President George W. Bush announced Samuel Alito as his new nominee for the vacant Supreme Court justice position on Monday.

As Harriet Miers stepped down as a nominee to the Supreme Court on Oct. 27, President Bush had to find a replacement and satisfy his supporters.

"It's hard to argue with his general qualifications," said Corey Ditslear of the political science faculty.

Alito is a federal appeals court judge for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia. The first President George Bush appointed him in 1990.

"Many people have called him 'Scalito' in reference to Antonin Scalia," Ditslear said. Ditslear said Alito views himself as a "strict constructionist" who should interpret the law instead of creating it.

"That's just what the president wants to hear, though," he said.

Ditlear said Alito is a strong supporter of allowing prayers in public schools, as well as letting states decide on how to control abortion.

"He certainly falls more in line with hardcore conservatives would have liked to see," he said.

Ditslear said Miers' withdrawal was "a little bit surprising" but was entirely a political move to keep Bush from further embarrassment.

Wendy Watson of the political science faculty said Miers' opposition came from both Democrats and Republicans, but especially Republicans who questioned her conservative ideas. Alito will face more opposition from Democrats than with Miers, she said.

"I think Democrats will even go so far as to filibuster," Ditslear said.

Ditslear said, in the interim, Alito would speak to the senators in the judiciary committee, reviewing his history and past cases, as well as preparing to answer questions with Bush and his advisors.

"He'll probably have an easier time answering the questionnaire than Miers did, because he has an actual paper trail," Ditslear said.

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