President Bush nominates John Roberts as Chief Justice of the U.S.

In a statement made at approximately 12:00 UTC Monday, U.S. President George W. Bush nominated Judge John G. Roberts, Jr. as Chief Justice of the United States to succeed the late William H. Rehnquist.

Bush said that it is in the best interest of the nation that Roberts will be confirmed by the U.S. Senate within one month, before the Supreme Court reconvenes. He said "It is fitting that a great chief justice be followed in office by a person who shared his deep reverence for the Constitution, his profound respect for the Supreme Court and his complete devotion to the cause of justice."

Roberts went on to reply, saying, "I am honored and humbled by the confidence that the president had shown in me, and I'm very much aware that, if I am confirmed, I would succeed a man that I deeply respect and admire, a man who has been very kind to me for 25 years." Roberts had been a law clerk in the U.S. Supreme Court working directly for William Rehnquist during 1980 and 1981.

Before this nomination Roberts was due to fill the Associate Justice slot left vacant by Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement. Bush now must consider other candidates for nomination as Associate Justice.

Roberts is considered to have largely conservative views and faced resistance during his nomination to succeed O'Connor from Civil rights groups like the ACLU, NAACP and pro-choice organizations like NARAL, which sponsored an ad against his nomination and had to retract it due to the liability for some of the claims they were making of him supporting terrorists.

Roberts' confirmation is set to begin next Monday.

It is suspected that with the Republican Senate, the Democrats will need an extensive filibuster if they want to prevent Roberts' confirmation.

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