‘Justice Department Line’:

Third Branch Conference head Manuel Miranda said, "The President hit one out of the park with John Roberts and the confirmation will be a slam-dunk." He told Gizzi that about 100 members of his group took part in a conference call about 45 minutes after the President announced the nomination. "There were some questions about his background from people unfamiliar with Judge Roberts and some concern voiced about his reference to Roe v. Wade as 'settled law' during his confirmation hearings for the Court of Appeals," said Miranda. "But it was also pointed out that this is the Justice Department line that nominees to lower courts are encouraged to take, that it is the Supreme Court alone that can overturn its past decisions." Miranda, like Kristol, believes Roberts is "more in the mold of Rehnquist than Scalia" and that Bush "avoided political considerations in favor of choosing someone he can be proud of."