Confirmation Hearings

President Bush shakes hands with Judge Samuel A. Alito in the Roosevelt Room of the White House Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2006, after the Senate voted to confirm Judge Alito as the 110th Justice of the Supreme Court.

Judge Samuel Alito, left, shakes hands with Senate Judiciary Committee member, Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, at the end of Alito's testimony before the committee for his confirmation as a Supreme Court justice in Washington, D.C., Jan. 12, 2006. At right is committee member Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio.

Supreme Court associate justice nominee Judge Samuel Alito answers a last-round question by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Jan. 12, 2006. Alito appears headed toward Senate confirmation to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., right, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, listen to Judge Samuel Alito, during the third day of the confirmation hearings for the Supreme Court nominee on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2006. Leahy says Alito's answers have been inconsistent on a range of issues.

Martha-Ann Alito, right, reacts during the intense questioning of her husband, Judge Samuel Alito, on the third day of his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings Jan. 11, 2006 in Washington, D.C.

Democratic Senate Judiciary Committee member, Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., watches Supreme Court nominee Judge Samuel Alito during intense questioning by committee Democrats on the third day of confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2006.

Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., jokingly puts on a Princeton Tigers cap during Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito's confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2006.

During his confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill Jan. 10, 2006, U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito said that the president does not have a blank check to wage war, but offered no opinion on the legality of his anti-terror domestic spying program now awaiting congressional scrutiny. He said he would deal with the issue of abortion with an open mind.

Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., questions Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2006. Kennedy says he has "serious doubts" Alito can stand up to the White House. He says Alito's record repeatedly shows he is "overly deferential to executive power."

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., right, uses a "Roe vs Wade" chart while speaking during the Senate Judiciary Committee's confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2006. Committee member, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah is at left.

Senate Judiciary Committee member, Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., rubs his eyes during confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2006 on Capitol Hill.

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, center, is escorted by two unidentified men as he arrives for the second day of confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2006, in Washington, D.C.

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito is sworn in during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill, Monday, Jan. 9, 2006 in Washington.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., left, confers with Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., ranking Democrat of the committee, during committee's confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito on Capitol Hill, Monday, Jan. 9, 2006.

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito smiles during opening remarks at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill, Monday, Jan. 9, 2006.

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, center, at table, listens to opening statements by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee during the first day of his confirmation hearings on Monday, Jan. 9, 2006 on Capitol Hill in Washington. The 18 members of the Senate Judiciary Committee made opening statements, as did Alito, who said that good judges don't have an agenda.

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, center, prepares to testify on Capitol Hill, Monday, Jan. 9, 2006 before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on his nomination. From left are, committee member, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah., committee Chairman, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., Alito, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., ranking Democrat on the Committee and Alito aide, former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats.

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito reaches out to his wife Martha, left, prior to his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, Monday, Jan. 9, 2006.

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, center, meets with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., left, and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., ranking Democrat on the committee, prior to the start of his confirmation hearing before the committee on Capitol Hill, Monday, Jan. 9, 2006.

Allyson Adams, left, Erin McCormick, center, and Lindsay Randall, join pro-life activists at a rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court to show their support for Supreme Court nominee Judge Samuel Alito, Monday, Jan. 9, 2006, in Washington. The Senate Judiciary Committee begins its confirmation hearings of Judge Alito on Monday.