Text 14936, 115 rader
Skriven 2005-09-05 09:30:00 av Jeff Binkley (1:226/600)
Ärende: Roberts
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Wouldn't have been my first choice but I can live with it.

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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,168488,00.html

Bush Nominates Roberts as Chief Justice 
Monday, September 05, 2005
 
 
WASHINGTON — Moving swiftly, President Bush on Monday nominated John 
Roberts (search) to succeed William H. Rehnquist (search) as chief 
justice of the Supreme Court. 

The president made the announcement in the Oval Office before leaving 
for another trip to the hurricane-battered Gulf Coast.

Roberts, who once clerked for Rehnquist, said he would be honored "to 
succeed a man I deeply respect and admire."

"I am honored and humbled by the confidence the president has shown in 
me," Roberts said, standing alongside Bush in the Oval Office.

Bush called on the Senate to confirm him before the Supreme Court opens 
its fall term on Oct. 3. Congress has already been weighing whether to 
delay Roberts' confirmation hearings because of the Hurricane Katrina 
disaster.

"He's a man of integrity and fairness and throughout his life he's 
inspired the respect and loyalty of others," Bush said of his pick. 
"John Roberts built a record of excellence and achievement and 
reputation for goodwill and decency toward others in his extraordinary 
career."

The move would promote to the Supreme Court's top job a newcomer who 
currently is being considered as one of eight associate justices.

The president met with Roberts in the private residence of the White 
House for about 35 to 40 minutes on Sunday evening, then officially 
offered him the job at 7:15 a.m. Monday when Roberts arrived at the Oval 
Office.

Bush already had nominated Roberts to fill the seat of retiring Supreme 
Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (search). It would just take a little 
paper shuffling to change the nomination for Rehnquist's seat.

The selection of Roberts, who has drawn little criticism, helps Bush 
avoid new political problems when he already is under fire for the 
government's sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina and his approval 
ratings in the polls are at the lowest point of his presidency.

"This had been something that had been in the president's thinking for 
some time -- in case the chief justice retired or that there otherwise 
was a vacancy," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said. "The 
president when he met with him, knew he was a natural born leader. The 
president knew Judge Roberts had the qualities to lead the court."

McClellan said the White House is confident that Roberts can be 
confirmed by the Senate by Oct. 3.

Getting a new chief justice of Bush's choosing in place quickly also 
avoids the scenario of having liberal Justice John Paul Stevens (search) 
making the decisions about whom to assign cases to and making other 
decisions that could influence court deliberations. As the court's 
senior justice, Stevens would take over Rehnquist's administrative 
duties until a new chief is confirmed.

"The passing of Chief Justice William Rehnquist leaves the center chair 
empty, just four weeks left before the Supreme Court reconvenes," Bush 
said. "It's in the interest of the court and the country to have a chief 
justice on the bench on the first full day of the fall term."

Bush said Roberts has been closely scrutinized since he was nominated as 
an associate justice and that Americans "like what they see. He is a 
gentleman." He said Roberts has unusual experience, having argued 39 
cases as a lawyer before the Supreme Court. Bush also said Roberts was a 
natural leader.

The move was engineered to have all nine seats on the high court filled 
when the court opens its fall term.

Bush already had nominated Roberts to fill the seat of retiring Supreme 
Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. It requires just take a little paper 
shuffling to change the nomination for Rehnquist's seat. Bush still must 
fill O'Connor's seat but she has promised to stay on the court until a 
successor is named.

Liberal groups have expressed opposition to Roberts because of his 
conservative writings as an attorney for the Reagan administration and 
his rulings as an appeals court judge. However, it does not appear that 
his opponents have enough votes to block Roberts' confirmation.

That alone might have been impetus for Bush to rename Roberts for chief 
justice. Bush, with low standing in the polls, might not have the 
political capital he would need to win a Senate battle over a 
conservative ideologue who would draw intense opposition.

Rehnquist, 80 at his death, served on the Supreme Court for 33 years and 
was its leader for 19 years.

Rehnquist, a World War II Army Air Corps veteran, will be buried in a 
private ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery alongside his wife, who 
died in 1991, following a funeral that morning at St. Matthew's 
Cathedral in Washington. He died Saturday at his home.

His body will lie in repose in the marble Great Hall of the Supreme 
Court building on Tuesday and on Wednesday morning with the public 
invited to pay its respects.

Five members of the court have lain in repose there: Chief Justices Earl 
Warren (search) and Warren Burger (search), and Justices Thurgood 
Marshall (search), William Brennan (search) and Harry Blackmun (search).

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