Silvestri, who did not attend Schumer’s speech, said that senators should consider not ideology but rather the ability to act as “fair arbiters between parties.” 

He said he worries that dragging ideology into the confirmation process will lead to an “increased polarization of politics.”

Schumer ended his speech with a warning to President Bush, addressing the possibility that as many as two current Supreme Court justices—Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor—may soon retire.

“If [Bush] nominates someone who is way over and who is hard-right, he should expect the fight of his life,” he said.

Schumer also briefly addressed U.S. policy in Iraq, emphasizing that America’s foreign policy should be proactive and multilateral.

“I’m not so sure that it would’ve been better to do nothing, but we should’ve done it in a multilateral way,” he said of American involvement in Iraq. “The only way we’re going to solve this problem is by going back to the UN.”

He criticized fellow Democrats who refuse to support a proactive foreign policy without offering an alternative source of national security.

“I frankly don’t think Howard Dean can win the presidency unless he says what he will do in response to 9/11, not just criticize President Bush,” he said.