September 8, 2005

Finding the perfect woman to replace O'Connor.

Manuel Miranda, former counsel to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, writes in the Wall Street Journal about the possible replacements for Sandra Day O'Connor, grouping his list into three categories: the women, the Hispanics, the Senators. (Plus a few that don't fit.) He concentrates on the conservative concern about avoiding "another Souter" and various political ramifications of different choices. So go read his list.

But here's my question, about the blurb he serves up for Maura Corrigan:
Now on the Michigan Supreme Court, she was popularly elected three times, first to the appeals court where she served as chief judge and then to the state high court. She has 13 years' appellate experience and is a widow with two grown children. It would be hard for Democrats to oppose a popular judge from a swing blue state.
Why mention her children when no one else's children are mentioned? Is it a special qualification for a woman if she's had children — making her properly womanly? — but they aren't her current responsibility — which would presumably suit her for a demanding job?

Suit her? Don't say "suit her"! You might jinx her! You know young Bush is devoted to avoiding making his father's mistakes!

8 comments:

Scott said...

It seems deeply inappropriate to use that information about Corrigan.

At this moment, given the president's apparent priority on personal connections and personal histories, I'd guess that the top possibilities would be Owen, Clement, Gonzalez, and Brown. But your no more Souters comment raises an idea - weren't Edith Jones and Ken Starr the other finalists for that seat? Picking Jones then would surely get the non-alcoholic champagne flowing at Focus on the Family, and make a clear no more Souters statement. As to what it would say about the president's views of his father's choices ... that's another issue.

Oh, and is Danny Boggs really Hispanic? Or was he just born in Cuba?

goesh said...

- a crisp $50 says it will be Janice

Ron said...

Jamie: What liberalism Michigan has is more driven by traditional Detroit and union based liberalism than Ann Arbor! (Regardless of what Ann Arbor thinks of itself!)

Adam said...

I'm intrigued by the reference to Judge Boggs as being a Hispanic nominee. Born in Cuba, but otherwise, as Hispanic as Ted Williams.

Still, if that means that the Boggs Quiz would be issued for SCt clerks, I'm amused.

Freeman Hunt said...

- a crisp $50 says it will be Janice

To dream a little dream. I hope you are right.

Mister DA said...

Jamie: No real need to worry about Justice Corrigan's conservative credentials. I'm an appellate prosecutor who has practiced before judge and justice Corrigan for her entire time on the appellate bench. In terms of law enforcement issues, at least, she's no Souter. And if you believe the propaganda from our state trial lawyer's association and their fellow travelers, she's far from a Souter on much of any issue you can raise. The only draw back I can see to having Justice Corrigan on the US S Ct would be that our Democratic governor would get to appoint her replacement.

Wade Garrett said...

I'd like to throw the name of Sonia Sotomayor, of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, out there for consideration. Female, Hispanic, educated at Princeton and Yale Law School, nominated to the SDNY District Court by George HW Bush and confirmed by a Democratic Senate, nominated to the 2nd Circuit by Bill Clinton and confirmed by a Republican Senate, she seems to have a lot of bases covered. Also, her plain-spoken opinion-writing style would be a welcome addition to law school casebooks!

vbspurs said...

Heh. I wrote a similar blogspot on September 6, when I conjectured who it might be -- to replace SDO.

Although I did suggest maybe a Hispanic woman might be in the running (perhaps one from SoFla), there is one name which I have been getting a gut feeling, ever since I heard Rehnquist died.

That's Theodore Olson, ex-Special Counsel as most people know.

His wife Barbara was killed in the second airplane hit on the Twin Towers, and surely he'd have a lot of sympathy when that was known.

You can't just beat up on a guy like that. Well, so easily.

Cheers,
Victoria