Judge Alito for SCOTUS!! Let's Roll...

Bush picks Alito for Supreme Court WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush, stung by the rejection of his first choice, nominated conservative judge Samuel Alito on Monday to replace moderate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in a bid to reshape the Supreme Court and mollify his political base. "Judge Alito is one of the most accomplished and respected judges in America," the president said in announcing Alito's selection. "He's got a mastery of the law and a deep commitment to justice." Bush exhorted the Senate to confirm his choice by the end of the year. "The Senate needs to find out if the man replacing Miers is too radical for the American people," said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada. In contrast to Miers, Alito "has more prior judicial experience than any Supreme Court nominee in 70 years," the president said. So consistently conservative, Alito has been dubbed "Scalito" or "Scalia-lite" by some lawyers because his judicial philosophy invites comparisons to conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. But while Scalia is outspoken and is known to badger lawyers, Alito is polite, reserved and even-tempered. Wasting no time, the White House arranged for Alito to go to the Capitol after the announcement.The schedule called for Senate Majority Leader Bill First to greet him and accompany the nominee to the Capitol Rotunda to go to the coffin of the late civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks. "The Supreme Court is an institution I have long held in reverence," said the bespectacled judge, a former prosecutor and government attorneyt who has argued 12 cases before the Supreme Court. "During my 29 years as a public servant, I've had an opportunity to view the Supreme Court from a variety of perspectives." NAME — Samuel A. Alito, Jr. AGE — 55; born April 1, 1950 in Trenton, N.J. EDUCATION — AB, Princeton, 1972; JD, Yale, 1975. EXPERIENCE — Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 1990-present; U.S. attorney for the district of New Jersey, 1987-1990; deputy assistant to the U.S. attorney general, 1985-1987; assistant to the U.S. solicitor general, 1981-1985.