Via the AP: Federal Judge Roberts Is Bush’s Choice

Roberts, 50, would succeed retiring Justice
Sandra Day O’Connor, who has long been a swing vote on a court divided narrowly on issues such as abortion, affirmative action, states’ rights and the death penalty.

The Harvard-educated Roberts learned of his selection in a lunchtime phone call from the president, according to administration officials.

Interesting: young, and a white male.

Hmm: reactions like this do bespeak of a possible fight:

Initial reaction from Republicans was strongly in favor of Roberts. Sen. Jeff Sessions (news, bio, voting record) of Alabama called him a “fabulous nominee” and predicted that if confirmed, he would “bring a nonpolitical approach to judging.”

Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., a leading conservative, called him “brilliant.

This also means that a much-linked piece from Sunday’s WaPo got pretty close: Similar Appeal; Different Styles