Copenhagen, Denmark, Jul 6, 2005 / 22:00 pm
On his way to this week’s G8 summit in Scotland yesterday, and facing a heated battle back in Washington over retiring Sandra Day O’Connor’s vacant Supreme Court seat, President George Bush said that he would not base his decision on issues like abortion and same-sex marriage.
While visiting Denmark to thank that nation for troops and support sent to Iraq and Afghanistan, Bush asked Senators to act “in a dignified way” over potential nominees to fill the seat.
Speaking on potential candidates to replace O’Connor, who announced her retirement last week, the president said that he has no “litmus test” which would limit nominees who support issues like abortion and gay marriage.
"I'll try to assess their character [and] their interests," he said, adding, "I'll pick people who, one, can do the job, and people who are honest, people who are bright and people who will strictly interpret the Constitution and not use the bench to legislate from."
Many Catholics and Christians are hoping for a pro-life justice to fill a seat which has long been seen as a swing vote on life-related and religious issues.