[neverdem]

As if Anthony Kennedy is a reliable conservative.

[MNJohnnie]

Happy Scalitoween!!!

De Wine and Grahams have BOTH made public affirmations today of their intent to vote for the Constitutional Option IF the Dems try to fillibuster! That's 2 of the squishy 7!!!!!

[ConservativeDude]

"Even more striking, Alito, almost alone among all federal judges, would have held that Congress couldn’t use its power to regulate interstate commerce in a way that would make it a crime for a person to possess a machine gun."

Well Justice Alito and Justice Thomas are going to get along JUST fine, I see!

I love it! Eat dust you sorry liberals!

[Reagan Man]

What I've read and heard spoken about Judge Alito today is very encouraging for the conservative movement. Alito appears to be pro-life, pro-2nd amendment and anti-special rights for special interest groups. I'd say that's putting the Constitution in the proper perspective of original intent.

[DoughtyOne]

We already know some of the dynamics of President Bush’s nomination of Judge Samuel Alito: the president’s low approval ratings, driven lower by defections from his base during the Harriet Miers episode, and his need to recapture some political ground by shifting attention from corruption and incompetence to a Supreme Court nominee who can’t be challenged as an incompetent crony.

This is such a pantload.

The president's approval ratings as related to Harriet Miers are nothing more than vapors.  After the nomination of Judge Alito, his base will be behind him all the way.  Even those not staunchly behind him on other issues, will definately rally behind him to see that Alito becomes the next justice on the SCOTUS.

The attempt to instill the idea that the Bush White House is riddled with corruption is juvenile.  One person was charged with not telling the truth.  They have not been convicted.  Now there's a crime-wave if every I saw one.  NOT!

As for incompetence, as it relates to the Miers nomination, he's moved on to nominate Alito.  Incompetence on that topic is null and void.

[Senator Goldwater]

Agree. You can't count on Kennedy.

We still need to fill another seat, hopefully Stevens, while we still have the Senate and the White House.

[Savage Beast]

"Facing the possibility (though hardly a certainty) of a Democratic majority in the Senate after next year’s elections..."

In your wildest dreams, Tush! Oops! I mean Tushnet! In your most joyous and outlandish delusions! But not in reality.

[Gelato]

And he obviously disagrees with Roe v. Wade, having voted to uphold the one provision of the Pennsylvania abortion statute that the Supreme Court struck down in the Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision of 1992.

That is not necessarily an accurate assumption. Had Alito seen constitutional grounds against Roe, he probably would have said so when he upheld partial birth abortion. He differs with others mentioned for the SCOTUS short list, such as Edith Jones and Emilio Garza, who had (reluctantly) upheld abortion precedent while specifying disagreement with Roe.

Alito's judicial philosophy seems to be to fall in line with precedent. Where that will lead on the SCOTUS is anyone's guess.

[spinestein]

This just in from the DUnderhead site.


"We have to fight against Alito to protect America from 'Christian Talibans' overthrowing our Constitution." -- DUer



This is typical of what the "evolving constitution" types are saying about him.

Judging by that alone, I would say ALITO'S PERFECT!

[Batrachian]

Assuming Roberts will remain a strong conservative Justice, which is probable but not certain, then we would have four strong conservatives versus four strong liberals, and one wishy-washy moderate who votes with the liberals on many important cases.

We need one more pick, and John Paul Stevens is 85 years old. We may get it.

I can only thank the heavens above that Miers did not get in.

[spokeshave]

Testing....test test.....new tag line incoming.....

A return to unified Democratic government is so unlikely as not to be worth spending time on.

[Plutarch]

One element...may have been overlooked. The president is...[seeking] to consolidate conservative control of the Supreme Court.

Gosh, Fellow Freepers, that is something we never considered!! [palm on forehead slap]

[Still Thinking]

How Samuel Alito would push the Court even further right than William Rehnquist.

Well, I should hope so, though the word "even" sounds a little out of place. Rehnquist always seemed to be the weakest of the three mostly reliable conservatives. Though, that may have been due to some of the strategery he had to pull as the CJ to contain the liberals damage, like voting with the liberals so he could pick the writer of the majority opinion, etc.

[Still Thinking]

"and his need to recapture some political ground by shifting attention from corruption and incompetence to a Supreme Court nominee..."

Actually, keeping attention on corruption and (sometimes) incompetence is usually the best strategery for Republicans.

[Verginius Rufus]

The only blunder I noticed in this morning's announcement is that Bush referred to Alito's mother's 91st birthday coming up in December, whereas Alito referred to it as "next month."

Fortunately Alito was not under oath, or Fitzgerald could launch a two-year investigation into whether he committed perjury (if his mother's birthday actually is in December). Alternatively, if Alito was right and Bush got it wrong, Alito's mother may have been upset while watching the announcement, so the 'Rats would have a new slogan: Bush lied...Mama cried!

[Still Thinking]

And he obviously disagrees with Roe v. Wade, having voted to uphold the one provision of the Pennsylvania abortion statute that the Supreme Court struck down in the Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision of 1992.

That's faulty reasoning. One doesn't have to disagree with Roe to vote with PA in Casey. The two cases were about different issues.

[NCSteve]

Excellent article. Thanks for posting.

[Carry_Okie]

As if Anthony Kennedy is a reliable conservative.

I was just thinking that. With Brier, Souter, Ginsburg, and Stevens, Kennedy rounds out a basically liberal court.

We need one more.

JRB or Karen Williams for Stevens would make a nice trade.