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By Ryan K Posted in SCOTUS — Comments () / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Hugh Hewitt makes a surprise and interesting plug for 48-year-old Senator Sam Brownback as Chief Justice. Senator Brownback, a proud traditional conservative, earned a law degree from University of Kansas in 1982 and practiced law for a few years before accepting an appointment as the Kansas Secretary of Agriculture in 1986.

Hewitt unequivocally prefers Luttig, but sees Sen. Brownback also fitting President Bush's desire for a jurist who respects the Constitution as written and someone who will benefit from the expected Senator courtesy of not opposing one of their own. Political skills, the theory goes, are an asset for a Chief Justice in swaying other Justices to a particular line of reasoning.

Sen. Brownback announced in 2005 that he will honor his self-imposed term-limit pledge and not seek re-election in 2010 when he will be only 54-years-old. I would hate to see a conservative leader with a bright future plucked forever from politics, but it would be a fair trade for a reliable and pursuasive textualist as Chief Justice.