Bush Advised to Wait on Top Court Nominee
By JESSE J. HOLLAND, Associated Press Writer
Friday, June 17, 2005
(06-17) 13:48 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --
A potential Supreme Court vacancy this summer wouldn't automatically mean a White House nomination would immediately follow.
Conservatives worry that Congress' August recess would give Democrats too much time to demonize President Bush's nominee before a vote.
It might make sense to wait until September, says Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and "not leave the nominee hanging out like a pinata for people to take a whack at during the month we're in recess."What to do if a Supreme Court justice retires is much discussed in Washington these days. Eighty-year-old Chief Justice William Rehnquist is fighting cancer, and there is talk that Justices Sandra Day O'Connor, 75, and John Paul Stevens, 85, might consider stepping down soon.
Delaying a nomination until September is one possible tactic if a vacancy occurs.
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/06/17/national/w134832D55.DTL