Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I wish to speak for a few moments on the nomination of Alison Nathan to be the United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York. This is a highly important position. It is one of the more prestigious courts in the country that handles the Nation's most complex cases. It is my observation, having practiced for over 15 years full time trying cases before Federal judges, that this position is of extreme importance and you need good judgment, good experience, good integrity, proven stability before you give a person a lifetime appointment to such a position. It is an important matter. I overwhelmingly vote for the nominees of the President. I believe in giving the President deference in those nominations. However, I do believe we need to hold Presidents accountable and to scrutinize the nominations in a fair way and not hesitate to push back and say no if a nominee does not meet those requirements that are necessary to be a good judge. I believe Ms. Nathan is one of a number of President Obama's nominees who believes that American judges should look to foreign law in deciding cases. She has other indications that suggest she is not committed in a deep and understanding way to the oath Federal judges take. That oath is that you serve under the Constitution and under the laws of the United States. That is so simple and so basic that it goes almost without saying, but it is a part of the historic oath judges take.…”