When Arizona-raised Sandra Day O’Connor left the U.S. Supreme Court, the West lost a voice on issues such as public lands and water.
Should President Bush decide to appoint a Westerner to fill that void, two names with Colorado ties have been floated: Michael McConnell and Rebecca Love Kourlis. So far, though, they’re just two names in a sea of contenders for O’Connor’s job. Of course, many observers figure Bush will fill at least two court vacancies in his second term, and ailing Chief Justice William Rehnquist’s hospitalization Wednesday again ratcheted up that speculation.
McConnell, a University of Utah law professor who serves on the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, is said to be on the White House’s “short list” of candidates. Just how short that list is is anybody’s guess.
A constitutional scholar, he’s well-regarded by conservative activists for his anti-abortion stance and amiable personality. His critics, however, have scoured his previous rulings and writings and worry he’d try tearing down the wall between church and state.
Kourlis’ name is new to the game. Sen. Ken Salazar, one of a handful of Democrats approached by the White House to talk about the process, submitted her name for consideration this week.
Appointed to the Colorado Supreme Court in 1995 by Democratic Gov. Roy Romer, Kourlis is a moderate conservative with a reputation for being a consensus-builder.
Kourlis, the daughter of the late Gov. John Love, also served as a district court judge, water judge and practicing attorney after graduating from Stanford law school.
Bush wisely diffused some of the pressure on the selection process this week by meeting with top Democrats to begin vetting names. His aides also have called close to 60 senators for their input.
It’s a high-stakes process, one that’s expected to eventually be highly charged and contentious.
We know it’s still early, but for the last few days, the process has been inclusive and refreshingly non-ideological.
