Well here's an example out my hat o' history: FDR appointed William O Douglas to the Supreme Court. Douglas had no experience at all as a judge beforehand. FDR had first chosen Douglas to supervise the beginning years of the Secuirties & Exchanges Commission, making him a very reliable New Dealer, and a clear protege of the President's. Douglas went on to be the longest serving justice ever on the Supreme Court - retiring in 1975.

I just point that out to illustrate that historically judicial experience has never been a hard rule for judges - and I would suspect that a great many other notable justices enjoyed little prior experience on the bench.

I can tell you though from living here in Austin in the 1990s that Alberto Gonzales was anything but a right wing firebrand on the Texas Supreme Court. He was part of a majority (all Republican Bush appointees) who struck down a Texas parental consent law... which is the one item the social conservative groups apparently never will forget.

In his time on the bench here, he was pretty much a center-right judge who could be characterized a business friendly but willing to address state encroachment regarding civil rights issues. Of course, I am *not* predicting anything just reporting....

Although frankly I think it would be weird for Bush to appoint him right now since he only just got to the D.O.J. The best thing for Bush now would be for Rehnquist to retire very soon, and they all strike a deal with the dual appointments of a moderate woman and then a stronger conservative.

Steve