Senate Clears Roberts As Chief Justice With 44 Democrats Evenly Split, 22-22; Most Dems eyeing a run for White House vote no; wait until 2nd nominee ...(A)

Publication: Investor's Business Daily

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Byline: BRIAN MITCHELL

John Glover Roberts Jr. was sworn in by President Bush as the 17th chief justice of the Supreme Court on Thursday, just hours after the Senate voted 78-22 to confirm him.

Roberts spoke briefly at the White House ceremony, saying the bipartisan vote confirmed "what is for me a bedrock principle, that judging is different from politics."

The vote split Senate Democrats: 22 voted for and 22 voted against.

The Senate's lone independent, James Jeffords of Vermont, also voted to confirm Roberts, along with all 55 Republican senators.

Chief Justice Roberts, 50, will take his seat on Monday, at the opening of the court's fall session, with cases involving partial-birth abortion, assisted suicide and campaign finance on the docket.

Roberts wouldn't...

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