Bob Dole: “it is my great privilege to support Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr., an outstanding choice for Associate Justice of the…”

“it is my great privilege to support Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr., an outstanding choice for Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Judge Alito is indeed one of the most qualified nominees to ever come before the Senate. He has excelled at every level--high school valedictorian--Phi Beta Kappa from Princeton--Yale Law School--Editor of the Yale Law Journal--Federal prosecutor--distinguished and esteemed judge. His judicial experience and record are vast. During his 15 years on the bench, Judge Alito has participated in more than 1,500 decisions. He has written more than 350 opinions on issues across the legal spectrum. Of the 109 men and women who have been chosen to serve this country on the Supreme Court, Judge Alito has spent more time on the Federal bench than all but four. And no nominee to the high court has come before this body in the last 70 years with as much Federal judicial experience. Judge Alito is precisely the type of person America needs on the Supreme Court. Yet, despite Judge Alito's obvious qualifications for this important post, some members of the other party have resorted to personal attacks in an effort to deny this good and honorable public servant confirmation by the Senate. They have questioned his integrity, questioned his commitment to equal rights, and mischaracterized his rulings from the bench.…”