Nevertheless, as Davis points out, a number of factors have influenced the judicial choice.

On a recent campaign trip, President Bush suggested he paid little attention to the ideology of his judicial choices.

Mr. Giuliani responded just as forcefully that his predecessors had been beholden to the city's political bosses in their own judicial choices.

But throughout his tenure, President Clinton has shown little willlingness to challenge the Republican Senate on judicial choices.

But Republicans have, for years, favored younger people as judicial choices so they can remain longer and have greater impact on the bench.

But now President Bush, whose judicial choices have been winning easy Senate confirmation, has nominated a candidate who falls far short of that noble standard.

President Bush should allow the Senate to conduct its oversight of his judicial choices as it sees fit.

And I wonder whether you believe that in fact that is what is nominating Democrats who oppose your judicial choices?

They are not binding on the judges, but they have a persuasive authority where judicial choice is possible.

But Democratic senators have complained sharply about the way the Bush administration has gone about making its judicial choices.