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ByKathleenHennessey and Mark Sherman The Associated Press WASHINGTON For most presidents, choosing a Su- preme Court nominee is a puzzle. For President Barack Obama, the chance to pick a successor to Jus- tice Antonin Scalia is more like a Gordian Knot. As the White House car- ries out a rare election- year search for a nominee, the president's lawyers and top advisers are sort- ing through a tangled web of political, legal and per- sonal factors. A smart pick and nomi- nation strategy could deter- mine whether Obama gets to reshape the highest court for the next generation. The wrong pick could cede that opportunity to his succes- sor. Democrats view this as a moment decades in the making. Recent Republi- can presidents have gotten more chances to fill seats, tilting the court in to the right. "The Supreme Court has not reflected where the American people have been on issues," said Greg- ory Craig, who served as White House counsel early in Obama's first term. "This is the first opportunity in many, many years to bring the court more in line with the American people." For Obama, the clock is ticking. The sooner he picks a name, the longer he has to try to force the Republican- led Senate to hold a vote. At the heart of Obama's dilemma is how to manage the fierce Republican op- position to his decision to name a nominee. Within hours of Scalia's death on Saturday, Republicans be- gan arguing Obama should let his successor fill the open seat. Obama brushed that ar- gument aside, but it is un- doubtedly weighing on his decision. Given the election- year timing, Obama would likely have been inclined to name the nominee most likely to appeal to Republi- can senators. But if Republicans object to Obama even trying to fill the post — and remain united in that position — the president may see lit- tle point in bending too far to appease the other party. He may feel the pull to fo- cus more on ginning up his own party's base. Then key question becomes: What are the chances of getting a vote? This wouldn't be "the first time Republicans have come out with a lot of blus- ter only to have reality sink in,"WhiteHousespokesman Eric Schultz said Monday. Refusing to allow a vote has consequences for the court, Shultz said, point- ing to the prospects for tie votes that would allow lower court decisions to stand. S c h u l t z said the pr e sident will use the same crite- ria he used when he nominated Sonia Sotomayor, who be- came the first Hispanic on the court, and Elena Kagan, then-solicitor general. In those instances, and in his appointments to lower courts, Obama has shown a desire to expand ethnic and racial diversity and to ele- vate more women. His nominee would al- most certainly support abortion rights, consid- eration of race in college admissions and other ar- eas of public life, limits on campaign contributions and stronger rights of la- bor unions — all issues that have divided the court's lib- eral and conservative jus- tices on a 5-4 margin. In all likelihood, those cases where the conserva- tives prevailed, with Sca- lia in the majority, would come out the other way if Obama gets to pick Scalia's successor. Obama also has priori- tized young candidates — people likely to hold the seat for decades. He's aimed for relatively uncontroversial personalities, people with views that fall into the cat- egory of mainstream liberal jurisprudence. Obama will also be mind- ful of the clock. He has said there is "plenty of time" for Republicans to consider his choice. The more time he gives them before them — particularly before the height of campaign season — the stronger his argu- ment. The time crunch may lean in favor of candidates who've already been vetted for administration jobs or recent court appointments. It's standard practice to keep files on possible nom- inees and assign a staff member in the White House Counsel's office to manage and update the list. That list has long included Merrick Garland, chief judge for the D.C. circuit. He has a repu- tation as a moderate, in part because he ran the Justice Department's criminal divi- sion in the Clinton admin- istration. If Obama is going to reach out to Republicans, Garland might be the tool. But as a 63-year-old, white male Garland doesn't check the diversity or youth boxes. For a more historic choice, Judge Sri Sriniva- san is considered a leading option. Born in India and raised in Kansas, Srinivasan, 48, would be the first Indian- American on the court. He joined the appeals court in Washington in 2013, mean- ing he has been recently scrubbed. The Senate con- firmed him by a 97-0 vote. Srinivasan, however, may not fire up the interest groups Democrats might want to engage in the fight. He initially faced relatively muted opposition from lib- eral groups because of his work in private practice defending business inter- ests against claims of hu- man rights abuses in for- eign countries. Other judges under pos- sible consideration are Paul Watford, a 48-year-old for- mer federal prosecutor ap- pointed by Obama to the federal appeals court based in San Francisco. Watford would be only the third Af- rican-American to serve on the Supreme Court. Judge Patricia Millet, 52, like Srinivasan, worked in the Justice Department un- der both Democratic and Republican administra- tions. She also was nomi- nated by Obama and con- firmed to the appeals court in Washington in 2013. It's possible Obama may look beyond the bench for his candidate. Homeland Security chief Jeh John- son has been floated. A sit- ting senator is an enticing option, if Obama wants to force Republicans to deny a colleague a hearing. