"Axelrod: Stevens' legacy influencing Obama's pick"

Axelrod: Stevens' legacy influencing Obama's pick

By BEN FELLER, Associated Press Writer – Wed May 5, 5:27 pm ET

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama will choose a Supreme Court nominee he thinks can provide the "spark and leadership" of retiring Justice John Paul Stevens, the lion of the court's liberals and a respected, persuasive force for decades, one of Obama's chief advisers said Wednesday.

"He senses that responsibility," senior adviser David Axelrod told The Associated Press in an interview on Wednesday.

"You can't replace someone's 34 years on the court, but you are mindful of the fact that he was a leader on the court, and you want someone who can provide that kind of spark and leadership — if not immediately, then over time," Axelrod said. "So he's thinking about that."

Axelrod is deeply involved in Obama' review of the candidates and in shaping how the eventual nominee will be presented to the country. His comments shed additional light into Obama's thinking as the president nears one of the most consequential decisions he will make, the choosing of a Supreme Court nominee.

Stevens, who was nominated by Republican Gerald Ford but became the court's leading liberal, is retiring this summer at the age of 90.

Obama said from the start that he would seek to replace Stevens with someone who offered similar qualities as the departing justice.

If anything, that standard appears even more significant as Obama decides among nominees who, in his view, likely all meet his other criteria of a record of excellence, dedication to the rule of law and an appreciation of how court cases affect daily life.

Stevens leaves a legacy that includes the preservation of abortion rights, protection of consumer rights and limits on the death penalty. His influence grew and waned depending on the times and the court's makeup, but he could be adept at persuading other justices and came to have a giant presence on the court.

Obama is closing in on a decision on whom to nominate. Axelrod, interviewed in his West Wing office, said the president has not yet made up his mind.

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