[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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