Posted on 01/11/2006 4:00:03 AM PST by saveliberty
|
Character witnesses
by Scott Johnson Inside the hearing room this afternoon, the momentum in favor of Judge Alito seemed palpable. The Republicans know that the Democrats are playing a losing hand, and the Democrats know it as well. The Republicans are enjoying themselves, while the Democrats are grasping at straws. That's my bounce anyway. Among the straws Democrats are grasping is Judge Alito's alleged ethical transgression involving his holdings in a Vanguard fund at the same time he heard a case in which he subsequently recused himself. This afternoon the bloggers hosted by the Senate Republican Conference met with two liberal Democrats who have come out of the woodwork to vouch for Judge Alito on the question of his character generally and, in the case of one of these two liberals, with respect to the Vanguard matter generally. These two gentlemen are powerful witnesses on behalf of Judge Alito. The first of these two gentleman is former New Jersey Attorney General and former Carter-appointed United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey Robert Del Tufo. He currently serves on Jon Corzine's gubernatorial transition committee and is of counsel at Skadden Arps. Mr. Del Tufo hired Judge Alito as an assistant United States Attorney and worked with him in that capacity for almost four years. He vouched for Judge Alito as an outstanding man and attorney without reservation, He described Judge Alito as delightful, modest, self-effacing, humble and talented. He thinks that Judge Alito will make an exemplary justice and is mystified by the opposition to him. He said that Judge Alito is a good man, a good judge and that his elevation to the Supreme Court is good for the country. The second of these gentleman is Professor J.W. Pottenger of Yale Law School. Professor Pottenger attended both Princeton and Yale Law School with Judge Alito, and participated on the same undergraduate debate team as Judge Alito. At Yale he is a clinical professor of law; he supervises students acting as attorneys in litigation and focuses on ethical issues in the practice of law. He has known Judge Alito for 35 years. He describes himself as a liberal, but has been provoked by the fraudulence of the ethics charge against Judge Alito to rise to his defense. He harshly criticized the attack on Judge Alito as akin to the merger of law and politics that he had observed in Communist China. We also met with three former law clerks to Judge Alito -- Dana Douglas, Michael Park and Craig Gottlieb. Dana Douglas described Judge Alito as a superb professional mentor for women. They unanimously described him as respectful to employees, litigants and attorneys, hard working yet relaxed in demeanor. They believe he has exactly the right temperament to make a fine justice, treating every person with respect regardless of stature. Gottlieb, coincidentally, is a Democrat. |
It's almost laughable that the Democrat questioners, when Alito gives a perfectly reaonsble answer to their questions, usually prefaced by long tirades and overblown argument, quickly change the subject or take up the tirade again as if Alito had not apoken. They want to give Alito as little time to speak as possible because he puts a nail in their stupid arguments in two or three sentences.
Oh I agree that the Committee vote on the Dems at least was that all would vote the party line.
Ed Whelan of NRO pointed out that Kohl, who had voted for Roberts and has had a reputation of being a less flaming idjit started reciting the party line charges against Alito, it was as though he was signalling that he was being pressured to vote No.
Leahy on the other hand had likely positioned himself on Roberts (by voting yes) to give him credibility in doing his utmost to estradify Alito.
The Dems are reusing Terry McAuliffe's campaign against Estrada nearly verbatim. McAwful said that Estrada was only repeating what his white masters told him. Wasn't it Feingold who pressured Alito to find out who trained him and what was said to him?
Dahlia Lithwick of left wing mag Slate is whining that he's too boring. Here's a good editorial by Betsy Newmark over Dahlia et al
http://betsyspage.blogspot.com/2006/01/hmm-ya-think-that-dahlia-lithwick.html
"He harshly criticized the attack on Judge Alito as akin to the merger of law and politics that he had observed in Communist China."
Ya THINK?!?!
Good to see it in print. Powerlineblog is read pretty widely
How true. Over the past 40 years the rats have politicized the courts to the point that they and most Americans expect the courts to legislate. Thus, the radical leftys on the judiciary committee explicitly require nominees to have "positions on issues", as if they were running for elective office.
Oops...'some beach', them dems may want to put some ice on this bitch slap.
I don't think that the key Dems are smart enough to understand anything other than someone is using forbidden speech (read, dissent)
Don't be embarassed. You didn't put them there. My Senator is the pantaloonless amoral dip who comes from Hyannisport.
When do the Dems drag out the Coke-can-woman'?
Unknown. They had to get rid of the PETA maniac
Excellent post and analysis!
(Okay, I'll bite: "Head Snowflake"?????)
Thanks for the link. Alito hardly has a chance to be boring. For the most part he has to sit there listening to all the bloviating.
:-) We listen to Tony Snow (he's on right now) and I post the daily Thread.
He's the Snowman
We are the listeners, hence Snowflakes. :-)
LOL! Excellent point! If they are bored, who's fault is that? LOL LOL LOL!
I thought that they did do so today.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.