Jon S. Corzine: “I would like to start with a little bit of perspective on the judiciary, and I would like to respond a bit to the…”

“I would like to start with a little bit of perspective on the judiciary, and I would like to respond a bit to the economic arguments I heard discussed over the last 30 minutes which are sort of not in touch with reality, certainly not in touch with the reality of those folks who live and work in New Jersey and those across the country. Let's start with a simple proposition that there are 172 nominations before the Senate. The commonsense reality is, 168 have been confirmed, 4 have been held up. I hear this view that people should not have the ability to express their point of view about judicial philosophy, temperament, the perspective of the individual judges. But I don't know what we are here for if we are not supposed to exercise our judgment and work within the rules as established. One hundred sixty-eight to four seems to be a pretty favorable ratio by most human standards anywhere across America, when you look at judgments about the quality of folks you would interview for a job. It is sort of common sense. In my own State of New Jersey, we are six for six, including a circuit court judge. We worked very carefully with the folks at the White House about background, worked in a cooperative sense. That has not happened across all of America. That is what people are arguing is now the case with the four who are on this board. There is a legitimate right to debate one's judicial philosophy.”