Why do the President and Vice-President constantly change the subject when asked to explain why things are going so badly in Iraq? The answer is simple. They have been consistently wrong about Iraq, and the...

a president [can] be considered to be above the law.

The quake yesterday, the rupture moved to the southeast, … American Morning.

One that would be a bad argument against him, as far as I am concerned, is … somebody suggesting that he is either anti-religious, or racist, or something like that, … Those of us who...

I take him at his word that he does not have an ideological agenda and that he will be his own man as chief justice.

If I were making a significant change like that, I’d want to go to Vermont, too,

There’s no way you can do an honest hearing by the end of December, or a fair hearing.

This hearing is the only chance that ‘We the People’ have to hear from and reflect on the suitability of the nominee to be a final arbiter of the meaning of the Constitution, … Open...

We have handled this fairly.

I respect those who have come to different conclusions, and I readily acknowledge the unknowable at this moment, that perhaps they are right and I am wrong. Only time will tell. All of us will...

This report provides fresh and credible evidence that acid rain continues to damage ecosystems in Vermont and throughout the Northeast.

Some answers have raised other questions. In some ways, it seems the more he’s asked and the more he answers, the less clearly the real John Roberts is in focus.

The attorney general plays a role in bringing people together, … But Senator Ashcroft has often taken aggressively activist positions on a number of issues that deeply divide the American people. He had a right...

So it ruptured in the opposite direction.

I don’t recall today whether or not I was in agreement with all of the analysis. But I don’t have a disagreement with the conclusions then reached by the department.

We are a democracy — let’s have checks and balances. Let us have a government of checks and balances.

I would have hoped the president would have filled Sandra Day O’Connor’s seat with a person in line with her philosophy. This is a needlessly provocative nomination.

Judge, with all due respect, the cases in Vietnam were not based on a specific law passed by Congress to get out …

The bottom line is with that enormous power comes enormous responsibility and frankly I have not seen anything in the Rich pardon suggesting to me the responsibility was fully carried out,

Now we learn that the FBI began to explore new options last August, because it feared that VCF was going to fail,

The administration skipped the earlier innings against corporate wrongdoing, but the President is gradually coming to realize that strong enforcement is important to confidence in our markets,

We have to consider the historical context of this debate,

I have become increasingly concerned that he’s not showing a willingness or ability to be sufficiently candid and forthcoming with the Senate, … And without that candor and without being so forthcoming, I would have...

I don’t know of anybody who would tell you in that committee that they were satisfied with the responses.

This is the way legislation used to be done when I first came here. There were many good things in this conference report, but not enough. Now we have six months to get it right.

The administration simply designates someone as a terrorist and that is enough to land them in prison indefinitely.

let some healthy sunshine into the Senate to exposed a flawed rule that puts special interests over the health of the American people.

I think that’s appropriate, … This is not a John Roberts where we’ve had a whole lot of material still not as much as I would have liked but a whole lot of material, the...

Do you believe that the president has a commander in chief override to authorize or excuse the use of torture in interrogation of enemy prisoners even though there may be domestic and international laws prohibiting...

We need to consider this nomination 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.

If you just have an endless list of witnesses we could be here talking about fall foliage in Vermont and still not have it finished.

I want to make sure he is going to be independent, … This is a swing seat … It is critically important.

Suppose (administration officials) 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...

The only ones that … have openly gone to the press and bragged about influencing it are an element of the far right of the Republican Party,

I find it is better to vote yes than no,

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.