VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., October 31, 2005¡ªI am delighted at the appointment by President Bush of Judge Samuel Alito of the 3rd Circuit to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court caused by the resignation of Justice O¡¯Connor. Judge Alito has had a distinguished career on the Federal bench. He has been a tough crime-fighting prosecutor. He served not only as a United States Attorney for New Jersey, but he also had a stint in the Justice Department and the Solicitor General¡¯s Office where he argued at least twelve cases before the Supreme Court.

His writing is intelligent, balanced, and without rancor. The President promised the American people during the last election that he would appoint Judges like Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. With Judge Alito, President Bush has fulfilled his campaign pledge.

In my opinion, this man, who was confirmed unanimously by a Democrat-controlled Senate over fifteen years ago, should win easy confirmation from the Senate Judiciary Committee and from the vast majority of the United States Senate.

Judge Alito attended Yale Law School where he was Editor in chief of the Yale Law Review, placing him intellectually among the top ranks of all legal practitioners in the United States.