the Supreme Court Justices would conduct an instant, mute conference, through glances: Should they stand and clap? Justice Sandra Day O'Connor seemed to be the signal-caller here, and the criterion seemed to be whether Bush had said something indicating a policy choice that might one day come before the Court or made a point of general agreement. At "We will come together to strengthen our intelligence capacities," the Court sat; at "The hour is coming when America will act," it stood. Every time the Justices got, or gave themselves, the green light to stand and clap, Justice Clarence Thomas clapped more heartily than the others."