Joseph T. Burns: “after listening to my friend from Colorado and my good friend from South Carolina, and then to look at the statement…”

“after listening to my friend from Colorado and my good friend from South Carolina, and then to look at the statement that I have, it appears we are all saying about the same thing, but we just all haven't had the opportunity to say it yet. I will try to put a little different slant on it. We know the qualifications of this man, Judge Roberts. He has consistently shown me excellence in all aspects of his previous academic and his professional career. He is widely thought of as one of the best legal minds in the country, is highly respected by his colleagues as a fairminded, brilliant, and temperate jurist. He graduated from Harvard College summa cum laude. He did it in only 3 years. He then graduated from Harvard Law School at the top of his class. Less than 3 years ago, Judge Roberts was confirmed by a unanimous vote to the DC Court of Appeals, which is often referred to, as my friend from Colorado says, as the second highest court in the land. He was also a partner in the prestigious law firm of Hogan & Hartson. He specialized in U.S. Supreme Court litigation, arguing numerous cases before the very Court to which we seek to confirm him today. Further, he had an active practice in appellate law. I guess what we look for in the men and women we like to see on the country's highest Court is pretty much found in all the qualifications of Judge Roberts. He had worked in the private sector.…”