Reid: Roberts did not tell the truth

WASHINGTON, March 27 (UPI) -- Democrats need to put moderates on the U.S. Supreme Court to balance Chief Justice John Roberts and Samuel Alito, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Friday.

In a discussion hosted by the Christian Science Monitor, Reid, D-Nev., said that Roberts gave misleading answers during his confirmation hearings, Politico reported. He said that Roberts as chief justice has been consistently conservative, although he claimed to be a judge who follows the law as written.

"Roberts didn't tell us the truth. At least Alito told us who he was," Reid said. "But we're stuck with those two young men, and we'll try to change by having some moderates in the federal courts system as time goes on -- I think that will happen."

Reid said he will allow Republicans to filibuster President Barack Obama's appointments to the bench. He recalled the effort in 2005 by Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., to end filibusters, the nuclear option.

"As I said at the time, the nuclear option was the most important issue I've ever worked on in my entire career, because if that had gone forward it would have destroyed the Senate as we know it," Reid said.