Roberts is the right judge for the job

President Bush's nomination of Judge John Roberts to serve as Chief Justice on the United States Supreme Court has demonstrated the President's commitment to see that the nation's highest court has the most qualified individuals.

Once confirmed by the U.S. Senate, John Roberts will bring impeccable qualifications to the court. He graduated first in his class at Law School, and he has tremendous experience having argued 39 cases before the Supreme Court. Further, he has received a "well-qualified" rating from the American Bar Association.

If we are looking for a Justice in the mold of Chief Justice Rehnquist, then John Roberts is the right choice.

If the goal is to nominate a justice with outstanding qualifications, then we can do no better than Roberts. If we desire a justice who will adhere to the Constitution, well, you get the idea.

In an ideal world, John Roberts would have little trouble making it through the Senate.

Unfortunately, some Senators and political organizations on the left are already working to thwart his confirmation. They would prefer an activist and ideologue to a strict adherent to Constitutional principle. Regrettably, these attacks are not new.

We've seen them with nominees going back to Sandra Day O'Connor in 1981.

John Roberts is a mainstream Conservative, who has consistently placed Constitutional principle ahead of partisan beliefs.

And of critical importance to us in Montana, he is a strong proponent of land rights, gun rights, and the right of states to make their own laws. On a personal level, he is a strong family man, and has the professional and personal respect of his colleagues.

These are all values that Montanans strongly support.

I want to express my appreciation to both Senators Baucus and Burns for their statements about Judge Roberts and his confirmation process. As Sen. Baucus put it, "I pledge to work together with my colleagues in the Senate to ensure a fair and open process, as granted by the Constitution."

John Roberts deserves an up-or-down vote in a timely manner, and based on Sen. Baucus' comments upon the President's announcement of Judge Roberts,

I believe Montanans have every reason to believe he will not join with some of his Senate colleagues who will undoubtedly try to sideline this nomination. It is the President, who is ultimately responsible for choosing a nominee.

Sen. Baucus has a great opportunity with Judge Roberts' nomination to join Sen. Burns in support of a mainstream candidate with the finest credentials to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. And, Judge Roberts is a nominee who respects the values that Montanans appreciate and live by every day.