Bush to nominate Alito to replace O'Connor

DVaut1 · #1 10-31-2005, 08:47 AM

Bush to Nominate Alito

Nicknamed 'Sc-Alito' because his judicial philosophy invites comparisons to Justice Scalia.

Let the battle begin! Everyone loves a good ole' DC mud fight (at least I do). I'm wagering Democrats come out on the losing end. I'm starting to think Cyrus was right all along. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Honestly, I'm not quite as Machiavellian as Cyrus is - but I'm betting the conservative base will be all riled up for this battle; never a winning proposition for the Democrats, I'm sad to say. One too many Ben Nelsons and Joe Liebermans in this party. But you never know...we could all be talking about the nuclea...err, I mean 'constitutional' option soon enough.

BluffTHIS! · #2 10-31-2005, 08:54 AM

Republicans voted for legally qualified liberal Ginsburg, so Democrats should vote for legally qualified conservative Alito. Simple as that.

ChristinaB · #3 10-31-2005, 08:56 AM

Born on April Fools day, nominated on Halloween

So which is he? A Joke or a Horror? [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

Samuel Alito’s America

#4 10-31-2005, 08:59 AM

The "Scalito" nickname makes for a fun caricature, but is a bit unfair. Alito is a good judge. His dissent in Casey (an abortion case that eventually went up to the Supremes) made him a darling of the anti-abortion religious right, but just because the right-wing wingnuts like him doesn't mean he's not a worthy nominee.

DVaut1 · #5 10-31-2005, 09:03 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Republicans voted for legally qualified liberal Ginsburg, so Democrats should vote for legally qualified conservative Alito. Simple as that.

[/ QUOTE ]

While that's a standard I have no problem adhering to, it should patently obvious why such an option isn't practical for Democrats - that is, even if Bush succeeds in getting him confirmed, there's altogether too much pressure on the Democrats to let the vote be as lopsided as the Ginsburg vote was.

Think $$. Think any Democrat voting to confirm Alito saying bye-bye to all the NOW and EMILY's List money they know and love. Think of that money heading to their opponents in their next primary. And it's not just the women's groups that have a dog in this fight.

Maybe I'll eat crow, but I doubt it. Expect a war.

DVaut1 · #6 10-31-2005, 09:14 AM

[ QUOTE ]
The "Scalito" nickname makes for a fun caricature, but is a bit unfair. Alito is a good judge. His dissent in Casey (an abortion case that eventually went up to the Supremes) made him a darling of the anti-abortion religious right, but just because the right-wing wingnuts like him doesn't mean he's not a worthy nominee.

[/ QUOTE ]

As I said, I have no problem adhering to a standard that says 'Qualified? If yes --> Confirm' - but there's too much at stake for that to happen. But yeah, everything I've read about him says he's just a less-ambiguously-conservative version of Roberts, complete with the impressive legal pedigree. He'd have my vote, if I had one; then again, I don't face the pressures that a Senator does, thank goodness. Perhaps I'd think differently if I knew my campaign cash/my chances for the Presidency were highly dependent on this vote.

My "but I'm betting the conservative base will be all riled up for this battle; never a winning proposition for the Democrats, I'm sad to say" was only meant to convey that Democrats don't have a long track record of winning (at least lately) when conservatives get their act together (I sure am sad to say). And I'm betting Democrats won't win this one, either. In a perfect world, we'd nominate the best legal minds and be done with it; and it seems as if, by most indications, Alito is firmly in the realm of this country's best legal minds.

ChristinaB · #7 10-31-2005, 09:15 AM

Only Bush would have to make 4 nominations to fill 2 seats. Lets make him make 5. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

1) Roberts for O'Connor seat
2) Roberts for Rehnquist seat
3) Miers for O'Connor seat
4) Alito for O'Connor seat

#8 10-31-2005, 09:32 AM

[ QUOTE ]

...Alito is firmly in the realm of this country's best legal
minds.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with everything you've said, with a quibble about the above. I do believe that Alito is a good judge,as I've said. But I wouldn't put him up there with say, McConnell, Kozinski or Posner on the right. I mean, he's not a hack <cough> Edith Jones <cough>, but he's not a superstar either, IMO.

elwoodblues · #9 10-31-2005, 09:53 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Republicans voted for legally qualified liberal Ginsburg, so Democrats should vote for legally qualified conservative Alito. Simple as that.

[/ QUOTE ]

If Republicans rubber stamped Ginsburg simply because she was qualified (the only qualification in the Constitution being that the person be learned in the law) then they were derelict in their duties, in my opinion.

#10 10-31-2005, 10:53 AM