MyDD :: Weren't These Hearings Supposed To Be About Alito?

Weren't These Hearings Supposed To Be About Alito?

by Chris Bowers, Wed Jan 11, 2006 at 06:49:28 PM EST

I have learned a few things in DC these past three days. I have learned from Republican Senators that Justice Ginsberg is the most ultra-left wing person on the planet. I have learned from these same Senators that her appointment to the Supreme Court means that Republicans should be allowed to appoint Ayatollah Sistani to the court (assuming that he converts to evangelical Christianity, of course). I have learned that posting something about a weird picture in a Senator's office will get you noticed. I have learned that despite all my efforts, Washington DC's street plan still escapes my meager directional skills. I have even learned that there is a free wireless service somewhere outside the office where I am working.

One subject I have not learned much about, however, is Samuel Alito. In fact, other than that he is into stonewalling and is lying about his involvement with certain equality-challenged organizations, I haven't learned anything new about him at all. These hearings were supposed to be about Samuel Alito, but in truth we haven't really learned anything knew about him. We already knew that Alito was a lot like Bork, but we knew that because ,Alito praised Bork before the hearings, not because of anything he said during the hearings. Had he been asked about Bork during the hearings, he probably would have declined to comment altogether.

I think this is a point democrats should hammer home (and, admittedly, to a certain extent, that is why they are asking for more time). The entire Republican strategy in these hearings was to reveal as little about Alito as possible, except that he is a "nice guy," or something. Well, it worked: we didn't learn much of anything new about Altio. Hard to imagine Republicans will disagree with us on that point.

Tags: Judges (all tags)

Permalink :: 14 Comments :: Post a Comment

More Time? (none / 0)

When Biden goes on for almost his entire slot? When he takes time to put on a baseball cap?

When Kohl, while trying to criticize Alito, can't help but throw in I-don't-know-how-many asides on Alito's swellness?

When these guys primp and preen like teenage girls every chance they get?

They should give all their time to Russ - and sit back and watch him show how to grill a liar.

We're losing it, and as soon as Alito's sworn in, every winger who can find a cause will start challenging Roe. Guar-ron-teeeeed.

by zappatero on Wed Jan 11, 2006 at 07:00:12 PM EST

Re: More Time? (none / 0)

And Dianne Feinstein. I'm actually pretty amazed with how well she's done. She usually annoys the hell out of me. Dick Durbin also seemed to make Alito sweat some.

"You say the world has lost it's love I say embrace what it's made of" -Dar Williams

by Valatan on Thu Jan 12, 2006 at 12:39:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]

And we heard (none / 0)

from Tom Coburn that sodomy is bad.

Because sometimes the best things to say are the things better left unsaid.

by jurassicpork on Wed Jan 11, 2006 at 07:09:23 PM EST

Re: And we heard (none / 0)

That may be what you heard. I heard that Coburn thinks prostitution should be legal and enshrined in the Constitution.

PrairieStateBlue - Open Source Politics (formerly SoapBlox/Chicago)

by ltsply2 on Wed Jan 11, 2006 at 07:51:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Were you celebrating... (none / 0)

... Albert Hofmann's 100th birthday?

(Gary, my first link. See what good you did back on Nov 11.)

How is John McCain different than John Edwards?

by The lurking ecologist on Wed Jan 11, 2006 at 08:20:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Facts Are A Liberal Plot (3.00 / 1)

Of course the GOP doesn't want facts intruding on the hearings. Everyone knows that facts are liberal plot designed to drive the Bible out of the classroom, and get George Bush impeached for aspiring to be King.

The name of the game is political theater. Information would just get in the way.

by Paul Rosenberg on Wed Jan 11, 2006 at 07:17:21 PM EST

Re: Facts Are A Liberal Plot (none / 0)

The name of the game is political theater.

Nah, it's all marketing. Besides, everyone knows you don't introduce new products in August.

543,895 votes

by Michael Bersin on Wed Jan 11, 2006 at 10:03:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Demand the facts: (none / 0)

Go right to the top, and tell 'em "No" to Alito's confirmation:

Phone, fax, and email addresses for the Judiciary Committee.

Here's another "Veto Alito" tool:

Write a letter to the editor of your local paper and contact your congress critters -- all with one click.

People for the American Way has collected over 60,000 signatures to send to the Senate, please add yours:

Save the Court Petition

by judybrowni on Wed Jan 11, 2006 at 10:06:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Oh C'mon (none / 0)

DC isn't THAT hard to navigate is it? I had it down after the first couple years. Then again, I was only going to where the bars were...

by Lucas O'Connor on Wed Jan 11, 2006 at 07:17:44 PM EST

More Of The Same??? (none / 0)

More time won't help Judiciary Committee Democrats unless they use it effectively, and so far they haven't. There's not much basis for thinking it will get better since the MSM & legal commentators are mostly giving the win to Alito.

Dems appear to be just going through the motions, not even staying once they've asked their questions. Not what you want to do if you're contending something important is going on and the outcome is in doubt.

by SLinVA on Wed Jan 11, 2006 at 08:43:38 PM EST

Re: More Of The Same??? (none / 0)

Frankly, it looks like Dems are going thru the e-motions. Probably because we still don't have a sense of what these hearings should be for.

If the Supreme Court were overwhelmingly liberal-- instead of being 78% appointed by Republican presidents-- we'd probably think that Alito was qualified for this nomination and the fuss we'd put up would be similar to how little the Republicans put up over the Clinton Supreme Court appointees.

But what's causing the fuss is that we think this appointment is likely to lead to Roe v. Wade being overturned. The Dems should just be honest about this and do one of two things:

1) Risk sacrificing a national Right to Choose and tell the country that this president was elected and those who voted for him knew what they were getting. If a national Right to Choose is important to moderates, they should vote for Dems for president.

2) Announce that any nominee who is seen as likely to overturn Roe will be filibustered. Period. Say publicly that we're willing to risk the voters' wrath to protect this freedom-- that a woman should have control over her own body.

Make it that simple. Show some spine.

by withrow on Thu Jan 12, 2006 at 02:07:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Hey, Chris! (none / 0)

What are you hearing, man?

I'm dyin' heah!

That first night, you had references to what advocacy groups were saying, etc.

Well--are the Dems going to fight? What are you hearin' man?

If I am missing something, let me know where to look.

BTW, in case you;re wondering, I HAVE written my Senators and alerted friends to do the same.

by Thresholder on Wed Jan 11, 2006 at 09:01:10 PM EST

Do Dem Senators have a spine? (none / 0)

What is it about the Dems that they shrink from a fight?

by ab initio on Wed Jan 11, 2006 at 10:04:04 PM EST

Re: Do Dem Senators have a spine? (none / 0)

Democrats seem to believe that political fight is like a bank account. Once it is spent, it is gone. Thus the talk about keeping ypur powder dry (which really does mean always being ready to fight, but is not used that way) and preserving your credibility.

Republicans , OTOH, believe that political fight is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets.

On the whole, the Republicans, sadly are closer to the truth. Unless the fight is stupid and makes you look extremely bad, fighting makes you stronger.

by David Kowalski on Wed Jan 11, 2006 at 10:33:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]

You are not logged in.

In order to post a comment, you must be logged in. If you have a member account, please log in to comment.

If not, you can make an account right here. It's quick and free.