The Chicago Tribune today has the first article (free registration required) we’ve seen on potential Supreme Court nominees that cites “senior White House officials” rather than just outside speculation. The article reports that the White House has been interviewing potential nominees in preparation for an opening on the Supreme Court, and that the top contenders are: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Judge J. Michael Luttig of the 4th U.S. Circuit, Judge Samuel Alito of the 3rd Circuit, and Judge John Roberts of the D.C. Circuit.
Others named in the article are Judge William Pryor of the 11th Circuit, Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson of the 4th Circuit and Judge Michael McConnell of the 10th Circuit. However, the article suggests that Wilkinson, at 61, may be considered too old, and that McConnell, whom other news articles have often mentioned as a top contender, may be too “unpredictable.”
