On the first day of his confirmation hearing, U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr. said judges can't come to the bench with an "agenda" and must make decisions based on the "rule of law." Alito delivered an 11-minute opening statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday afternoon. He said controversial positions he may have endorsed during the Reagan administration won't direct the outcome in the cases he might hear on the high court. "The role of a practicing attorney is to achieve a desirable result for the client in the particular case at hand," Alito told the committee. "But a judge can't think that way. A judge can't have any agenda. A judge can't have any preferred outcome in any particular case. And a judge certainly doesn't have a client." Members of the committee also gave their opening statements. Republicans expressed support for Alito while Democrats said they have doubts about his record. The first round of actual questioning will start this morning at 9:30am and will be broadcast online by the Senate Judiciary Committee [Web Site], C-SPAN [Web Site] and CapitolHearings.Org [Web Site]. Get the Story:
Alito on Day 1: 'A Judge Can't Have Any Agenda' (The Washington Post 1/10)
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Despite Advocacy, Alito Is Not on Public's Radar Screen (The Washington Post 1/10)
Cheers Outside and Senators' Lectures Inside (The New York Times 1/10)
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Alito Says Judges Shouldn't Bring Agenda to Cases (The New York Times 1/10)
Focus of Hearings Quickly Turns to Limits of Presidential Power (The New York Times 1/10)
Partisan Tenor of Alito Hearing Reflects a Quick Change in Washington (The New York Times 1/10) Hearing Transcript:
Part I | Part II Samuel Alito Documents:
National Archives |Ronald Reagan Library | George W. Bush Library Relevant Links:
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