Bush Tells Far Right How It Is

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 - President Bush sought today to allay the fears of social conservatives about his latest Supreme Court choice, saying that his selection, Harriet E. Miers, would adhere strictly to the letter of the Constitution. But he also allowed that he could not recall ever discussing one of the most volatile constitutional issues with her - abortion rights.

She's a woman of principle and deep conviction," Mr. Bush said of Ms. Miers, his White House counsel. "She shares my philosophy that judges should strictly interpret the laws and the Constitution of the United States and not legislate from the bench."

The president's remarks, at a news conference called just a day after he announced his selection of Ms. Miers, seemed timed to head off any groundswell of opposition from conservatives, some of whom have expressed keen disappointment that he did not pick a jurist in the mold of Justices Antonin Scalia or Clarence Thomas, as they believe Mr. Bush indicated he would during the 2000 campaign.