The US President George W Bush has nominated conservative judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court in a move likely to set off a partisan battle with Democrats as he tries to right his struggling presidency.
The US President George W Bush has nominated conservative judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court in a move likely to set off a partisan battle with Democrats as he tries to right his struggling presidency.
Mr Bush acted quickly to find a replacement nominee for the lifetime appointment on the highest US court after his counsel Ms Harriet Miers withdrew from consideration on Thursday under fierce attack from conservatives within Mr Bush's Republican Party who questioned her credentials.
Mr Bush, appearing with Mr Alito in the White House, listed the judge's lengthy resume and called him a "thoughtful judge who considers the legal merits carefully and applies the law in a principled fashion."
"I'm confident that the United States Senate will be impressed by Judge Alito's distinguished record, his measured judicial temperament, and his tremendous personal integrity," Mr Bush said.
He called on the Senate to act promptly and vote on him by the end of the year, a timetable that could prove difficult.
Mr Alito, 55, is considered a conservative in the mold of Justice Antonin Scalia. He is sometimes given the nickname "Scalito" - a comparison to Scalia, who shares his Italian heritage as well as his reputation for conservatism and a strong intellect.
He is a judge on the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia.
The choice, which would replace the retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, is bound to trigger a fight from Senate Democrats who want to see Justice O'Connor replaced by a moderate justice like her.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, said he was disappointed with the pick and that the Senate, which must confirm the pick, will now have to determine whether Mr Alito is "too radical for the American people."
"I look forward to meeting Judge Alito and learning why those who want to pack the court with judicial activists are so much more enthusiastic about him than they were about Harriet Miers," Mr Reid said.
Mr Bush is seeking to rebound from one of the toughest weeks of his presidency.
First Miers withdrew, then Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis Libby, was indicted by a federal grand jury in the investigation into who leaked a CIA agent's name in 2003.
He is looking for a fresh start, and aides were hoping the new Supreme Court nominee would help provide him one. He is also focusing on making progress in the Iraq war and trying to cut federal spending that has ballooned under his presidency.