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October 28 -- Washington

President Bush this morning brought forth his new nominee to serve on the Supreme Court. In a prepared statement, he said:

"Today I nominate an outstanding individual to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. Over her lifetime, she has built a stellar record of accomplishment. She's been a model of service to our country and to our citizens. I've known her for almost 30 years. I know her character; she's a woman of principle and deep conviction. She shares my philosophy that judges should strictly interpret the laws and the Constitution of the United States, and not legislate from the bench.

"First, I've worked with this woman. She's a woman of principle and character. She's highly intelligent. She has been a pioneer. She's an enormously accomplished person who's incredibly bright.

"Secondly, she knows the kind of judge I'm looking for -- she was a part of the process that selected John Roberts.

"Thirdly, I know her well enough to be able to say that she's not going to change, that 20 years from now she'll be the same person with the same philosophy that she is today. She'll have more experience, she'll have been a judge, but, nevertheless, her philosophy won't change. And that's important to me. It was important to me when I picked Chief Justice Roberts; it's important for me in picking this woman.

"Finally, I got some interesting suggestions. I actually listen to the senators when they bring forth ideas. And they brought forth some really interesting ideas during the course of our conversations, some told me directly, many brought to me by people on my staff. And one of the most interesting ideas I heard was, why don't you pick somebody who hasn't been a judge? Why don't you reach outside the -- I think one senator said, the 'judicial monastery.' I thought it was an interesting idea. And I thought long and hard about it. I obviously looked at whether or not other Presidents had done -- made that decision; they had. And so, recognizing that this woman will bring not only expertise, but a fresh approach, I nominated her. And she'll be a really good judge.

"As only the second First Lady in history to hold a post-graduate degree, this nominee has broken barriers. She has been a credit to her country. As a former librarian, we have proof that she not only knows how to read, but she enjoys it, important characteristics in a Supreme Court justice.

"I am honored to nominate Laura Bush to the Supreme Court.

"And in response to my critics, let me assure you. I picked the best person I could find. And when it's all said and done, the American people are going to know what I know. This woman deserves to be on the bench, and she'll bring credit to the bench and to the law.

"People know we're close. But you got to understand, because of our closeness, I know the character of the person. It's one thing to say a person can read the law, and that's important -- and she can, since we know she was a librarian, please keep that in mind. But what also matters are the intangibles. To me, a person's strength of character counts a lot. And as a result of my relationship with Laura, I know her strength of character. And after spending a lot of time thinking about this nomination, there's no doubt in my mind that Laura Bush is the right choice.

"Thank you, and I look forward to a speedy confirmation for our new Supreme Court justice, Laura Bush."