Do you believe that the chief justice has the duty to influence the overall philosophical direction of the court through his personal leadership or through opinion-writing assignments or any other means?

If you are confirmed, you will essentially disappear from public view.

If by dignified they mean that tough questions are out of bounds, I must strongly disagree.

There's a deepening feeling of dismay in the country about the way things are going in Iraq, ... I think he's wrong. I think not talking about endgames is playing into our enemies' hand.

I have no platform.

It is not undignified to ask the nominee questions he would rather not answer, should he prefer to remain inscrutable, or worse yet, all things to all people.

It is unreasonable to not provide those 16 [files] and it's even more unreasonable not to provide them when you're talking about the chief justice.

Mr. Chairman, if those items could be entered in the record?

As early as possible in 2006.