Fielding To Be White House Counsel

WASHINGTON — President Bush has selected Fred Fielding to be his White House counsel, recruiting a seasoned Washington veteran to reprise the same job he held under Ronald Reagan and represent the president with Democratic congressional investigators, sources close to the process said yesterday.

The White House may announce the appointment as early as today, the sources said, just days after longtime Bush loyalist Harriet Miers was eased out as the president's top lawyer in preparation for any forthcoming struggle with a new Democratic Congress eager to investigate the administration.

Mr. Fielding, 67, brings the experience and political heft that White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten has been seeking to counter any aggressive moves to probe the most controversial decisions of the Bush presidency. Smooth, soft-spoken yet battle-hardened, Mr. Fielding is considered a Republican "wise man" whom Mr. Bush aides believe will be able to negotiate compromise without surrendering on the most important priorities.

"It sends the perfect signal that we are serious about the president's position and the principles he has articulated, but we're also going to be reasonable and work together to get some of these issues resolved," said Helgi Walker, a former Bush White House associate counsel. "He brings stature and gravitas," she said.