Arlen Specter

The experience with Qaddafi in Libya is heartening.

I have long believed in dialogue with Syria and Iran and have spoken about it and written about it.

Right now, the conventional wisdom, which I share, is not to talk to Hamas.

The ABA performs this function regularly with all Federal judges, and you interview a lot of people who are knowledgeable.

I think that kind of diversity is enormously helpful.

I think I actually went back to criticize Judge Sotomayor's activities going all the way back to Princeton University.

We hope we get it right. But all anybody can use is their--is their best judgment.

My own view is that it's time we had more women and we had more diversity.

I had a lot of association with the firefighters in my days as a city official in Philadelphia.

The job of the court is to apply the law, not to make the law.

The Supreme Court has really reversed the order. The judiciary is now really in Article 1, if the powers were to be redefined.

I want to return to the issue of the basic authority and responsibility of the Supreme Court to decide the major cases on separation of power.

The interest that has been generated by this confirmation proceeding, encouraged by the television, shows the enormous interest that people have in what the court does.

Would you not at least agree with a proposition that conflicts between the Congress and the executive branch are of the highest duty for the Supreme Court to consider and to decide?

Justice Kennedy says he believes that television is inevitable.

C-SPAN has conducted a survey which shows that 61 percent of the American people would like to see the Supreme Court televised.

The current rule in the Supreme Court is that petitions for certiorari are applied and there is a so-called cert pool.

Well, wouldn't 38 cases lend a little extra support to the impact of Roe and Casey where the Court had the issue before it, could have overruled it?

I think beyond doing very well on stamina, you have shown intellect and humor and charm and pride and also modesty.

I think your record is exemplary, Judge Sotomayor. Exemplary.

I am not asking you how you would decide the case, but wouldn't you agree that the Supreme Court should have taken that kind of a major conflict on separation of powers?

There has been a lot of talk about a wise Latina woman, and I think that this proceeding has tended to make a mountain out of a molehill.

I am going to move on--go ahead.

Do I hear you saying there would be at least a little bit of--let me move on.

The Federal District Court in Detroit said that the Terrorist Surveillance Program was unconstitutional.