July 6 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush selected former Senator Fred Thompson, a lawyer in real life and on television, to advise the eventual nominee in the anticipated Senate confirmation fight to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Thompson ``will guide the nominee through the confirmation process from the time that person is nominated to the Judiciary Committee meetings to the time that the nominee receives a fair vote on the floor of the Senate,'' White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters traveling today with the president to a summit of world leaders in Gleneagles, Scotland.

McClellan said Thompson, a Tennessee Republican, would be an ``informal'' adviser to the nominee, similar to a role filled by former Senator John Danforth when Clarence Thomas won narrow confirmation to the Supreme Court in 1991.

``Senator Thompson brings several years experience in the United States Senate to this role,'' McClellan said. ``He's someone who brings great expertise'' and ``will help the nominee as he or she moves through the process.''

Thompson, received a law degree in 1967 from Vanderbilt University, was a member of the Senate from 1995 to 2003. He plays District Attorney Arthur Branch on NBC Corp.'s television series, ``Law and Order.''

Watergate Counsel

Thompson served as chief counsel to the Republican minority on the Senate Watergate Committee during its investigation of the scandal that led to the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon in 1974.

``Fred is a well-respected leader admired on both sides of the political aisle as someone who is fair-minded and straightforward,'' said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, another Tennessee Republican, in a statement. Thompson's presence should ``ensure that this nomination process is fair,'' Frist said.

Advocacy groups are expected to spend $100 million to influence the selection and confirmation of a replacement for O'Connor, 75, who announced her resignation last week. She said she would stay on until her successor is confirmed.

Earlier today at a press conference in Copenhagen, Bush suggested he was anticipating a hard political fight, urging senators not to ``listen to the special-interest groups, particularly those on the extremes that are trying to exploit this opportunity.''

``The Senate needs to conduct themselves in a dignified way and have a good, honest debate about the credentials of the person I have put forward, no matter who he or she is, and then give the person an up or down vote,'' Bush said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Holly Rosenkrantz in Copenhagen at hrosenkrantz@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: July 6, 2005 13:05 EDT