SCOTUS Watch '05: A nominee is imminent

News outlets are reporting that President Bush will announce from the East Room of the White House at 9 p.m., Eastern time, who he intends to appoint to the Supreme Court of the United States. This nominee, if confirmed by the U. S. Senate, will fill the seat vacated by retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.Apparently up to eight candidates were interviewed, and the president said he knew some people well enough to avoid an interview. News reports point to Judge Edith Brown Clement from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, but who knows?

Side note: Is this the president taking heat away from the CIA leak investigation? Intentional or not, it effectively bumps all of that news to Page 24 and SCOTUS and nice star-spangled pictures to Page 1. The timing is interesting -- it is after the local news cycle yet allows morning dailies to make their deadlines. Effectively, the White House controls the news for a few hours at least. Though the announcement is at 9 p.m., expect a hand to be tipped a few hours before as a courtesy.

The nominee will first face the Senate Judiciary Committee. Here's a rundown of who get to grill:

The Republicans:
Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania, chair
Orrin Hatch, Utah
Charles Grassley, Iowa
John Kyl, Arizona
Mike DeWine, Ohio
Jeff Sessions, Alabama
Lindsay Graham, South Carolina
John Cornyn, Texas
Sam Brownback, Kansas
Tom Coburn, Oklahoma

The Republican side has some real veterans, including Hatch, a former chair who was around for the last SCOTUS confirmations and even Clarence Thomas'. Yet, some of the faces are new to the Senate and are very conservative, such as Tom Coburn. Look to the moderates like Mike DeWine and Lindsey Graham for some indications. Also, John Cornyn served on the Texas Supreme Court. Sam Brownback is in the White House hunt, so watch his questions to see how he can use this experience as a feather in his cap and also one that doesn't come back to bite him in the Republican primaries.

The Democrats:
Patrick Leahy, Vermont, ranking minority member
Edward Kennedy, Massachusetts
Joseph Biden, Delaware
Herbert Kohl, Wisconsin
Dianne Feinstein, California
Russell Feingold, Wisconsin
Charles Schumer, New York
Richard Durbin, New York

This is a deep bench for the Democrats. These are veteran, die-hard, yellow-dog Democrats. At least one, Joe Biden, has presidential plans for 2008. Look to Pat Leahy to lead the charge and to farm out various grilling assignments among the very capable evisceration team of Kennedy, Feinstein, Schumer and Durbin, the minority whip. These are people known for their fiery speeches on the Senate floor, so I would expect to see some fireworks regardless of how cordial the proceedings start out. Depending on the nominee, I'd expect the Dems to unload with both barrels.

Stay tuned.

-- Wenatchee, Wash.