Who will replace Miers to replace O'Connor?

As I've said many times here at this liberal-moderate blog, it's important to pay close attention to what our friends and enemies on the right are saying. Closing ourselves off to conservatives and thereby reducing our part of the blogosphere to a self-indulgent, self-satisfying, and ultimately self-glorifying echo chamber is not an option -- well, it is, but it's not a good one. I have more to say about this, but I'll leave it for a future post.

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For now, let's look at what the right is saying about who might be President Bush's next nominee for the Supreme Court -- that is, who might be Miers's replacement now that she's withdrawn her nomination.

RedState.org: "Multiple sources are telling RedState that Samuel A. Alito, Jr. of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals will be named by the President at the next associate justice of the United States Supreme Court as early as Monday." Luttig may also be a leading candidate, but "[a]ll signs are pointing to Judge Alito right now". See also here.

Feddie of Southern Appeal, writing both at his own site and at Confirm Them, looks at Pryor, Sykes, and Alito. Go to the main page of either blog and scroll down for more.

See also Professor Bainbridge on Bush's "chance for a do over".

Back at the MSM, the Times looks at the next stage of this "pivotal battle": "The pressures from both sides present a political challenge for President Bush - and it could generate a battle that could bog down the Senate for months if Democrats decide to block a vote on the new nominee." The Times also mentions that Alito may be the leading candidate, but Luttig and Owen remain in play.

Ann Althouse responds.

PoliPundit has polled his readers "to see which potential Supreme Court nominees would be acceptable to [his] readers". Right now the top ten are, in order: Brown, Luttig, Alito, Owen, Estrada, Garza, McConnell, Williams, Cornyn, and Wilkinson. Gonzales is 18th, last on the list.

More to follow. Stay tuned.