Ralph Neas Quotes

"the importance of who is confirmed to succeed Chief Justice Rehnquist cannot be overstated."

"With life expectancy these days, he could be a Supreme Court justice for seven or eight or nine presidential terms. That's why we have to take these nominees so seriously - because they're going to have a dramatic impact on the daily lives of all of us, all Americans and our children and our grandchildren."

"While we vigorously disagreed with much of his jurisprudence, we remember with respect the chief justice's love for the court, his success in creating comity among his colleagues, and his courage in continuing to work in the face of daunting health problems,"

"a game of dodgeball."

"The chief justice has unique power and influence as the nation's highest-ranking judge,"

"There is growing evidence that the confirmation would move the court dramatically to the right, and that is information that the senators did not have before the end of July,"

"We're talking about state inheritance, we're talking about state property issues, we're talking about children's issues, we're talking about power of attorney."

"Obviously, there's the temptation to sit back and smile, ... But there's so much at stake, we have to do our due diligence."

"The president must not let the extreme right dictate his next choice, but instead choose a nominee who can bring us together and maintain a fair and independent balance on the Supreme Court."

"He has not demonstrated a sufficient commitment to equal justice under the law to be entrusted with upholding the Constitution and our civil rights laws."

"There have been two overwhelmingly important votes in the last four and a half years regarding the Constitution, ... One, on Sen. Ashcroft when he was up for attorney general, and today's vote with respect to John Roberts. On both votes, Sen. Feingold voted against the Constitution and against the interests of the American people, and we're especially disappointed in him."

"A titanic clash between two competing and radically different versions of the Constitution."

"It's a titanic clash between two radically different interpretations of the Constitution. . . . It's not good versus evil. It's a tremendous battle over judicial philosophy."

"It's an open-minded country right now. The hearings always decide what happens to the nominee, and I believe we're in store for a very spirited and robust confirmation process."

"Terrence Boyle is a judicial disaster. He has the worst reversal rate of all the district judges nominated by President Bush. Senators should take a careful look at Judge Boyle's record and vote to stop him from taking a powerful lifetime appointment on the appeals court."

"The events of the past week have only underscored that we need Supreme Court justices who value the role of the courts in protecting individuals' rights and freedoms, who understand the nature of discrimination and its continuing impact on our country, and who will uphold the role of the federal government in preserving those rights and acting to protect the common good."

"Once again, Pat Robertson leaves us speechless with his insensitivity and arrogance."

"We hope that Senator Reid 's colleagues will reach the same conclusion and take the same strong stand."

"We hope that Senator Reid's colleagues will reach the same conclusion and take the same strong stand."

"Part of the story at this point is keeping the next nomination in mind. We want to be sure we're talking about the right issues."