John Roberts confirmed to lead US Supreme Court

John Roberts

WASHINGTON - John Roberts, a 50-year-old conservative, was sworn in on Thursday as the 17th chief justice of the United States, a lifetime job that positions him to help shape the American way of life for decades.

In a White House ceremony, Roberts took the oath as the youngest chief justice in two centuries - just hours after the Republican-led Senate confirmed him with significant Democratic support as President George W. Bush's first nominee to the Supreme Court, the nation's final legal arbiter.

"The Senate has confirmed a man with an astute mind and a kind heart," Bush told a gathering that included members of Roberts' family, fellow justices and Senate leaders.

The president is expected to soon name a second Supreme Court nominee, one likely to face a tougher fight since the often divided court's ideological balance will be at stake.

Roberts, a federal appeals judge the past two years, thanked Bush for nominating him and the Senate for confirming him on a bipartisan vote of 78-22. Half of the 44 Democrats and the one independent joined the chamber's 55 Republicans in backing him.

"I view the vote this morning as confirmation of what is, for me, a bedrock principle - that judging is different from politics," Roberts said.

With the court set to begin its new term on Monday, Roberts will replace William Rehnquist, who died on September 3 after being the high court's conservative anchor for 33 years.

With Roberts at the helm, the nine-member court will confront such matters as environmental protection, campaign finance law, voting rights, gay rights, abortion rights and workers' rights.

'THE ROBERTS ERA'

"The Supreme Court will embark upon a new era in its history -- the Roberts era," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican.

Roberts is widely regarded as one of the nation's top lawyers. He had been a member of the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia since 2003, and served in the Reagan administration and first Bush administration.

Democratic foes agreed Roberts was brilliant but questioned if his heart was as big as his intellect and feared he may steer the court to right.

At his Senate confirmation hearing, Roberts sought to ease concerns, declaring he was not an ideologue and vowing to strictly interpret the Constitution.

The next nominee would seek to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, a moderate conservative who has been a swing vote on the often bitterly divided panel.

"It is my hope that the president will now send us a nominee for Justice O'Connor's spot in the mould of Judge Roberts," said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican.

Some Republicans were heartened that half the Senate Democrats voted for Roberts and said Bush may be emboldened to offer an even more conservative nominee the second time.

But Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat who opposed Roberts, said lawmakers voted their consciences and that Bush should name a mainstream candidate.

"Now more than ever we need a consensus nominee," said Schumer.

Opponents had questioned Roberts' commitment to civil rights and women's rights, based largely on memos he wrote while a young attorney in the Reagan administration.

They also complained about his refusal at his confirmation hearing to disclose how he might rule on some hot-button issues such as abortion rights.

Roberts testified it would be improper to prejudge cases that might come before him and that the old memos reflected the opinions of a Republican administration.

Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee that held the confirmation hearing, voted for Roberts, saying: "He is a man of integrity. I have taken him at his word that he does not have an ideological agenda and will be his own man. I hope that he will, and I trust that he will."

- REUTERS