Barbara Boxer: “I say to the Senator, again you are making a very important point. The fact is, Senators on the Judiciary Committee--and…”

“I say to the Senator, again you are making a very important point. The fact is, Senators on the Judiciary Committee--and I watched every minute of the hearings I could. I even watched the reruns of your hearings in the evening. You gave Judge Roberts ample opportunity in a very nice way to distance himself from his writings. He refused to do so. He simply said: I was doing this for my boss, and I was thinking like my boss. It is not good enough because he is the one who is up for Chief Justice. I know Senator Bennett would like me to conclude, and I will do so. In his reviewing his record, I also looked for some assurance in the decisions Judge Roberts wrote during his two years on the DC Circuit. But, again, nothing. In fact, some cases raised serious concerns about his commitment to protect the environment and his support of an all- powerful executive branch. Judge Roberts had three days to tell the Senate and the American people what he really believes today. He had the chance repeatedly to distance himself from the controversial positions he once advocated. He did not. Let's face it: Judge Roberts was specific only when it mattered least and evasive when it mattered most. Last year I ran for the Senate, and I ran a commercial that people said was very direct, but that is the kind of Senator I am.…”