The President has obviously chosen based on objective merit. Judge Alito is the best, in terms of legal credentials, judicial experience, intellectual ability, fairmindedness, and faithfulness to the Constitution and the role of the Court as a neutral and nonpolitical branch of government.
I’ve seen firsthand, in arguing before him on the Third Circuit, that he’s a thoughtful, careful, and hardworking judge. He asks excellent questions that show he really understands the details of your case and the new issues it presents — but never to show off his brilliance or to hear himself talk. He has a quiet manner that is very respectful of the litigants before him and of the law he is serving.
I think all Americans would agree: we want our Constitution and our court disputes in the hands of the smartest, most neutral, and most experienced jurists in our country. The Democrat-controlled Senate recognized these qualities in Judge Alito when it unanimously confirmed him to the Court of Appeals.
It is absurd, given his record and the Senate’s history with him, for any Democrat to suggest that Judge Alito is somehow now worthy of being filibustered to block him from the Supreme Court.