Bush Will Announce Supreme Court Nominee Tonight

UPDATE, 11:35AM: Home for lunch and just heard a talking head on MSNBC mention that Judge Clement is a member of the Federalist Society, a right-wing think-tank.

From the AP:

By Deb Riechmann, Associated Press
July 19, 2005

WASHINGTON - President Bush has decided whom to nominate to succeed Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court and was poised to announce his pick in a prime-time Tuesday night address.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan said the Bush administration was asking television outlets to broadcast the speech live. Bush's spokesman would not identify the president's choice. But there was intense speculation that it would be Judge Edith Clement of the U.S. Court of Appeals in New Orleans.

The televised speech was scheduled for 9 p.m. EDT.

The tension was palpable in the West Wing of the White House; after a day of intense speculation, McClellan walked into the press briefing room and said bluntly: "The president has made a decision and will be announcing his nominee to the Supreme Court at 9 o'clock." McClellan said the American people expected that the Senate confirmation process would be a dignified one.

At Clement's office in New Orleans, a man who identified himself as a law clerk said the judge was not available. "That's what I've been instructed to say," he told a caller who asked if she were in Washington.

A prime time address? It seems to me that ol' George is trying to take the focus off of the Rove/Wilson/We-lied-to-go-to-war scandal by putting this nomination front and center.

Not to worry Georgie Boy. We here in the blogosphere will keep Karl's fire burnin' for ya.

Andrew Sullivan has done some excellent grunt work trying to find out more about Judge Clement.

Get ready folks...here we go.