CROSS HER OFF THE LIST:

The Next Madame Justice (Robert D. Novak, September 11, 2005, Conservative Voice)

The belief in legal and political circles is that President Bush will name a conservative woman, and the front-runner is Federal Appellate Judge Priscilla Owen (5th Circuit, Austin, Texas).

According to White House sources, Bush met secretly with Owen last week. [...]

Appellate Judge Edith Clement (5th Circuit, New Orleans) was the runner-up to Roberts in the first selection process, but the word in legal circles is that she did not do well in her interview with the president and now is out of the picture. Appellate Judge Edith Jones (5th Circuit, Houston) has been mentioned for the Supreme Court for a decade and at 56 is near the outer age limit. New names are Appellate Judge Karen Williams (4th Circuit, Orangeburg, S.C.), one of the most conservative federal judges, and Michigan Supreme Court Justice Maura Corrigan.

Priscilla Owen is viewed as the strongest choice and, at age 50, able to guarantee a conservative court for 20 years. She was a petroleum industry lawyer in 1994 when Republicans tapped her to run for the Texas Supreme Court. She and George W. Bush, candidate for governor of Texas, sometimes campaigned together, with Karl Rove their mutual consultant. Owen was considered non-controversial when Bush selected her for the Appeals Court in 2001, but a wide-ranging Democratic filibuster delayed her confirmation for four years.

Given Mr. Novak's track record on predictions in general and President Bush in particular this would seem to doom Ms Owen.

Posted by Orrin Judd at September 11, 2005 8:38 AM