Bush gets first chance for supreme court nominee

[SDR]

By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press

President Bush said Friday he would nominate his first Supreme Court justice quickly enough that the vacancy of retiring Sandra Day O'Connor could be filled by the time the court resumes work in the fall.

The White House said there would be no announcement before he returns from Europe next Friday.

"I will be deliberate and thorough in this process," said Bush in the Rose Garden where he praised O'Connor's 24 years on the court.

Bush will consult with Republican and Democratic senators about his selection, said presidential spokesman Scott McClellan. The president plans to review briefing material on potential nominees on the flight to Denmark next Tuesday and during his stay Wednesday through Friday at a summit of leading industrialized nations in Scotland.

The White House got the first indication of the retirement on Thursday when the Supreme Court's head marshal, Pamela Talkin, called White House Counsel Harriet Miers to make arrangements to deliver a sealed envelope the next morning. Miers informed Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, who were having lunch together, that a letter was coming.

Talkin told the White House around 9 a.m. Friday that the letter was from O'Connor, and Miers alerted Bush.

After receiving word that the letter had been delivered to the White House, Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg handed out copies to reporters who were gathered outside her office at 10:20 a.m.

By then, Bush was chatting on the phone with O'Connor.

"For an old ranching girl, you turned out pretty good," he told O'Connor, who grew up on an Arizona ranch. It was an emotional, five-minute call, McClellan said.

He quoted Bush as telling O'Connor, "You're one of the great Americans" and "I wish I were there to hug you."

After talking with O'Connor and before going to the Rose Garden, Bush held a meeting with senior advisers to talk about the selection process. The meeting included Cheney; Miers; Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the vice president's chief of staff; Attorney General Alberto Gonzales; Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and Counselor Dan Bartlett. Chief of Staff Andy Card participated by telephone from Maine.

"We have had a plan in place ... just in case there was a vacancy," McClellan said.

Anticipating what could be a tough battle in the Senate when he returns from Europe, Bush called for civility in the confirmation process.

"The nation deserves and I will select a Supreme Court that Americans can be proud of," Bush said. "The nation also deserves a dignified process of confirmation in the United States Senate — characterized by fair treatment, a fair hearing and a fair vote."

McClellan said the White House would consult with Majority Leader Bill Frist and Minority Leader Harry Reid as well as leaders of the Judiciary Committee, and he expressed hope that Democrats would not block a vote on the president's pick.

"I can't imagine that the Democrats would want to engage in controversial tactics when it comes to a nominee for the Supreme Court," he said.

In the Rose Garden, Bush praised O'Connor as "a discerning and conscientious judge and a public servant of complete integrity." He said he would pick her successor in a timely manner so the vacancy could be filled by the time the court resumes work in October.

He pledged to consult with senators about his choice.

There had been speculation that Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist would step down. Now, the White House has to re-examine its thinking because it faces a vacancy caused by the resignation of a moderate conservative woman instead of the more conservative Rehnquist.

A short list of candidates distributed in the White House within the past week did not include the names of any women or minorities, said one official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the selection process. But Bush has said in the past he would like to name a Hispanic to the court.

Bush will have an opportunity to consider his choice during the July Fourth holiday weekend at the presidential retreat at Camp David in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains.

"I have directed my staff, in cooperation with the Department of Justice, to compile information and recommend for my review potential nominees who meet a high standard of legal ability, judgment and integrity, and who will faithfully interpret the Constitution and laws of our country," he said.

Bush has said in the past that he favors the judicial philosophy of Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. The president has said repeatedly that judges should not "legislate from the bench," meaning that their opinions should not be swayed by social or cultural trends.
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SDR

[SDR]

Let's see --

#1: Alberto Gonzalez

#2: Lina Chavez

#3: Condoleeza Rice