Bush picks White House counsel to fill Supreme Court vacancy

US President George W. Bush announced Monday that he has chosen White House counsel Harriet Miers to fill the Supreme Court post left by retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

Praising Miers, one of his long-time associates, Bush said that the 60-year-old female law expert "will be an outstanding addition to the Supreme Court".

If the nomination is confirmed by Senate, Miers will be the second woman member in the 9-seat Supreme Court after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Miers vowed to take the "tremendous responsibility to keep our judicial system strong" if her nomination is confirmed.

A former personal lawyer of Bush in Texas, Miers came with the president to the White House as his staff secretary and was promoted to deputy chief of staff in June 2003.

While Miers' nomination was announced, John Roberts, Bush's choice for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, took his seat for the first time at the country's highest court.

Source: Xinhua