JURIST - Paper Chase: Bush urges Senate to focus on Roberts nomination, not O'Connor replacement

[JURIST] A day after announcing his decision to nominate John Roberts [JURIST report] to succeed Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, President Bush Tuesday urged Senators to concentrate on confirming Roberts, and not speculate on who he will now choose to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, a decision he says will come in "due time". In remarks [transcript] before a Tuesday morning cabinet meeting, Bush said:

[It] is important for people to understand. I want the Senate to focus not on who the next nominee is going to be, but the nominee I've got up there now. And it's important for the country that they complete the work. And in the meantime, the country can be assured that I'll take a good, long look at who should replace Justice O'Connor.

With hearings on Roberts' nomination scheduled to start next Monday [JURIST report], most Senators hope that a vote on Roberts will take place before the Supreme Court term begins on October 3, but several have called for the production of additional documents. Leading Senate Democrats have said that Roberts' Chief Justice nomination warrants increased scrutiny [JURIST report]. Wednesday's Los Angeles Times has more.

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