President Bush announced Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr. as his nominee for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Monday morning.
“Judge Alito is one of the most accomplished and respected judges in America, and his long career in public service has given him an extraordinary breadth of experience,” Bush said.
Alito, who is considered a conservative federal judge, would replace the retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor who is keeping the seat warm until another Associate Justice is confirmed.
According to FOXNews.com, Alito has been dubbed "Scalito" or "Scalia-lite" by some lawyers because his judicial philosophy invites comparisons to conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a name that the White House takes offense to.
The GOP hopes that Alito will patch up the botched nomination of Harriet Miers that unraveled last Thursday after she declined the nomination after weeks of criticism from Democrats and Conservatives alike.
The main criticism of Miers was that she had no experience, however Alito makes up for this and conservatives are pleased with the nomination and democrats may have their work cut out for them in the confirmation hearings.
Alito, a graduate of Princeton, earning his law degree from Yale, has 15 years judicial experience serving in the United States Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit.
“Federal judges have the duty to interpret the Constitution and the laws faithfully and fairly, to protect the constitutional rights of all Americans, and to do these things with care and with restraint, always keeping in mind the limited role that the courts play in our constitutional system,” Alito said.
“And I pledge that if confirmed I will do everything within my power to fulfill that responsibility.”
Alito’s confirmation hearing schedule has yet to be confirmed.
