Senator Lautenberg's Statement on the Nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court

Senator Lautenberg's Statement on the Nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, United States Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) issued the following statement on President Bush's nomination of Samuel A. Alito Jr. to replace Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor:

"Fifteen years ago, I supported Samuel Alito to be a judge based on his record as the United States Attorney for New Jersey, but his tenure on the appeals court has been marked by troubling decisions. Judge Alito has demonstrated a hostility to fundamental civil rights, and his record on the bench must be closely scrutinized by the Senate.

New Jersey has a proud tradition of producing great judges, most notably former Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan. Justice Brennan was chosen for the Supreme Court based on his legal knowledge and wisdom, unlike what we see today, in which nominees are chosen based on litmus tests that cater to narrow ideological groups."

http://lautenberg.senate.gov/~lautenberg/press/2003/01/2005A31447.html