Now to the fight over the future of the highest court in the US. President Bush said yesterday that he plans to interview finalists for the Supreme Court so that the Senate can confirm the next justice by the beginning of the new term in October. Republican strategists with close ties to the White House are quoted today as saying that Bush could announce his decision this week. That way, the advisers said, the nominee could make courtesy calls on key senators next week before they leave for the August recess. Bush has tapped former senator and current TV actor Fred Thompson to escort the nominee around Capitol Hill. In recent days, Bush has been focusing on female candidates in search of a replacement for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court. Among the leading female contenders is Judge Edith Hollan Jones, who has expressed strong opposition to Roe v. Wade.