WASHINGTON, Sept 9 (Reuters) - U.S. first lady Laura Bush said on Friday she hopes her husband will select a woman as the replacement for retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

"Of course, as a woman myself, I hope it will be a woman," Mrs. Bush said in an interview with American Urban Radio Network.

President George W. Bush in July nominated John Roberts to replace O'Connor. But after the weekend death of Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, Bush changed his plans and named Roberts as his selection to succeed Rehnquist.

Roberts' confirmation hearing is to begin on Monday. The president has said the field is "wide open" for his pick to succeed O'Connor. Laura Bush said she did not think a nomination for that position will be made until after Roberts is confirmed.

In an interview with the same network on Thursday, Mrs. Bush rejected criticism of her husband's response to the devastating hurricane Katrina, including remarks by rapper Kanye West who said the president does not care about blacks.

"I think all of those remarks were disgusting, to be perfectly frank, because of course President Bush cares about everyone in our country," she said.

But she said the hurricane was a wake-up call that showed how poor people were more vulnerable to natural disasters. "We need to address the effects of poverty," Mrs. Bush said.