Daniel Inouye: “I had the privilege and honor of meeting with Judge Roberts. I was impressed by his legal scholarship, but expressed a…”

“I had the privilege and honor of meeting with Judge Roberts. I was impressed by his legal scholarship, but expressed a hope that he would be forthright and open with the American people as he progressed through the Senate confirmation process. Although I must regretfully conclude that there are still questions outstanding on Judge Roberts' record, in light of the urgency of ensuring that our Nation's Supreme Court has its full complement of Justices, I agree with my Democratic and Republican colleagues that his nomination should be given an up-or-down vote. I have studied the development of the Supreme Court by our Founding Fathers, and it is apparent to me that our Nation's leaders did not want this group of citizens to be subjected to the political pressures of the day, so they provided for lifetime appointments, with no termination date. Further, candidates were not required to be lawyers, perhaps as a reminder that legal brilliance alone does not qualify a man or woman to sit on the bench of our highest court. Integrity, compassion, and wisdom are also required in equal--or perhaps greater-- measure. Reconciling lifetime appointments with the demands of democratic elections, created understandable consternation.…”