From ABC New, this article says the White House doesn't expect any vacancies right away, but they want to be prepared in case they're surprised:
With the heated political climate -- and with Bush's approval ratings still low -- advisers believe they cannot afford any missteps with the Supreme Court if a vacancy were to occur, sources said.
To that end, advisers are focusing on possible nominees who are believed to be solid judicial conservatives and would galvanize the base at a time when Bush desperately needs its support.
Conservatives who have grown disillusioned with Bush on Iraq, spending and immigration believe his nominations of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito are the one bright spot of his presidency.
The article seems to indicate the White House would like to fill a vacancy with a minority judge. If the motivation for this is simply to be politically correct, that would be a mistake; one of Reagan's few mistake was Sandra Day O'Connor, and I believe he made it for the novelty of a female judge.
In fairness, however, a couple of the minority candidates mentioned are good choices: Judges Priscilla Owen and Janice Rogers Brown. I don't have anything against Owen, but I'm a bit more familiar with Rogers Brown, and based on that familiarity, she would be my choice. She seems to have her head on straight and respects the Constitution.
The article indicates Bush doesn't want to further alienate the conservative base with a bad SCOTUS choice, and I hope that's the case. But with his disappointing behavior on the amnesty immigration bill, at this point, I'm not holding my breath.
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