Bush Chooses Miers for Supreme Court
Oct 03 8:01 AM US/Eastern
By DEB RIECHMANNAssociated Press Writer
WASHINGTON

President Bush plans to nominate White House counsel Harriet Miers to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court, reaching into his loyal inner circle for a pick that could reshape the nation's judiciary for years to come.

If confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate, Miers, 60, would join Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as the second woman on the nation's highest court and the third to serve there. Miers, who has never been a judge, was the first woman to serve as president of the Texas State Bar and the Dallas Bar Association.

Her lack of a judicial record makes it difficult to determine know whether Miers would dramatically move the court to the right. White House officials, who revealed Bush's pick on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to pre-empt the president, said Miers is conservative enough to satisfy the president's supporters and does not have a lengthy legal record that could embolden Democrats.

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