It wouldn't do me much good to back somebody that won in Iowa if they can't carry on the campaign elsewhere.

Nominees [to Supreme Court] shouldn't be expected to pre-commit to ruling on certain issues in a certain way. Nor should senators ask nominees to pledge to rule on issues in a particular way.

Some liberal interest groups have come out in full force and have attempted to paint Judge [Samuel] Alito to be an extremist and to be an activist. They've criticized a nominee who has, from what I see described by these lawyers and fellow judges, a reputation of being a restrained jurist committed to the rule of law and the Constitution.

I can only answer for Chuck Grassley; I can't answer for anybody else.

Maybe I should just go home and ride my tractor.

If I can't negotiate something that gets more than four Republicans, I'm not a very good representative of my party.

Supreme Court nominees should know that this exercise of judicial restraint is the key ingredient of being good judge, as the Constitution constrains judges every bit as much as it constrains we legislators, executives and citizens in their actions.