Sotomayor and Prop 8

Today’s announcement by the White House was unexpected. The President is leaving this afternoon for a two day fundraising trip to Las Vegas and Los Angeles, and most observers expected him to save the announcement for later in the week.

But I also wonder if the White House worried about announcing Sotomayor’s nomination on the same day the California Supreme Court will rule on Proposition 8. Indeed, in less than two hours, the California Supreme Court will release a decision either upholding or striking down the voter-approved ban on gay marriage in the state.

Most legal experts think the court will uphold Proposition 8, since justices are usually wary of directly overturning voters. (Prop 8, you’ll recall, was a response to a court decision legalizing gay marriage.)

But regardless of the outcome, does the White House worry that the Sotomayor roll out will be coupled with a bunch of stories on the judiciary’s role in the gay marriage debate?

Just a thought…