Reaction to the news: 7/1/05

Here's a new feature at The Reaction. From time to time I'll forgo longer posts to offer a brief overview of major items in the news, along with a line or two of commentary and links to article(s) and, where applicable, my own previous post(s). Let us begin:

O'Connor resigns: Justice Sandra Day O'Connor has retired from the Supreme Court, opening up the first vacancy in 11 years and setting what is anticipated to be a brutal, divisive confirmation battle once Bush picks a nominee. The Times reports here. I've previously posted here and here. Sullivan: "The war begins." Drum: "This is going to be bloody." Maybe, but I'm not so sure. Bush's critics, yours truly included, have come to expect the worst, but I'm not sure that Bush will try to replace a swing-voting moderate woman like O'Connor with a hard-liner. He'll feel intense pressure from the right, and his current unpopularity means that he may end up giving in to his extremist base, but let me be a (hopeful) contrarian on this muggy Canada Day and predict that Bush will go with a (non-radical) conservative who would tip the balance on the Court slightly to the right but who would also face a relatively quick and easy confirmation process in the Senate. That's the balance he needs to strike: a nominee who's just conservative enough to please the right but not quite extreme enough to arouse the wrath of Democrats. Let me know if you have any thoughts on who that might be.

Germany heads to the polls: Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has successfully managed a defeat on a confidence vote in the Bundestag, paving the way to a federal election later this year (likely in September, a year before the end of his mandate). The Times reports here. I've previously posted here. Schroeder's SPD (governing in coalition with the Greens) is currently 20 points behind Angela Merkel's CDU in the polls. Given all the uncertainty in Europe right now, this will be an interesting story to follow. Will Germany move back to the center-right, or will Schroeder's Blairite third way manage to retain power?

Britain assumes E.U. leadership: The U.K. has taken over the E.U. -- well, sort of. It's just a six-month presidency. The Globe and Mail reports here. I've previously posted here, here, and here. What does Blair face? Consider these issues: accession negotiations with Turkey, global poverty, Iraq, globalization, the E.U.'s finances, constitutional ratification (or not), and agriculture. Not to belittle the upcoming Supreme Court battle in the U.S., but this is truly going to be bloody.

Chirac's troubles: Bush's approval ratings may be at all-time lows for his presidency, but he's got nothing on French President Jacques Chirac. According to a recent poll, Chirac's approval rating stands at just 21%. The Toronto Star reports here.

That's it for now. Enjoy your weekend, but keep checking back at The Reaction for more...