Our mandate is to be a nation of laws. And the Supreme Court is the place where we look to safeguard our civil rights and our individual liberties.

We depend on the Supreme Court to uphold the integrity of our government.

One thing I have learned in my time in politics is that if one of the parties is shameless, the other party cannot afford to be spineless.

I ask the vice president to stop dodging the issue with legalese, and acknowledge his continued ties with Halliburton to the American people.

Flip-flopping is kind of an easy thing to identify. During a recent convention, we heard an irate Senator make an angry speech declaring that it is not what you say but, rather, what you do that counts. You flip-flop when you make promises and fail to fulfill them.

Judge Samuel Alito was born and raised in the great state of New Jersey. Our state has a legacy of producing outstanding jurists, most notably the late William J. Brennan, who ushered in our nation's recommitment to civil rights in the latter half of the 20th century.

I'm convinced that our duty to provide advice and consent for justices of the Supreme Court is our most important constitutional responsibility.