Having recently helmed the Supreme Court with a nice young man, President Bush decided this time to show his scope by nominating instead a feisty old babe.

A few ultra-arch-conservatives -- dragged flailing and biting by the media from their fallout shelters into the blazing sunshine, sporting vintage seersucker suits and clutching signed photos of Sen. Robert Taft -- proclaimed themseves angry Mr. Bush's choice once ran the Texas Lotto.

Most other observers offered a charitble, "Wha'??"