I started to say it a week or so ago, but I will say it now. I do not think that Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears is headed for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Today The Washington Post has an article entitled "Supreme Court Prospect Has Unlikely Ally - Friendship With Thomas May Complicate Chances for Left-Leaning Georgia Judge."

The subject of the story, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's friendship with Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Sears, has nothing to do with my reasons for thinking that, despite her gender and race, Chief Justice Sears is not likely to be nominated by President Obama to replace retiring U.S. Supreme Justice David Souter.

A couple of passages from the article follow:

Four years ago, Thomas was about the only conservative celebrating her rise to chief justice along with Atlanta's cadre of civil rights veterans, and it made for some discomfort. The Rev. Joseph Lowery, the longtime leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, quickly called Sears to congratulate her but also let her know that he would not attend her swearing-in because Thomas would be there.

"I was a little disappointed," Lowery said.

State Rep. Tyrone Brooks, president of the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials, also begged off. "I would have been a hypocrite to go up there, skin and grin, smile and shake hands," he said. His deep disdain for Thomas trumped pride in Sears's accomplishment. "[I] don't think we have any black people on the Supreme Court. It's not just the pigmentation of skin. It is philosophy, and even though Justice Thomas has our skin, he really does not vote the way African Americans would have him vote."

I think these gentlemen should have attended the swearing-in, regardless of who else was there and regardless of what they thought about such person's views.