President George Bush turned to the South Carolina Legislature to find a new ambassador to Canada.

President George Bush turned to the South Carolina Legislature to find a new ambassador to Canada. Speaker David Wilkins, a long-time Bush family friend and top Republican fundraiser who ran both the president's South Carolina campaigns, is the president's choice to replace Paul Celucci, who left the post in March. Wilkins, who became speaker 11 years ago when Republicans took over the House, has served in the legislature for 25 years. He has visited Canada just once. He was tapped by the president before--to be a U.S. District Court judge and ambassador to Chile. He turned both offers down. "I'm obviously thrilled and very thankful for the president's confidence," Wilkins said. The confirmation process is expected to take two to four months. Senator Joseph Biden, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he expected Wilkins to be well-received. "He is known as an honorable man and he's known as a man of integrity," Biden said. "I'd vote aye."

Three prominent Republicans are lining up to replace Wilkins. Representative Jim Harrison is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Representative Bobby Harrell is chair of the Ways and Means Committee and Representative Doug Smith is the speaker pro tern.