Supreme Court Buzz Centers on Wood, Kagan

The Washington rumor mill is focusing on two names as President Obama steps up the search for a Supreme Court nominee,  the Washington Post reports. Federal Appeals Court Judge Diane Wood visited the capital Tuesday, ostensibly to attend a judicial conference, but insiders say she met with the president for an interview, the first of several Obama plans with nominees in coming days.

Solicitor General Elena Kagan, the keynote speaker at Tuesday's conference, is also believed to be a frontrunner. Her address to the assembled judges began with a tribute to  retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, emphasizing the vital role she played in a court split between conservatives and liberals. The White House declined to comment on when Obama's choice will be announced.
(More Diane Wood stories.)