Tributes for larger-than-life Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia poured in Saturday from both sides of the political aisle after the conservative judge's death at age 79, NBC News reported.
President Barack Obama said Scalia was "one of the towering legal figures of our time." Former President George W. Bush called Scalia "a brilliant jurist."
And Chief Justice John Roberts called him "an extraordinary individual and jurist, admired and treasured by his colleagues."
"His passing is a great loss to the Court and the country he loyally served. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife Maureen and his family," Roberts said in a statement on behalf of the high court and retired justices.
Scalia, the court's most influential conservative, was known for his fiery dissents and colorful use of language. He was nominated in 1986 under President Ronald Reagan, and was confirmed unanimously.
