Opinion In Brief
In the wake of Chief Justice Rehnquist’s death and while the nation’s attention was focused on the devastation after Katrina, President Bush elevated his nomination of John Roberts from Supreme Court Justice to Chief Justice of the United States. While Bush cited urgency as the reason for the quick appointment, the court can function on its own with as few as six justices.
In the wake of Chief Justice Rehnquist’s death and while the nation’s attention was focused on the devastation after Katrina, President Bush elevated his nomination of John Roberts from Supreme Court Justice to Chief Justice of the United States. While Bush cited urgency as the reason for the quick appointment, the court can function on its own with as few as six justices.
With the president’s poll numbers plummeting and the next election a year away, perhaps he is trying to leave a lasting impact on the court while a Republican majority in Congress remains. Compared to the other justices already serving on the court that Bush could have chosen, Roberts is relatively young, so he will serve as Chief Justice for a longer period of time.
Roberts has a short judicial history, leaving much about his legal reasoning relatively unknown. While such a murky past might have been excusable for a freshman justice, the position of Chief Justice – also a lifetime appointment – requires more deliberation.
Let’s hope that Congress does its job and gives this nominee at least as much consideration as they did the now-discredited director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Michael Brown, when he was confirmed.
