Ahnold Passes Conservative Test

Schwarzenegger's appoitnment of Carol Corrigan to fill Jancie Brown's vacant seat on the Cal. Supreme Court appears to be one that will sit well enough with conservatives flustered by his appointment of Susan Kennedy as his chief of staff.

SacBee columnist Daniel Weintraub links to this law.com profile which calls her one of the more conservative justices on the first district, at least in criminal justice issues. He also quotes this un-linkable LA Times article:

Corrigan said she changed her voter registration from Democrat to Republican in the mid-1990s because "that seemed the most accurate designation" at the time.

"I haven't changed," she said. "I think the political environment may have changed, and it continues to evolve in this country."

Asked which present or former U.S. Supreme Court justices she admires, Corrigan cited Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. "I think she is a centrist … a real consensus builder," Corrigan said.

Sounds like the perfect Ahnold nominee: Republican, but not hard right Republican. In California, that's the best we can hope for.