Nothing in Al Gonzales? public statements, legislative proposals or anything else suggests that this is an individual who operates outside of the political gyroscope of President Bush.

Some of that means that in your public statements, ... you end up trafficking in public platitudes more than you'd want to do at home.

I've talked with him for hours. His philosophy is pretty solid. I would be stunned if John ended up resembling a Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in his approach to constitutional interpretation.

You can't have two ballots that are identical ... and have (them) counted in one way in one county and another way in another county,

Bush may be aiming now for the political choice - a choice that's calculated less to mold the Supreme Court jurisprudence, and more to mold his political fortunes and those of his party.

He is a man who is not tortured by doubt over the correctness of his judicial philosophy.