Bush willing to consider non-judges for high court

By Steve Holland

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Bush said on Wednesday he
would be willing to consider people who are not judges for a
Supreme Court opening a day after key senators recommended he
broaden his search.

Bush is seeking to avoid a bitter partisan battle over his
choice for the U.S. high court, which rules on many social
issues like abortion and civil rights, and is consulting
members of Congress on who they would like to see on the high
court while insisting they will not get a veto on his
selection.

Many of the potential candidates for the job to replace
retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor are believed to be U.S.
circuit court judges. A small bipartisan group of senators who
met with Bush on Monday said he should also consider
non-judges.

“Would I be willing to consider people who had never been a
judge? And the answer is: You bet. We’re considering all kinds
of people: judges, non-judges,” Bush told reporters after a
Cabinet meeting.

Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Arlen Specter, chairman of
Senate Judiciary Committee, and the committee’s top Democrat,
Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, had both said on Monday after
meeting Bush that he should consider non-judges, or as Leahy
put it, “somebody outside the judicial monastery.”

Bush is considering more than half a dozen potential
candidates and expects to narrow the list down to a handful in
coming weeks and conduct interviews.

Bush said he is considering women for the position as well.
His wife, Laura Bush, had said on Monday she hoped her husband
would nominate a woman to fill O’Connor’s position.

“Of course, I fully recognize it’s my responsibility to
come up with a nominee. And I intend to do so in a period of
time that will give me time to fully analyze the different
candidates and speak to them,” Bush said.

Aides do not expect a decision until late this month, at
about the time a congressional recess starts. That would likely
leave Senate confirmation hearings for September with the aim
of getting the new justice confirmed by October, when the
Supreme Court reconvenes.

Democrats on Monday had called on Bush to give them some
names of candidates he is considering. So far the White House
has given no indication it will do so while encouraging
senators to offer their advice

“I don’t think any individual should have veto power over
the president’s constitutional responsibility,” White House
spokesman Scott McClellan said on Monday.