Will we know the name of the nominee for Attorney General at some point within the next week?

It is possible if this report from the Washington Post proves correct.

President Bush is expected to choose a replacement for Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales by the middle of next week, and former solicitor general Theodore B. Olson has emerged as one of the leading contenders for the job, according to sources inside and outside the government who are familiar with White House deliberations.

Other candidates still in the running include former deputy attorney general George J. Terwilliger III and D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Laurence H. Silberman, according to the sources, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the discussions.

Others whose names continue to be mentioned in congressional and political circles include Pepsico general counsel Larry D. Thompson, a former deputy attorney general; Solicitor General Paul D. Clement; and Verizon general counsel William P. Barr, who served as attorney general for Bush’s father. A person close to Barr said yesterday, however, that he does not appear to be on the short list of candidates now being considered.

None of these candidates will satisfy the Democrats for one reason or another, but it seems they are already gearing up for a fight if it is Ted Olson.

The persistent mention of Olson as a possible candidate has surprised and upset some Democrats, who view the well-known GOP attorney as a sharp-edged partisan who they contend would not be the best choice for a Justice Department accused of becoming overly politicized. Leahy voted against Olson’s appointment as solicitor general in 2001, citing his “non-responsiveness” to questions about alleged ties to a conservative magazine’s investigation of Bill and Hillary Clinton.

“A lot of Democrats up here would view that as a shocking and unwise choice,” one Senate aide said.

But Olson, who represented Bush in the legal battle over the 2000 presidential election, also is widely admired by members of both parties for his legal skills and sharp intellect. Lanny Davis, former special counsel to President Clinton, endorsed Olson for the attorney general’s job in a recent opinion article, calling him “a principled and independent thinker who will focus on the word ‘Justice’ in the Department’s name.”

Let the games begin.

HT: Lucianne