The blogosphere is humming with rumors about the next Supreme Court nominee. See here. An announcement may come as early as tomorrow. I keep hearing two names: Samuel Alito and Michael Luttig. Of the two, I prefer Luttig, since he's four years younger. But I wouldn't be surprised if President Bush nominates someone else. He loves to feint. I think Laura Bush wants him to nominate a woman, and perhaps he should. There are plenty of qualified female conservatives out there, including Alice Batchelder, Karen Williams, Priscilla Owen, Maura Corrigan (whose husband, Joseph Grano, taught me criminal law at Wayne State University), Janice Rogers Brown, and Edith Clement. It would be a shame for women's representation on the Court to decrease.
Addendum: For the record, my first choice all along has been Michael W. McConnell. I have also said that I'd be delighted with Miguel Estrada, Janice Rogers Brown, or Viet Dinh. If you want my prediction, as of this evening, it's Alice Batchelder of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.