    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 3 (Monday, January 23, 2006)]
    [Pages 74-76]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    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,

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    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, 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 8:00 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.

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