A Supreme Court Justice idea from "The West Wing"

In the television series "The West Wing," there's an episode titled "The Supremes." Supreme Court Justice Owen Brady, an arch conservative, dies and President Bartlet's staff develops the list of possible successors. Meanwhile, the Chief Justice, who is the liberal lion of the Court, is very old and has made it clear that he won't retire until he feels assured that his seat will be filled with a strong liberal.

The Assistant Chief of Staff, Josh Lyman, knows that the Republican majority in the Senate will not approve a left-leaning liberal. So the nominee has to be a centrist. Then he comes up with an idea: if the Chief Justice were to step down, President Bartlet could nominate Judge Evelyn Baker Lang, a very strong liberal, as the first female Chief Justice. As a concession to the Republicans for confirming Judge Lang, President Bartlet would also nominate a conservative judge, chosen by the Senate Republicans, to fill the vacancy create by Justice Brady's death. They chose Judge Christopher Mulready, a highly intellectual, relatively young and principled conservative who tells the President that his impromptu debate with Judge Lang was the most fun he'd had in months. In the end, President Bartlet nominates Judge Lang and Judge Mulready and both are confirmed by the Senate.

It's a very clever episode of the TV series and I would love to know the variations being discussed in President Obama's offices.