This should be fun to watch

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor resigned from the U.S. Supreme Court today, which ensures non-stop judiciary coverage from the media for at least the next few weeks. O'Connor, a moderate conservative, often was the swing vote in close cases, so President Bush no doubt is eager to replace her with someone who will push the Court to the right.

The conventional wisdom is Bush wants to replace the Court's first female justice with its first Hispanic justice. The front-runner is Emilio Garza, a very conservative member of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Another possibility is Bush's friend Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, but many social conservatives think the man who called parts of the Geneva Conventions "obsolete" and "quaint" is too liberal, especially on abortion and affirmative action. Ed Prado, another 5th Circuit judge, is a moderate Hispanic conservative who'd likely sail to confirmation, but that moderation probably will preclude him from receiving the nod.

NPR has a list of other possible nominees, written a couple of days ago when some observers thought Chief Justice William Rehnquist would be the one to offer the Court's first vacancy in 11 years.