[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book II)]
[November 5, 2005]
[Pages 1653-1654]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



The President's Radio Address
November 5, 2005

    Good morning. This week I was proud to nominate Judge Sam 
Alito to be an Associate Justice on the 
Supreme Court of the United States. Judge Alito is one of America's most 
accomplished and respected judges. During his long career in public 
service, he has demonstrated all the qualities that the American people 
expect in a Supreme Court Justice, mastery of the law, a deep commitment 
to justice, and great personal character. He is scholarly, fair-minded, 
and principled, and these traits will serve our Nation well on our 
highest Court.
    Judge Alito now serves on the U.S. 
Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. When he was nominated to his 
current seat in 1990, Judge Alito received strong bipartisan support, 
and the United States Senate confirmed him by unanimous consent. He has 
served on that court with distinction for 15 years and now has more 
prior judicial

[[Page 1654]]

experience than any Supreme Court nominee in more than 70 years.
    During his career on the bench, Judge Alito has participated in thousands of appeals and authored 
hundreds of opinions. He has demonstrated that he understands the proper 
role of a judge, to interpret the Constitution and laws, not to impose 
the judge's own preferences or priorities on the people. And in the 
performance of his duties, Judge Alito's brilliance, his modesty, and 
his even demeanor have gained him the respect of his colleagues and of 
the attorneys appearing before him.
    Prior to becoming a judge, Sam Alito served for 3 years as the United States Attorney for the 
District of New Jersey. When President Reagan nominated him to this 
position in 1987, the Senate confirmed him by unanimous consent. As the 
top prosecutor in one of the Nation's largest Federal districts, Sam 
Alito moved aggressively against white-collar and environmental crimes, 
drug trafficking, organized crime, and violations of civil rights. He 
showed a passionate commitment to the rule of law, and he gained a 
reputation for being both tough and fair.
    Before becoming U.S. Attorney, Sam Alito served in other critical positions in the Department of 
Justice. In the Office of Legal Counsel, he provided constitutional 
advice for the President and the executive branch. As Assistant to the 
Solicitor General, he argued 12 cases before the Supreme Court. As an 
Assistant U.S. Attorney, he argued dozens of cases before the Federal 
courts of appeals.
    The son of an Italian immigrant who came to America in 1914, Sam 
Alito is a product of New Jersey public 
schools. He was valedictorian and student council president at Hamilton 
East-Steinert High School in Hamilton, New Jersey. He went on to become 
a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Princeton University. He attended Yale Law 
School and was editor of the Yale Law Journal. After graduating from law 
school, he was a law clerk for a Federal court of appeals judge. He has 
served in the Army Reserves, where he achieved the rank of captain. Sam 
Alito's life has been marked by consistent excellence and achievement, 
combined with personal decency and a commitment to public service.
    The United States Senate will now exercise its constitutional 
responsibility to advise and consent on Judge Alito's nomination. The process is off to a good start. Since I 
announced his nomination, Judge Alito has met with many Senators, and 
they are learning more about his great character, accomplishments, and 
ability.
    Our Nation is fortunate to have a man of Judge Alito's intellect and integrity willing to serve. I look 
forward to the Senate voting to confirm Judge Alito as the 110th Justice 
of the Supreme Court of the United States.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 10:45 a.m. on November 2 in the 
Cabinet Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on November 
5. The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on November 4 but was embargoed for release until the 
broadcast. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish 
language transcript of this address.