    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book I)]
    [January 14, 2006]
    [Pages 75-76]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    January 14, 2006

        Good morning. Last October, I was proud to nominate Judge Sam
    Alito to be an Associate Justice on the
    Supreme Court of the United States. This week, Judge Alito testified
    before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the American people saw a man
    of character and intelligence. He forthrightly answered questions with
    grace and composure and showed his personal humility and legal
    brilliance, qualities that have made him one of America's most
    accomplished and respected judges.
        In his opening statement to the committee, Judge Alito offered an eloquent description of the proper role of
    a judge. He put it this way: ``A judge cannot have any agenda; a judge
    cannot have any preferred outcome in any particular case. The judge's
    only obligation is to the rule of law. In every single case, the judge
    has to do what the law requires.''
        Judge Alito has embodied this
    understanding of a judge's proper role throughout his distinguished
    career. He has participated in thousands of appeals, and he has authored
    hundreds of opinions. His record shows that he strictly and fairly
    interprets the Constitution and laws and does not try to legislate from
    the bench or impose his personal preference on the people. As the
    American people saw this week, Judge Alito always approaches the law in
    a thoughtful, fair, and openminded way.
        Throughout his life, Sam Alito has
    demonstrated a mastery of the law, great decency, and a strong
    commitment to public service. As a young man, he wore his country's
    uniform in the Army Reserve and achieved the rank of captain. Early in
    his legal career, he worked as a Federal prosecutor. As Assistant to the
    Solicitor General, Sam Alito argued 12 cases before the Supreme Court.
    He later served in the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel,
    where he provided constitutional advice for the President and the
    executive branch.
        In 1987, President Reagan named Sam Alito the United States Attorney for the District of New
    Jersey, the top Federal prosecutor in one of the Nation's largest
    Federal districts. The Senate confirmed him by unanimous consent. In
    this important post, Sam Alito showed a passionate commitment to justice
    and the rule of law and earned a reputation for being both tough and
    fair. He moved aggressively against white-collar and environmental
    crimes, drug trafficking, organized crime, and violations of civil
    rights. In 1990, President Bush nominated
    Sam Alito for the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit,
    and the Senate once again confirmed him by unanimous consent. He's
    served with distinction on that court for 15 years, and he has more
    prior judicial experience than any Supreme Court nominee in more than 70
    years.
        Sam Alito's brilliance, integrity,
    and accomplishments have gained him respect and praise from his
    colleagues and from attorneys across the political spectrum. This week,
    fellow judges from the Third Circuit publicly testified in support of
    his confirmation, and they praised his integrity and fairness. The
    American Bar Association gave Judge Alito a unanimous rating of ``well-
    qualified,'' the ABA's highest possible rating. The ABA concluded that
    Judge Alito meets ``the highest standards'' of ``integrity,

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    professional competence, and judicial temperament.'' In the past,
    leading Democratic Senators have called the ABA's rating system the
    ``gold standard'' for judicial nominees.
        During this week's hearings and over the course of his career, Judge
    Alito has demonstrated that he is
    eminently qualified to serve on our Nation's highest Court. I'm grateful
    to Senator Arlen Specter for his superb work
    in chairing the hearings. I also thank Judge Alito's wife,
    Martha, and the Alito children for their patience and
    dignity during the confirmation process.
        Now the Senate has a duty to give Judge Alito a prompt up-or-down vote. I look forward to the Senate
    voting to confirm Sam Alito as 110th Justice of the Supreme Court.
    America is fortunate to have a man of his intellect and integrity
    willing to serve, and as a Justice on our Nation's highest Court, Sam
    Alito will make all Americans proud.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 8 a.m. on January 13 in the Cabinet
    Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on January 14. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    January 13 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office
    of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of
    this address.