It seems to me that transferring Michael Chertoff from the
Department of Homeland Security would just repeat some of the
problems surrounding Alberto Gonzales. Conservatives would likely
be unenthusiastic. Democrats would use the confirmation hearings as
an excuse to beat up the Bush administration.
Ramesh Ponnuru has floated Orrin Hatch. In all seriousness, that
may not such a bad idea. Hatch probably wouldn't be that difficult
to confirm, is reasonably conservative on legal issues, and is
fairly fluent when making the case for conservative judges. And, as
Ponnuru points out, "It would be one less vote for S-CHIP."