"I'm not even sure I wanted it, to tell you the truth," Scalia told reporters at a media briefing before a gala dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Manhattan.

Bush, who had in the past mentioned Scalia as one role model for an ideal chief justice, passed on Scalia and nominated John Roberts after Rehnquist's death.

Scalia said the time he would have had to devote to administering the court as chief justice would have taken away from his thinking and writing. However, he said, "The honor would have been wonderful."

Asked if he knew why he wasn't nominated, Scalia said the reason "is locked in the heart of the president."

A lot of people, including yours truly, expected Scalia to be nominated to replace Rehnquist, if only because confirmation would have occurred in a matter of days. As it happened, Roberts was already there as O'Connor's replacement, and it was easy for the President to slip him in in her place since she'd agreed to stay on until a successor was confirmed.

Another thing that is not obvious except to court watchers: Scalia was willingly interviewed by the press. That is unusual for him.