I thought he said it. I would have claimed that I heard him say it, only now I question that. Regardless, the assumption is still accurate. He said he would appoint only strict constructionists -- NO ACTIVISTS! That he said. He also said Scalia and Thomas were his favorite justices. The only way you could claim he DIDN'T mean he would nominate strict constructionists like Scalia and Thomas is if you prove he did not believe them to be strict constructionists. If you can prove that, then you must also explain why his favorite justices were not strict constructionists.
I just think this is an interesting quest, but ultimately it doesn't matter. He promised justices in the mold of Scalia and Thomas when he promised strict constructionists, especially when you add that he said Scalia and Thomas were his favorite justices.