Alito Past All Prologue for Monday

FOXNews.com ^ | 9 January 2006 | Sharon Kehnemui Liss

[Aussie Dasher]

WASHINGTON — Gearing up for what many believe will be a much more contentious confirmation hearing than the one held for Chief Justice John Roberts four months ago, lawmakers are already positioning themselves to support or oppose Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito.

Even in his opening statement kicking off Monday's weeklong, multi-part confirmation hearing, Sen. Arlen Specter, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, perhaps unwittingly, defended Alito's ability to serve on the bench by answering the ever-present questions — how will Alito handle the abortion issue and what would he do about the ruling in 1973's Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion?

"This hearing will give Judge Alito the public forum to address the issue, as he has with senators in private meetings, that his personal views and prior advocacy will not determine his judicial decision, but instead he will weigh factors such as stare decisis on the precedents, women's (and men's, too) reliance on Roe, and whether Roe is embedded in the culture of our nation," reads the opening statement from the Pennsylvania Republican, who declares himself undecided on the nominee.

According to some analyses of Alito's record on abortion, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals judge is not a reflexive decision-maker. Though Alito wrote two documents in the 1980s that clearly demonstrate his opposition to abortion, as a judge, he has upheld existing law sometimes, other times, he has supported restrictions on abortion.

[Aussie Dasher]

OK, folks, place your bets...how long will it take to get Alito up...and how much longer do we have to put up with bloody Arlen Specter?

[goresalooza]

Let the games begin! I wonder if Frist would have the cojones to pull Specter and replace him with a formidable CONSERVATIVE for a change. Nah! I'm dreaming. Frist won't do anything in his last year as a lame ducko.

I don't know how that works...anyone know the procedure for removing committee members etc? Is it done by votes or by the majority leader? I don't recall anyone being removed or forced off a committee.

[GSlob]

"Is it done by votes or by the majority leader? I don't recall anyone being removed or forced off a committee."
Normally it is accomplished by the Lord smiting down the objectionable committee member with leprosy, imbecility, or other things of that type. Committee chairman Nebuchadnezzar was reduced to eating grass with the cattle, but still was clinging to his committee chair.

[indianrightwinger]

"They have enormous power in this lifetime appointment to be a Supreme Court justice. How are they going to use it? Are they going to follow the law or are they going to impose their views on the American people in a very ideological way? And judges at the extreme far right, far left, tend to do that. The big, outstanding question about Judge Alito is the third question ... There's a great deal of question on his judicial philosophy. He has said some very, very, very extreme things throughout his career, both when he worked for Ronald Reagan and as a judge," Schumer said on "Meet the Press" on Sunday.

When is our side going to really smack him down hard for such idiotic propoganda?

[Aussie Dasher]

I think Arlen might already have a giant case of imbecility...

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

Has anyone been keeping an informal tally of the aye and nay voters on this? I'd like to see it and there has to be blogger out there that has one...anyone seen it? Thanks in advance.

[Cboldt]

OK, folks, place your bets...how long will it take to get Alito up...and how much longer do we have to put up with bloody Arlen Specter?

My predictions: Committe vote on Alito - January 24 (not the January 17 as scheduled); floor vote on Jan 31 (not the Jan 20 currently scheduled).

No prediction regarding Specter.

[Cboldt]

Has anyone been keeping an informal tally of the aye and nay voters on this?

No Senator has made any commitment either way. It's all speculation. http://www.confirmthem.com/ has good running commentary on the confirmation, much better than Free Republic - but "confirmthem" is also a narrowly dedicated-purpose site.

I think the vote will closely resemble that of Roberts, with perhaps some of the weak sisiter GOP voting against (Snowe, Collins to be specific).

[Always Right]

No prediction regarding Specter.

If the vote is real close Specter will vote against Alito. If Alito has enough of a cushion, Specter will vote for Alito and save his opposition for a more critical time.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

Thanks for the link. Roberts was confirmed 78-22 so even if the weenie RINO's peel off there should be no problem.