It's Official: Chief Justice Roberts

In news that was really no surprise to me, Bush has nominated Judge John G. Roberts to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Knowing the administration, we should not be surprised that Roberts was nominated with an eye to succeeding Rehnquist when he eventually lost his battle against thyroid cancer. After all, Roberts once clerked for Rehnquist and would perpetuate Rehnquist's conservative viewpoint.

I can only imagine what Justice Scalia might be thinking right now. I always thought his ambition was to become Chief Justice someday. "All that time I spent in a duck blind with Dick Cheney--wasted."

I'm sure the hearings will be delayed given this new development. Bush, however, is calling for him to be appointed before the Court reconvenes on October 3. While yesterday's Washington Post was saying red state Democrats were leaning toward confirming Roberts, I hope this encourages Democrats like Pat Leahy to slow the train down.

Nothing like some news to distract from the massive government failure to act in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Failures like this:

Hurricane Center Director Tells Paper He Briefed Brown and Chertoff on Danger of Severe Flooding -- Editor & Publisher, Sept. 4, 2005

NEW YORK Dr. Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center, told the Times-Picayune Sunday afternoon that officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, including FEMA Director Mike Brown and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, listened in on electronic briefings given by his staff in advance of Hurricane Katrina slamming Louisiana and Mississippi--and were advised of the storm’s potential deadly effects."

Mayfield said the strength of the storm and the potential disaster it could bring were made clear during both the briefings and in formal advisories, which warned of a storm surge capable of overtopping levees in New Orleans and winds strong enough to blow out windows of high-rise buildings," the paper reported. "He said the briefings included information on expected wind speed, storm surge, rainfall and the potential for tornados to accompany the storm as it came ashore.