Bush: No ‘litmus test’ for court
COPENHAGEN, Denmark – President Bush on Wednesday denounced advocacy groups on both the left and right that are trying to influence his choice of a Supreme Court nominee, and he insisted that he would not weigh candidates’ views on specific issues.
The president expressed exasperation as groups that supported his re-election lobbied aggressively for favorite candidates and tried to undercut others. With Bush indicating that the selection process might take weeks, the competition could become intense.
In remarks to reporters in Denmark before he flew to Scotland for a summit of the leading industrialized nations, the president complained in particular about the denigration of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales by some conservative groups.
Preparing for an anticipated fight in the Senate, the White House said that at Bush’s request, former Sen. Fred Thompson would guide the eventual nominee through the confirmation process.
In selecting Thompson, a Tennessee Republican and an actor – he is a lawyer by training and portrays a district attorney on NBC’s “Law and Order” – Bush has chosen a highly visible media star whose experience with politically sensitive Senate hearings goes back to his days as a senior Republican staff member on the Senate Watergate Committee more than 30 years ago.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Thompson would have an informal role, much as former Sen. John Danforth, a Missouri Republican, guided Clarence Thomas to confirmation by the Senate in 1991.
Bush said he had just begun reviewing top candidates for the Supreme Court seat to be vacated by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who announced Friday that she would retire.
He said he resented that some groups were already attacking Gonzales, who was widely reported even before the vacancy was announced to be on the president’s short list of candidates. Bush urged the Senate to join him in resisting pressure from outside organizations during the confirmation process.
In recent days, a number of conservative activists have signaled their opposition to Gonzales because they fear he supports abortion rights. The critics include representatives of Focus on the Family and Judicial Confirmation Network, both of which are conservative advocacy organizations.
Many activists on both sides of the political spectrum view the Supreme Court vacancy as a turning point. The Supreme Court has become more conservative in recent years, but the nine justices have divided 5-4 on a number of key decisions. In several cases, O’Connor provided the critical swing vote.
Responding to U.S. reporters’ questions during an appearance with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Bush said he would not base his Supreme Court choice on a candidate’s position on abortion or gay marriage.
“There will be no litmus test,” he said. “I’ll pick people who, one, can do the job, people who are honest, people who are bright, and people who will strictly interpret the Constitution and not legislate from the bench.”