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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush, reeling from an array of political troubles, patched up a rift with conservatives by nominating Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court on Monday but set up a bruising battle with Democrats over the court's future.

The choice of the conservative Alito drew quick praise from the right and condemnation from the left, which said a weakened Bush had placed a higher priority on healing a divided Republican Party than on uniting the country behind a consensus nominee.

"This is a needlessly provocative nomination," said Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, the panel that will consider Alito's nomination.