Reports the Wall Street Journal:
White House officials said the list of potential nominees is longer than the six to eight names circulating in public. An office has been set up in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House, with White House Counsel Greg Craig taking the lead and Cynthia Hogan, Vice President Joe Biden's counsel, heading the vetting process.
On Wednesday, the president met with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and the Senate Judiciary Committee's new ranking Republican member, Jeff Sessions of Alabama. A pick isn't likely before Memorial Day, a White House official said.
The president is trying to hold at bay the liberal interest groups eager to mobilize in support of his first Supreme Court nominee, aides said. He hopes to avoid a partisan brawl this summer and ease his choice onto the court by August.
If President Obama doesn't pick a nominee before Memorial Day, it is highly unlikely hearings could begin before the August recess as there usually are between 60 and 70 days between when the nomination is announced and the hearing. This would give conservative groups an extra month to mobilize and defeat the nomination if it cannot be completed before the August recess.
Even more depressing is this nugget:
White House aides have delivered a stern message to their allies outside the gate: Hold your fire. The White House doesn't want to see battles that could put Democratic senators in conservative states such as Arkansas and Louisiana in an uncomfortable position.
That probably means a nominee in the mold of Justices Brennan and Marshall, two visionary progressives, is highly unlikely as it would lead to a contentious fight, and make Senators such as Robert Byrd, Blanche Lincoln, and Mary Landrieu uncomfortable. This is really unfortunate. I really was looking for a nominee who could challenge Justice Scalia's vision, and give him a kick in the a$$ as he really needs it.