The fickle spotlight on possible nominees to the Supreme Court -- if Chief Justice William Rehnquist departs -- has swung toward D.C. Circuit Judge John Roberts Jr. It's been a long and steady climb for Roberts, who some think may combine the stealth appeal of David Souter with the unwavering ideology of Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. But some of his boosters are in a quandary over this question: Can his image as an open-minded jurist co-exist with being viewed as a predictable conservative?
Details here from Legal Times via Law.com.
UPDATE (7/19/05): Judge Roberts has been nominated.