http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/072105/court.htmlAfter weeks of intense speculation about a looming Supreme Court showdown, Senate Democrats reacted with measured statements yesterday in the wake of President Bush’s surprise pick for the high court.
The lack of strong rhetoric from Democrats is an early indication that the nomination of John Roberts Jr. could attract a fair amount of bipartisan support.
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Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) said there is no doubt that Roberts has the legal qualifications to win confirmation. “The issue now is going to be whether Mr. Roberts possesses the wisdom and judgment and balance to serve this country for probably the next 20 to 30 years.”
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Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) called for hearings that will be fair and thorough and indicated that Specter had agreed to most of the terms Democrats had requested.
Schumer, one of three Democrats in the committee to oppose Roberts during his 2003 confirmation to the D.C. Circuit, referred to several of his own questions that Roberts declined to answer at the time. He issued a plea for Roberts to answer questions “fairly and openly” about his judicial philosophy and said questions about abortion and a right to privacy are important.