I think what is troubling is not John Ashcroft as a person,

Bringing the FBI’s information technology into the 21st century should not be rocket science.

This man is a proverbial bull in the china shop,

During several high-profile matters in your professional career, you have appeared to serve as a facilitator rather than an independent force in the policy-making process.

the Supreme Court maintaining its political independence.

No administration should believe it is above the law. We need to restore checks and balances in this country.

Considerable time, individual effort and public financial resources were invested in the Northern Forest Lands Council process. I see The Conservation Fund’s purchase of the Champion lands as entirely in keeping with the recommendations which...

We are increasingly concerned about the inference raised by your continued refusal even to speak with us about accommodating our reasonable request for documents which are entirely within your control.

The American public is sick and tired of being lied to.

There are no more excuses. It is time to cut mercury pollution and protect Americans’ health. Mercury is the last major toxic substance without an emissions control plan. For years Congress and the special interests...

If assurances were given of how any nominee ? whether this nominee or anybody else ? and somebody gives assurances how they’re going to vote in an upcoming case, I would vote against that person,

I think he has an obligation to try to unite this country and not to divide this country, … But the Ashcroft nomination does meet the standard the president set (in his inaugural address). It...

I think that the law enforcement people want to be really careful about opening it, one, so they don’t kill somebody, but secondly, so they’re able to retain the evidence that might be there, …...

The comments I’ve heard ranged from incomplete to insulting, … Certainly, it was inadequate and did not give us enough to prepare for a hearing.

It is time to have some checks and balances in this country. We are more American for doing that.

There is no reason why the date cannot be met, but we need the full cooperation of the administration,

We are telling a whole generation of women and children that their health is less important than energy companies ‘ profits,

This was a debate that powerful special interests had been able to prevent, until now, … We have garnered more support than anyone thought possible just a few months ago when we began this effort.

deeply disturbed by some statements that were made by largely Democratic advocacy groups. …

The U.S. Supreme Court has looked at this, the Florida Supreme Court has looked at this. Basically they end up saying, ‘Let’s count the ballots.’ I don’t want partisan party line votes in the House...

The president has based that decision based on what he’s seen her do in the White House. We ought to at least know what she did in the White House.

I do not want somebody who’s going to fulfill a right-wing litmus test,

Suppose they felt that the rescue operations of the government, whether it’s state, local or federal, was being handled in an inept way, or evacuees are being mistreated. Does that give them a right to...

I find it very, very troubling, and I think most of Congress would,

he said. ”But I really didn’t come here to win a popularity contest. I came here to do what I thought was right.

Data banks offer powerful tools for security screening, but they also raise privacy dangers.

I would hope they would look at the record that was made during the last Congress going over his background, the number of times he was reversed on cases, the number of times he did...

has gone way beyond anything that the United States said it would tolerate.

The need for congressional oversight is not — as some mistakenly describe it — to protect terrorists, … It is to protect Americans and protect our American freedoms that you and everyone in this room...

I said, ‘Would you disavow people who send out assurances that they know how you’re going to vote?’ She said, ‘Absolutely,’ … She said, ‘I will be my own person, I will be independent. Nobody...

None of us wants it to expire, and those who threaten to let it expire rather than fix it are playing a dangerous game.

This president is in the midst of a radical realignment of the powers of the government and its intrusiveness into the private lives of Americans. This nomination is part of that plan. I am concerned...

It is regrettable that our government’s abysmal coordination in the early days of the recovery effort has prevented critical international aid from being delivered to our stricken citizens and communities in the affected Gulf States,...

We need to consider nominations as thoroughly and carefully as the American people deserve. No one is entitled to a free pass to a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court.

a flexible plan that includes pulling our troops back from the densely populated areas where they are suffering the worst casualties and to bring them home.

It is critical . . . that we not prejudge a nominee,

I am troubled by reports that this narrow law has been twisted from one of a specific statute to secure testimony, into a broad detention authority that has resulted in some notorious abuses,

[Congress has] the power to declare war. Do we have the power to terminate war?

The comments I’ve heard range from ‘incomplete’ to ‘insulting.’ Certainly it was inadequate, … We will need to have more.

Our goal is to mend it or extend it, not end it.

You can’t ask how are you going to rule on upcoming cases, but there is no reason you can’t ask about various cases from the past,

we’d be done by now.

a train wreck in slow motion.

Virtually anybody who either voted for John Roberts or against John Roberts said the hearings were fair, and they learned enough to make up their mind,

The president probably would not like what is in it. But that’s really immaterial. We didn’t like what he did, so if he doesn’t like what we say, that’s his problem, … Face The Nation.

I think it’s important for his own credibility

Why is it that the far right said she had to be withdrawn because they could not be sure how she would vote, but these same people within minutes of his nomination strongly favored him?

[Several Democratic senators were concerned about Roberts’ evident willingness to strike down Congressional statutes.] When we discuss the Constitution’s commerce clause or spending power, … we’re asking about congressional authority to pass laws to ensure...

I would hope all senators, Republicans and Democrats, would ask very substantive questions because this is, after all, a lifetime position.

I take him at his word that he will steer the court to serve as an appropriate check on potential abuses of presidential power.