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobu- char have both been men- tioned as possibilities. ELECTION YEAR Obama faces political puzzle in naming Scalia successor MANUELBALCECENETA—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS An American flag flies at half-staff in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building in honor of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia as the sun rises in Washington, on Sunday. PABLO MARTINEZ MONSIVAIS — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Staff members prepare for the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage site of Monday's meeting of ASEAN. By Darlene Superville The Associated Press RANCHO MIRAGE Presi- dent Barack Obama and the leaders of Southeast Asian nations are gather- ing in Southern California for an unprecedented two days of talks on economic and security issues and on forging deeper ties amid China's assertive presence in the region. Obama on Monday will welcome each leader from the 10 members of the As- sociation of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, for a summit at Sunnyl- ands, a storied California desert estate where Obama held his first meeting with China's current president. This is the first time the leaders of Indonesia, Ma- laysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Bru- nei, Vietnam, Laos, Myan- mar and Cambodia have assembled in the U.S. at Obama's invitation and not on the margins of another gathering. China is not a member of ASEAN. The summit was con- ceived as part of Obama's mission to raise the U.S. profile and help set the agenda in the fast-grow- ing Asia-Pacific, where China's territorial claims over disputed waters have raised international con- cerns and led to friction with ASEAN countries. Member countries make up the world's seventh- largest economy and rep- resent the fourth-largest trading partner with the U.S. "U.S.-ASEAN relations have never been stronger," Susan Rice, Obama's na- tional security adviser, de- clared Monday. Rice said the nations are important partners on issues ranging from the economy to maritime se- curity and counterterror- ism to climate change. By hosting the sum- mit, "we want to make very clear that the United States is going to be at the table and a part of setting the agenda in the Asia Pacific in the decades to come," Ben Rhodes, Rice's deputy, told reporters be- fore the summit. Monday's talks will fo- cus on the economy and using innovation and en- trepreneurship to pro- mote in the region. After a working dinner at the estate, the conversation shifts Tuesday to regional security issues, including the South China Sea and counterterrorism, before the summit ends. China says it has a his- torical right to virtually all of the South China Sea and has built seven artificial is- lands, including with air- strips, to assert its sover- eignty. Taiwan and ASEAN members Brunei, Malay- sia, Vietnam and the Phil- ippines also claim land features in these poten- tially resource-rich waters, which are an important conduit for world trade. Though not a claim- ant, the U.S. has spoken out against China's con- duct and has angered Bei- jing by sailing Navy ships near some of the artifi- cial islands. The U.S. has argued for the maritime rights issue to be resolved peacefully and is looking for ASEAN to take a uni- fied stance by calling for the disputes to be resolved based on international law. Achieving that unity, however, will be a chal- lenge. The diverse bloc of nations has avoided crit- icizing China by name in joint statements that were issued at past summits as these disputes have flared. The Trans-Pacific Part- nership, a free-trade agree- ment among the U.S., ASEAN members Bru- nei, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, and seven other nations, will likely be discussed. The pact is Obama's signature trade achievement, one he has sought to sell to skeptical lawmakers and others as an opportunity for the U.S. to shape the region's trade rules, not China. Ob am a to w el co me Asian leaders for talks SUMMIT By Deepti Hajela The Associated Press NEWYORK Residents along the eastern U.S., freed from bitter, dangerous cold tem- peratures on Valentine's Day, couldn't even pause to take a slightly warmer breath before the next win- ter weather hurdle showed up. Snow, sleet and rain fell across the mid-Atlantic states while tornados rolled through the South. With federal offices and many businesses closed for Washington's Birth- day, though, many people were able to hunker down at home. Officials in Mississippi were investigating reports of at least two possible tor- nadoes. Windows were blown out in cars, and ceil- ings were damaged at a K-12 school. The tornadoes were part of a large winter storm system accom- panied by rain, strong winds, snow and sleet. Snow totals ranging from 1 to 4 inches were pre- dicted from Washington to northern New Jersey. National Weather Service meteorologist Bruce Sul- livan said there could be significant snowfall — 4 to 8 inches — in eastern Ohio, western Pennsylva- nia and western New York. Some mountainous areas could get even more snow. The weather could have less of an impact because schools and many work- places were closed for the federal holiday, and traf- fic was lighter than usual. In Virginia, the state po- lice asked motorists to de- lay any unnecessary travel until weather conditions could improve. By late af- ternoon, authorities were on the scene of 37 traf- fic crashes statewide, in- cluding a fatal crash in Fauquier County. Troop- ers also were responding to nine disabled vehicles across Virginia. They al- ready had responded to 538 traffic crashes and 347 disabled vehicles for the day. In North Carolina, light freezingrain,sleetandsnow caused wrecks and closed schools and businesses. The National Weather Service said the precipitation was light Monday morning, but with temperatures in the 20s, it was freezing immedi- ately on bridges, roads and other surfaces. WEATHER Bye, cold; Hello, sleet and snow along eastern US CAROLYN KASTER — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A worker with the National Park Service clears snow from a walkway alone the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington on Monday. Scalia TheDarkside 840 Main St. Red Bluff CA 530-527-9700 2032 Pine St. Redding CA 530-246-1773 Darkside The All prices plus sales tax, license fees, doc fees, any finance charge, any dealer preparation charge, any emission charge, any documentation preparation charge, any smog fees and any tire fees. all vehicles subject to prior sale & credit approval. 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