Bush likely to name 2nd Supreme Court nominee
(AP)
Updated: 2005-09-30 20:00

Conservatives hope Bush's nominee will shift the court to the right.

Replacing Rehnquist with Roberts is expected to keep the court's current balance. Installing a strong conservative to succeed the more moderate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor could tilt the court to the right.

"The stakes are particularly high with the replacement for O'Connor, a mainstream conservative who often provided the decisive vote to uphold many rights and protections," said Ralph Neas, president of the liberal People for the American Way.

The group urged the president on Thursday to find a consensus nominee and suggested four federal appellate judges: Ann Williams, Sonia Sotomayor, Jose Cabranes and Edward Prado.

"There are a number of distinguished judges — first appointed to the federal bench by Republican presidents — who would, like Sandra Day O'Connor, likely receive overwhelming bipartisan support to replace her," Neas said.

On the other side of the political spectrum, the Judicial Confirmation Network notes that Bush has a record of nominating individuals with conservative judicial philosophies for the appeals court. Also, despite opposition from Senate Democrats, many of Bush's conservative nominees eventually were confirmed.

"I'm hoping and expecting the president will stay on track as he has been in the past five years because it's succeeding now better than it ever has before," said Wendy Long, counsel for the group, which is backing Bush's picks. "Why in heaven's name would you reverse course?"

Mentioned most frequently in recent days are appeals court judges Owen, Karen Williams and Alice Batchelder; Michigan Supreme Court Justice Maura Corrigan; White House counsel Harriet Miers; Attorney General Alberto Gonzales; and PepsiCo lawyer Larry Thompson, who was the government's highest ranking black law enforcement official when he was deputy attorney general during Bush's first term.

Others mentioned less frequently include appeals court judges J. Michael Luttig, Edith Jones, Samuel Alito, Michael McConnell and Consuelo Callahan.

Callahan, like Gonzales, is Hispanic. There has never been a Hispanic Supreme Court justice.

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