Arlen Specter Hearing Quotations

It has been my experience that the hearings are really, in effect, a subtle minuet, with the nominee answering as many questions as he thinks necessary in order to be confirmed.

One of the things that I talked to her about was the complexity of a Supreme Court nomination hearing because there are a lot of complicated issues. And I said to her, 'You've got a pretty good road map in what went on with Chief Justice Roberts.

I believe the next nomination is going to be a great deal more contentious than the Roberts nomination. I say that because, bubbling just below the surface was a lot of frustration in the hearing that we just concluded.

I am very anxious to get this hearing into the hearing room, where we have a stenographer and we have a witness and we have orderly procedures, ... and take the proceedings away from the back rooms and away from the conference calls and away from the corridors and do it like the Constitution says it ought be done.

is to have a dignified hearing which will give insights into Judge Roberts' jurisprudence, and to get an idea of his thinking on questions like respect for precedent ... and his views on congressional authority.

Judge Roberts, in your confirmation hearing for the circuit court, your testimony read to this effect, and it's been widely quoted: Roe is the settled law of the land. Do you mean settled for you, settled only for your capacity as a circuit judge, or settled beyond that?

was the complexity of a Supreme Court nomination hearing because of there are a lot of complicated issues.

The sooner we get into a hearing room where there's a stenographer and public record, the better off the process is,

At any rate, Congress hasn't acted, and that's really what the focus of our hearing is today as to what ought to be done.

You can't open up the paper or turn on the TV without hearing (about) public concern about the Patriot Act,

This hearing comes at a time of turbulent partisanship in the United States Senate - turbulent partisanship.