Administration officials said Obama hopes for less acrimony over the current Supreme Court opening, though in an indication of an awareness of the potential for controversy, Treasury spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter is being tapped to move to the White House to manage the media strategy for the nominee.

"Who is he trying to kid?" Republican strategist Keith Appell said of Obama's hope for a calmer nomination process. "If you're going to be realistic, you have to anticipate that center-right organizations are going to push to ensure that any nominee is fully vetted and scrutinized by Republican senators."

Appell said many of the names reported to be on Obama's short list "raised red flags" among conservatives.

Many Republicans are concerned by Obama's statement that "empathy" will be an important quality he will look for in a Supreme Court justice. Republicans have said they want justices who will strictly interpret the U.S. Constitution and many have criticized the landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision that legalized abortion as "judicial activism."

Senator Jeff Sessions, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee who met with Obama last week, said he would welcome a "highly qualified nominee" from Obama but also wanted to see someone who favored "judicial restraint."

Stephen Wayne, professor of government at Georgetown University, said a more moderate nominee would trigger less opposition, but either way there would be a battle.

It should be no problem for Obama to get his nominee confirmed.  Jeff Sessions was thought to be a bit racist by a Republican Senate back in 1986, so anything he says is easily countered.  All of these other Republican strategists, etc. will yell and hollar just because that is what they do.  If the Democrats keep a united front, and there is absolutely no reason why they won't, they can confirm Obama's pick.  No matter how "controversial" the Repugs scream the pick is.