7.02.2005
Senate Prepares for Fierce Judicial Battle (SFGate.com)
By JESSE J. HOLLAND, Associated Press Writer
Friday, July 1, 2005
WASHINGTON (AP) -- With the loss of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's swing vote, senators are readying a fierce battle over President Bush's first Supreme Court nominee — a person who could determine the fate of several important court precedents in the future.
While the Senate is in a holding pattern until President Bush makes a nomination — which the White House said won't be until after he returns from Europe next Friday — Republicans and Democrats already are jockeying for advantage in a confirmation battle they say will reshape the courts.
"This is the first Supreme Court vacancy in more than a decade, and Justice O'Connor's replacement will greatly influence the future of this country," Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said after O'Connor announced her retirement Friday.
Bush said he will consult with senators of both parties about his selection, something Democrats asked for repeatedly for months. The GOP-run Judiciary Committee is expected to start hearings within a month to six weeks after Bush sends the nomination to the Senate.
Democrats are resigned to Bush nominating a conservative, but they are hoping to push him into picking someone like O'Connor, who showed an independent streak on the court despite being a lifelong Republican and a Reagan appointee.
(More ... Senate Prepares for Fierce Judicial Battle) ¶ 18:56
Friday, July 1, 2005
WASHINGTON (AP) -- With the loss of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's swing vote, senators are readying a fierce battle over President Bush's first Supreme Court nominee — a person who could determine the fate of several important court precedents in the future.
While the Senate is in a holding pattern until President Bush makes a nomination — which the White House said won't be until after he returns from Europe next Friday — Republicans and Democrats already are jockeying for advantage in a confirmation battle they say will reshape the courts.
"This is the first Supreme Court vacancy in more than a decade, and Justice O'Connor's replacement will greatly influence the future of this country," Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said after O'Connor announced her retirement Friday.
Bush said he will consult with senators of both parties about his selection, something Democrats asked for repeatedly for months. The GOP-run Judiciary Committee is expected to start hearings within a month to six weeks after Bush sends the nomination to the Senate.
Democrats are resigned to Bush nominating a conservative, but they are hoping to push him into picking someone like O'Connor, who showed an independent streak on the court despite being a lifelong Republican and a Reagan appointee.
(More ... Senate Prepares for Fierce Judicial Battle) ¶ 18:56
