Supreme Court Appointments

If I were president and faced with making an appointment to the Supreme Court, one person I'd want to look at closely is Stephen L. Carter of Yale. As far as I know he's never been a judge (though he clerked for Thurgood Marshall), but has spent his career in academia. I've read a few of his books and many of his columns. I have a great respect for him as a Christian and a scholar. Of course I haven't heard his name mentioned in any of the lists of prospects, so we'll have to wait and see.
UPDATE: Here's Carter's recent commentary on the nomination process.
UPDATE: (7/19/2005) I see that John Podhoretz at National Review's "The Corner" i slooking at Carter also.