A Plea for Cox

One writer over at Confirm Them is making a plea for Chris Cox. I don't have firm reasons, but I doubt he will be Bush's pick...An interesting take and a compelling argument.

"As big a fan as I am of Alito, Batchelder and Sykes — all three of whom, along with a few others, would receive my enthusiastic support — I repeat here my arguments for Chris Cox as the nominee. 1) He is brilliant. 2) He is a wonderfully principled conservative. 3) He has a tremendous resume at Harvard Law, as a federal appeals court clerk, running a business translating Russian newspapers, serving in a solid law firm doing important work, serving in Reagan’s counsel’s office vetting judicial nominees, serving 17 years in Congress including either 10 or 12 in leadership, chairing important committees that reached bipartisan consensus on crucial matters, thinking deeply and writing cogently on constitutional issues while in Congress, and now SEC chairman. 4) He just was confirmed unanimously (I believe) to the SEC, with bipartisan praise, so he’s tough to attack politically. 5) He enjoys excellent relationships across the aisle because, even though he is so conservative, he is so consistently fair, courteous, etc. 6) Republicans like him enough that if Dems DID try to filibuster him, there is NO QUESTION the GOP would invoke the constitutional option to pass him, and in the process obviously kill the filibuster against judges for good. 7) Bush and Cheney both like and respect him. If he gets confirmed,he embarrasses Barbara Boxer for her blue slip against his Ninth Circuit nomination. 9) He is so telegenic, so articulate, so quick on his feet, so obviously brilliant and upstanding and dignified — but still so youthful in terms of energy level, etc., making him dynamic — that the Dems won’t be able to lay a hand on him during hearings, as he explains our jurisprudential philosophy even more effectively than Roberts does. I.e, he is the perfect person to make this a “teaching moment” for the country and help bring the general public even more firmly on our side. 10) He’s only 53, and appears to be in great shape, so he should be able to serve for 25 years.Okay, I could add other reasons, but 10 is a nice, round number. Let me just add a personal note, that I have worked with him personally in a small group when I was an aide to Bob Livingston, and so I have seen first-hand, in a way most staffers of other members don’t, all his brilliance and other solid personal characteristics.COX FOR SCOTUS!"