge Roberts’s unflappable performance during three days of questioning has clearly put Democrats in a quandary. Some say a strong vote against his nomination could prod the White House into naming a centrist to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, a crucial swing vote. Others say that supporting the Roberts nomination could make Democrats appear reasonable, giving them more credibility to oppose the next nominee.

Flap says it makes NO difference how these lefties vote. They are viewed as partisan, the Republicans hold the majority of the Senate and barring some last minute disqualifying event Judge Roberts will be confirmed with Republican votes alone.

Then………..the Democrats can rationalize why they voted to deny confirmation to such an outstanding jurist.

As the Judiciary Committee wrapped up its questioning of Judge Roberts on Thursday morning, Democrats, who have repeatedly assailed the nominee for not being forthcoming, expressed obvious frustration. Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, told Judge Roberts that she had “one impression of you when we had our hour in private,” and another at the hearing.

Later, in an interview, Senator Feinstein declined to elaborate. “I’m sorting out what I feel now,” she said, shaking her head.

PLEASE Senator Feinstein don’t make any more of an ASS out of yourself than you already have.

You voted to confirm Judge Roberts two years ago.

What has changed?

Your need to placate the moveon.org folks?

Judge Roberts will be easily be voted out of committee next Thursday by the Senate Judiciary Committee and then confirmed by the whole Senate.

Flap handicaps that next Friday after Chief Justice Roberts clears committee President Bush will name the successor to retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

Technorati Tags: John Roberts, Supreme Court, Dianne Feinstein

Senate Judiciary Committee member, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., left, greets Chief Justice nominee John Roberts on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2005 prior to the committee’s confirmation hearing for Roberts.

The ASSociated Press has Roberts Says He Won’t Be Ideologue.

Chief Justice nominee John Roberts wound up three days of sometimes-contentious Senate testimony Thursday by telling wary Democrats that ideologues don’t belong on the Supreme Court. He said his record shows he will rely on the law, not personal views.

Persistent grilling by Democrats on the Judiciary Committee made no apparent inroads in Roberts’ support among the Senate’s majority Republicans, who plan to vote the week after next to make him the nation’s 17th chief justice.

Roberts tried to reassure Democrats that he would use the “rule of law,” not his personal beliefs, to judge cases that come before the high court.

“I think if you’ve looked at what I’ve done since I took the judicial oath, that should convince you that I’m not an ideologue,” Roberts said after an impassioned plea by Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California and Charles Schumer of New York for him to explain what kind of chief justice he would be. As for ideologues, he said, “you and I agree that that’s not the sort of person we want on the Supreme Court.

The leftie Democrats are stymied. Checkmate!

For what reason would any Senator oppose this nomination besides blatant partisan politics.

Flap is anxious to hear from California Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein. DiFi voted to confirm Roberts two years ago for the Court of Appeals, she is up for re-election in 2006, and is considered a moderate Democrat.

If she does not vote to confirm Roberts (Senator Orrin Hatch is correct), then she will probably be unable to vote for any candidate nominated by President Bush.

The Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, Arlen Specter, should move up the timetable and vote this nominee out of committee early so the Senate can confirm Roberts before the first Monday in October.

Technorati Tags: John Roberts, Supreme Court, Charles Schumer, Dianne Feinstein