The Oval: Stonewalling?

A Supreme Surprise

As Bush prepares to name his nominee for the Supreme Court vacancy, the White House continues to face strong resistance from conservative groups over the potential nomination of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Last week, opponents of the nomination got phone calls from White House officials urging them to quiet the anti-Gonzales rhetoric and even heard from Bush himself, who publicly warned that when his friends get attacked, "I don't like it."

The right's most frequent criticism of Gonzales is that he could be another David Souter, a moderate who was appointed to the court by Bush's father after assurances that he would tilt right on issues that conservatives care about. Yet, as conservatives often like to note, Souter has voted more often than not with the court's liberal bloc. In recent days, administration officials and their GOP surrogates have moved to blunt the criticism that "Gonzales is Spanish for Souter" by noting that, in choosing Gonzales, Bush would be picking a longtime friend and aide who wouldn't be as unpredictable as Souter. "Presidents have not had a successful track record of predicting how their nominees will act on the bench, which is one reason why the name of a trusted friend and ally like Al Gonzales keeps coming up," Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican who sits on the Judiciary Committee, tells NEWSWEEK. "Obviously, David Souter was a shock. I don't think Al Gonzales would be."

Adding even more fuel to the Gonzales rumors: On Monday, Republican Sen. Sam Brownback, a strong White House ally and one of the more conservative members of the Judiciary Committee, announced he had asked to meet with Gonzales privately this week to discuss his positions on key issues, including abortion. Brownback, who strongly opposes abortion, hasn't said publicly if he would support a Gonzales nomination. Brownback has strong ties to many of the conservative groups who have spoken out on Gonzales. Winning his support would be crucial should Gonzales be nominated. Yet, a Brownback spokesman tells NEWSWEEK that the Kansas senator is still waiting to hear back from the AG on his invite.

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