Bush Picks Greta Van Susteren for High Court

Not wasting any time after the withdrawal of Harriet Miers for the Supreme Court, President Bush today announced his new pick for the High Court: veteran legal commentator Greta Van Susteren of Fox News. "I promised the American people I would make a pick with diversity in mind, and I keep my promises," the president said. "Besides," he noted, "My wife Laura had promised that we would choose a woman, and I keep her promises too."

"But I was not going to pick just any woman. I wanted a justice who had broad legal experience, strong conservative credentials, and could stand up to the klieg lights and intense pressure of the confirmation process. Who better than Greta Van Susteren? Greta has practiced law, and commented on every case that matters over the past fifteen years -- the OJ Simpson trial, the Michael Jackson trial, the missing girl in Aruba, as well as all that stuff the Supreme Court handles, like constitutional questions. Her talent and depth are evident -- she has one of the highest-rated shows on cable news. And that's on Fox News, so she obviously has appeal to conservatives."

The news of the Van Susteren pick was handled with harsh criticism on CNN, with Lou Dobbs and Larry King especially critical of the president's unconventional choice. There was no immediate reaction from senators.