Court fight could commence this week
By Reid Wilson
Posted: 05/25/09 08:33 PM [ET]

President Obama has signaled he could make a Supreme Court pick as early as this week, ramping up pressure on both sides of the aisle in advance of what could turn into one of the summer's biggest political battles.

In a C-SPAN interview that aired this weekend, Obama said he hoped for hearings on his eventual nominee in July, followed by a final confirmation vote before Congress recesses in August. Given his schedule this week -- including a trip to Las Vegas and Los Angeles on Tuesday and Wednesday -- speculation is that the president could make public his choice early Thursday or Friday.

The president is searching for a nominee, he said, who is both intellectually qualified and who understands how judicial opinions can impact the lives of average Americans.

“What I just want to make sure of is that any justices I appoint are people who have not only the academic qualifications or intellectual capacity, but also the heart and the feel for how Americans are struggling in their day-to-day lives,” Obama said. “And also, an appreciation I think for how, even though we live in new times, there are some time-tested principles embodied in our constitution that have to be respected.”

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/court-...2009-05-25.html