Weeks Ago?

So just how long has the WH been looking for a new SC Justice? Here's a question at the WH briefing last night, answered by Dan "Glad-I'm-Not-On-Record-Calling-Rove's-Involvement-Ridiculous" Bartlett (WH communications director):

Q Was he surprised?

MR. BARTLETT: Was he surprised? I think -- I can't speak on behalf of him. I'll try to find out. But this process was not -- I mean, he had been through -- he had met with members of the staff weeks ago.

Weeks ago? O'Connor announced her resignation 18 days before yesterday. So that means either

1. (a) John Roberts met with members of the WH staff fewer than 4 days after O'Connor's announcement and (b) Dan Bartlett says "weeks ago" when he means 2 weeks ago,
2. Roberts met with members of the WH staff less than 2 weeks ago and Bartlett mis-spoke, or
3. Roberts met with WH staff before O'Connor's announcement (at least, before it was public).

I'm not suggesting there's anything wrong with any of these possibilities, but I was a bit surprised because I hadn't recalled that candidates were interviewed so quickly after O'Connor's announcement, and I'm quite sure that the WH has never said anyone was interviewed before July 1.

Update: An informed commenter points out my error in calling Dan Bartlett by his old title, WH Communications Director (Nicole Devenish is the current one). However, it's possible the commenter also errs in calling Bartlett a "Senior Advisor" -- McClellan calls him "Counselor to the President" (although McClellan's primary responsibility is to lie to the press, so who knows?).