I'm a big fan of BUSTs
Posted on 11/04/2005 3:44:09 PM PST by no dems
Bush Brings It On With Choice of Alito
When President Bush said a month ago that Harriet Miers was the most qualified person to be nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court, nobody believed him. Had Bush said the same thing about Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr., whom he named to replace Miers when she withdrew her nomination, few could have disputed him-not even Sen. Teddy Kennedy (D.-Mass.).
Now Bush has Kennedy and other Senate liberals cornered. The only way they can fight Alito's confirmation is by going after his judicial philosophy-which is exactly the battle Bush should want and the Republicans can win.
"You have obviously had a very distinguished record," Kennedy told Alito 15 years ago when the Senate unanimously confirmed Alito to the U.S. Court of Appeals for 3rd Circuit. Kennedy added that he was "sure" Alito would be a good judge.
Other Senate liberals chimed in. Then-Sen. Bill Bradley (D.) of Alito's native New Jersey predicted he would "make a contribution that will stand the test of time." Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D.), also of New Jersey, predicted Alito would become "the kind of judge the public deserves-one who is impartial, thoughtful, and fair."
But conservatives need not be alarmed by the praise liberals heaped on Alito at a time when appellate court nominations were usually not as partisan as they became during Bush's first term. Despite the good words Democrats showered on Alito in 1990, he did not become a liberal judge. And it is not likely he will morph into a liberal judge on the Supreme Court.
What Kennedy, Bradley and Lautenberg were forced to acknowledge was Alito's undeniable credentials and sterling record as a public servant.
This is a man who became valedictorian of his high school class, graduated from Princeton, served as an editor of the law review at Yale Law School, then went on to dedicate his life to public service. Although he undoubtedly could have made millions in private law practice, he chose instead to serve his nation: He clerked for a federal judge, worked as an assistant federal prosecutor, argued cases in the Supreme Court for President Ronald Reagan's Solicitor General's Office, interpreted the Constitution for the executive branch as deputy director of the Office of Legal Counsel in Atty. Gen. Ed Meese's Justice Department, and served as the U.S. attorney in New Jersey before being appointed to the federal appeals court by the elder President Bush.
Even at Princeton, a former professor claimed to the New York Times, Alito favored a court ruled by an "original understanding" of the Constitution.
Alito's long record indicates that he rejects judicial activism, and, unlike some of his more liberal colleagues on the 3rd Circuit, he faithfully carried out controlling Supreme Court precedents even when they came from a Rehnquist court that occasionally did manage to move its own constitutional interpretation back toward originalism.
Alito or bust!
Whose bust?
Cut & Paste or Bust
Busted!
I'm a big fan of BUSTs
Bust a move.
Why didn't you capitalize the 'C' in copy?
This is going to be the Judge's biggest problem:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=ALito+%2B+Vanguard+%2B+recuse
Why did you use an apostrophe on each side of the letter "C" instead of quotation marks?
Truce.
Am I missing something here?
Color me unimpressed. The photo of the messy faced child on your profile page further proves you get your rocks off showcasing flaws in others. Must suck to be you.
That's my grandson after eating a popcycle.It isn't a flaw, I just thought it was cute. I'll continue to think good thoughts about you. Have a good rest of the night.
LOL!!
When President Bush said a month ago that Harriet Miers was the most qualified person to be nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court, nobody believed him.A "nasty" question I've been tossing around in my head:
President Bush, when you nominated Ms. Miers to the Supreme Court you said she was the most qualified person. Not that she has withdrawn her nomination and you have nominated Judge Alito to take her place, may I please assume you think Judge Alito is less qualified than Ms. Miers?I understand the game being played by Dubya, but the answer to this question would be interesting. Maybe he would say, "I consider them equally qualified"?
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