US President George W. Bush urged senators yesterday to quickly approve his choice of Samuel Alito for the Supreme Court, even as Democrats said they would try to delay an initial vote despite the apparent momentum toward his confirmation.
"The Senate has a duty to give Judge Alito a prompt up-or-down vote," Bush said in his weekly radio address.
"America is fortunate to have a man of his intellect and integrity willing to serve, and as a justice on our nation's highest court, Sam Alito will make all Americans proud," Bush said.
Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy said on Friday in the waning minutes of Alito's confirmation hearing that unnamed Democrats will "exercise their rights" to put off next week's scheduled vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Democrats say they won't be ready on Tuesday to vote on his nomination since Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid has called on party members to hold off making a decision until after a meeting on Wednesday.
Bush argued that Alito had acquitted himself well during the hearings. He said that the nominee's wife, Martha-Ann Bomgardner -- whose departure from the testy confirmation hearing in tears elicited bipartisan sympathy -- had exhibited "patience and dignity" during the process.
The president noted the Senate has confirmed Alito, a 15-year member of the federal 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia, to two previous positions by unanimous consent.
"As the American people saw this week, Judge Alito always approaches the law in a thoughtful, fair and open-minded way," Bush said.
"Throughout his life, Sam Alito has demonstrated a mastery of the law, great decency and a strong commitment to public service," he continued.
All 10 Republicans on the Judiciary Committee have announced their support for Alito, a 55-year-old jurist who is Bush's choice to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
A US YouTuber who caused outrage for filming himself kissing a statue commemorating Korean wartime sex slaves has been sentenced to six months in prison, a court in Seoul said yesterday. Johnny Somali, 25, gained notoriety several years ago for recording himself doing a series of provocative stunts in South Korea and Japan, and streaming them on platforms such as YouTube and Twitch. South Korean authorities indicted Somali — whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael — in 2024 on public order violations and obstruction of business, and banned him from leaving the country. “The court has sentenced him to six months in
Former Lima mayor Rafael Lopez Aliaga, a Peruvian presidential hopeful, gathered hundreds of supporters in Lima on Tuesday and gave authorities 24 hours to annul the first round of the country’s election over allegations of fraud. Lopez Aliaga is locked in a tight three-way race with two other candidates for second place in Sunday’s vote. The election runner-up wins a ticket to June’s presidential run-off against front-runner Keiko Fujimori. “I am giving them 24 hours to declare this electoral fraud null and void,” said Lopez Aliaga, surrounded by a crowd of several hundred supporters. “If it is not declared null and void tomorrow,
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