Reply #11: As I understand, the WH no longer relies on ABA for ratings...

[Emit]

They now only get their info from the Federalist Society
<<snip>>
At the urging of the White House Counsel's office (staffed with at least 4 members of the society and others affiliated with it), inauguration-fresh George W. Bush announced that the White House would no longer continue the practice of submitting names to the ABA Committee for review. The man who delivered the bad news to the ABA? Alberto Gonzales, White House Counsel with ties to the Federalist Society.
<<snip>>
http://nerofiddled.blogspot.com/2005/07/madison-was-okay-youre-just-scary.html

<<snip>>
Bush announces he is ending the American Bar Association's (ABA) half-century role in vetting nominees for federal judgeships. White House Counsel Al Gonzales notified ABA president Martha Barnett in writing, saying, "In our view, granting any single group such a preferential, quasi-official role in the nomination process would be unfair to the other groups that also have strong interests in judicial selection. It would be particularly inappropriate, in our view, to grant preferential, quasi-official role to a group, such as the ABA, that takes public positions on divisive political, legal and social issues that come before the courts." Shortly thereafter, the Administration grants that preferential, quasi-official role to the fringe right wing Federalist Society, headed by Ed Meese.
<<snip>>
http://www.politicalstrategy.org/ammokeyword/ammokeyword_lies2.htm