WASHINGTON, September 6, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – US President George W. Bush today announced his nomination of Judge John Roberts to the position of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
“Judge Roberts has earned the nation’s confidence and I’m pleased to announce that I will nominate him to serve as the 17th chief justice of the Supreme Court,” President Bush said in a press conference at the oval office this morning. “I’m confident that the Senate can complete hearings and confirm him as chief justice within a month.”
“Twenty-five years ago, John Roberts came to Washington as a clerk to Justice William Rehnquist,” Bush continued. “In his boss, the young law clerk found a role model, a professional mentor, and a friend for life. I’m certain that Chief Justice Rehnquist was hoping to welcome John Roberts as a colleague, and we’re all sorry that day didn’t come. Yet it’s fitting that a great chief justice be followed in office by a person who shared his deep reverence for the Constitution, his profound respect for the Supreme Court, and his complete devotion to the cause of justice.”
Roberts’ Senate confirmation hearing, originally scheduled to begin today, was postponed until Monday because of the death of former Chief Justice William Rehnquist. A recent Gallup poll asked those solicited what questions they think should be posed during the judicial confirmation hearings. The response came back overwhelmingly in favor of making known Roberts’ views on abortion, with a rate of 28 percent. Other issues came in with only a six-percent margin or below.
Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life commented on the confirmation process, reminding Americans that “the so-called ‘right to abortion’ is nowhere in the Constitution, and unless a judge wants to rewrite that document, he will not invent such a right.”
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Bush Nominates Justice Roberts to Supreme Court – Abortion Fight Has Begun
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