Top Senate Democrat Calls on Bush to Pick Consensus Nominee

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Top Senate Democrat Calls on Bush to Pick Consensus Nominee for High Court
President Bush would be making a mistake if he were to nominate a hard-line conservative to the Supreme Court simply to appease the far right in his party, the Senate's top Democrat said Sunday.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and other Democrats said that Bush, given his low poll numbers, should nominate a consensus candidate rather than someone selected specifically to rally his conservative base. Following the decision last week by White House counsel Harriet Miers to withdrew her nomination to the high court, Reid declined to discuss prospective nominees to succeed retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

"I think the American people can see through this so clearly. The president should come forward with some middle-of-the- road person, somebody that is going to be a good Supreme Court justice, not somebody that's going to be writing the law from the bench," Reid said on ABC's "This Week." Bush is expected soon to make his nomination. Miers abandoned her bid amid conservative criticism she had thin credentials on constitutional law and no proven record as a judicial conservative.

GOP Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he would like to see a woman named replace O'Connor, but believes Bush will turn to a reliable conservative with a judicial track record. Miers never served as a judge. Widely mentioned names include federal appeals court judges Samuel Alito, J. Michael Luttig, Karen Williams, Priscilla Owen and Alice Batchelder as well as Michigan Supreme Court Justice Maura Corrigan.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBGYKOIFFE.html

[freeplessinseattle]

1. Cornyn can bite me

GOP Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he would like to see a woman named replace O'Connor, but believes Bush will turn to a reliable conservative with a judicial track record.

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so there's no women out there that are reliable conservatives with a judicial track record?