Sandra Day O'Connor Announces Retirement ; Conservatives Hope to Use Opportunity to Shift Supreme Court Further to the Right

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The retirement of Sandra Day O'Connor, the nation's first woman Supreme Court justice, presents President Bush and his social conservative supporters with the best opportunity in 14 years to significantly shift the court further to the right.

But with recent efforts by White House officials to float the possible nomination of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales it remains unclear whether Bush will view the opening on the high court as an opportunity to reward social conservatives for their votes in 2004 or to reach out to Hispanic voters in 2006 and 2008 by appointing a Hispanic to replace her.

In a Rose Garden statement Friday shortly after Justice …