Following the withdrawal of Harriet Miers a new nominee for the US Supreme Court should emerge soon. What characteristics should the President be looking for?
The first is demonstrable intellectual calibre. The President could assert what he liked about Miers, there was no public record to demonstrate her qualifications. The contrast with Roberts is extreme.
The second is a suitable judicial philosophy. While the Roberts nomination was generally well receieved, despite a limited public record, the Miers debacle shows that you can only pull this stunt off with an exceptional candidate
The third follows from the second: judicial experience. While this is usually considered desirable rather than essential, the fact that Roberts and Miers both gained their experience principally in the executive branch caused some eyebrows to be raised.
The fourth is the consent of the Senate. A candidate who has recently been confirmed by the Senate in another role, or who has demonstrated that they have support in a major blue state, or who attracts support of those wishing to promote women and minorities, is clearly a saleable proposition to the Senate.
Is it not clear that Janice Rogers Brown meets all of the above criteria?
