Roberts' Kids Steal Show As Hearings Open

Roberts' Kids Steal Show As Hearings Open By NANCY BENAC, Associated Press Writer Monday, September 12, 2005

(09-12) 10:34 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --

Jack and Josie came in right on cue, trailing their father, the man in line to be the next chief justice of the United States. Senators stooped first to greet the youngsters, 5-year-old Josie, in her baby blue party dress and white headband, and 4-year-old Jack, in his blue blazer, bow tie and short gray flannel pants. Only then did the senators rise to welcome Dad, also known as John Roberts.

In the gilded, marbled and pillared majesty of the Caucus Room of the Senate's Russell office building ? site of hearings on momentous national events ranging from the sinking of the Titanic to Watergate ? it was the children who stole the show at the start of Day One of Roberts' Supreme Court confirmation hearings.

"That is as staged a photo op as you'll have," happily proclaimed Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., after posing with Roberts and his wife Jane, committee Chairman Arlen Specter and the kids, who occupied the center spots.

Jack, already something of a national figure for kicking up his saddle shoes to dance as President Bush first nominated Roberts for the court in July, was fidgeting even before Specter, R-Pa., banged the meeting to order.

He flexed his muscles for photographers, then snuggled shyly into his dad's arms as camera shutters whirred like a cloud of locusts.

Wide-eyed Josie softly patted Jack's back reassuringly, then reached out for her mother's hand for her own reassurance.

Introducing his wife to the senators, Roberts observed with a grin, "You see she has a very tight grasp" ? on the children, that was.

The youngsters managed to make it through Specter's 10-minute opening statement before winning their freedom. Almost before Specter finished his remarks, they popped out of their seats to be ushered out.

The packed hearing room was evidence of how the stakes had changed since two years ago, when Roberts appeared before the same committee after he was nominated for a seat on the federal court of appeals for the District of Columbia.

Then, Roberts was one of six judges crammed onto the agenda, and he appeared before the senators only as part of a three-witness panel. So scant was the questioning of Roberts then that he was called back for a second turn before the senators a few months later_ this time appearing as one of four nominees up for review.

This time, he was the lone attraction, and the hearings were scheduled to go at least four days.

Source: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2005/09/12/national/w100603D02.DTL

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