Bush to Announce Supreme Court Nominee

[tocqueville]

By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer
30 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - President Bush's next nominee to the Supreme Court is likely to have a strong conservative judicial record, and sources close to the White House say the leading candidates are federal appeals judges Samuel Alito and J. Michael Luttig.

The expected nomination on Monday comes just four days after Harriet Miers, the president's first pick to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, withdrew her name after blistering opposition from some of Bush's most conservative backers.

Alito and Luttig both have strong conservative credentials and would be embraced by the president's political base. Others thought to be under consideration, according to conservatives monitoring the selection process, were federal judges Karen Williams, Priscilla Owen, Alice Batchelder and Michael McConnell, as well as Michigan Supreme Court Justice Maura Corrigan.

Bush worked to finalize his nomination over the weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland before returning to Washington on Sunday afternoon. Miers, who continues in her job as White House counsel, joined the president at Camp David.

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