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Bush willing to consider non-judges for high court

Posted on: Wednesday, 13 July 2005, 11:47 CDT

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.

Source: REUTERS

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