Daily Briefing -- Roberts: Superior Interpersonal Skills

• BushnominatesRobertsto be chief justice; hearings will begin next week. White House official hints the next nominee will not be a white male.Bush: "It is in the interest of the court and the country to have a chief justice on the bench on the first full day of the fall term." [ WP , NYT , WSJ , LAT , WT , USAT ]

•Democrats vow increased scrutiny ofRobertsbut most attention centers around the next nominee. [ WP ]

• Roberts' charisma and convictions thought to foster his effectiveness. Professor: "A committed conservative with interpersonal skills equal to or superior toRehnquist's would be a far more effective chief justice than a nominee of equal intellect who lacks those graces." [ WP ]

• Robertsis skeptical of judicial intervention at the federal level. [ WP ]

• Rehnquistwill be in repose at Supreme Court until tomorrow. [ WP ]

• Robertsgained first-hand experience of the chief justice's role when serving as a law clerk toRehnquist. [ NYT ]

•Interest groups gear up for two nomination fights. [ USAT ]

• Kennedyproposes delay ofRoberts' hearings until we "know whom the president intends to propose to nominate as a replacement forSandra Day O'Connor." [ USAT ]

•What doesRobertsmeans for you? [ USAT ]

•Eminent domain ruling has sparked backlash; lawmakers propose restrictions to development. [ WP ]

•Move "shakes up the complicated political calculus that invariably accompanies judicial nominations." [ USAT ]