In an interview on Meet the Press, Senator Harry Reid, the new leader of the Democrats in the Senate, refers to Justice Thomas as an "embarrassment." He goes on:
I think that his opinions are poorly written. I just don't think that he's done a good job as a Supreme Court justice.
This not only seems unwise, it is likely incorrect. While I routinely disagree with Justice Thomas, I would hardly have described his opinions as "poorly written." Now it's possible that Senator Reid is better read in the Justice Thomas oeuvre than I am.
Senator Reid was speaking in the context of the choice of the next Chief Justice. The obvious contenders are Justices Scalia and Thomas--Kennedy and O'Connor being unlikely because they have voted to uphold abortion rights. I suspect that Bush will choose Scalia, but Thomas may also be an attractive choice.