They're probably going to turn back to the Roberts model.

The overall lesson of the two nominations taken together is that there is considerable safety in drawing from the very small pool of people who are universally considered qualified for appointment.

My own view is that we probably will not get any of the individuals who are the very top of the Democrats' hit list, ... I think he's going to try to repeat his experience with John Roberts ? someone who can be confirmed without touching off battle royale.

He's an excellent reflection of his boss ? smart, action-oriented, tough, loyal,

It's awfully hard to read the tea leaves this time. But the harder I've thought about this, the more I come back to Judge Gonzales as the most likely choice. I'm not terribly confident in that prediction but it's the one I've decided I'm making.

If the Roberts' confirmation is a foregone conclusion, why look like a knee-jerk obstructionist? ... It's far better to preserve the appearance of being fair-minded and try to convince the president he has a chance to get your vote if he nominates someone to your liking. It also gives you the ability to oppose the next nominee with greater credibility.