At 5 AM PST, 8 AM EST, President Bush will officially submit the name of Samuel A. Alito to fill the SCOTUS position vacated by Sandra Day O’Connor — the second time, I hope, being the proverbial charm.
In blogging, it’s all about timing so, silly me, I got up very early to begin checking the internet for leaks and hints, and came up with the above AP story. In doing a bit further research, one particular paragraph warrants reproduction from the story here:
So consistently conservative, Alito has been dubbed “Scalito” or “Scalia-lite” by some lawyers because his judicial philosophy invites comparisons to conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. But while Scalia is outspoken and is known to badger lawyers, Alito is polite, reserved and even-tempered.
Unnamed “insiders” within the Bush Administration were supposedly saying that Alito, 55, was “Bush’s favorite choice of the judges in the last set of deliberations” but that Bush wanted someone outside the courts first — hence the nomination of Harriet Miers.
Okay: bit of a heavy sigh here; it isn’t Janice Rogers Brown — I was so hoping for that fight. But at the outset, though this person is outside my meagre purvey of judicial knowledge (like I’m a judicial scholar; not), it still appears that the Dems are girding their loins for a fight. And I am so hoping, in reverse, that Bush goes the distance. Alito isn’t JRB or Luttig or McConnell. He’s still in his 50’s, so that’s a plus. And he currently sits on the 3rd US District Court of Appeals and has been so sitting since 1990 following an appoint by GHWB.
At the outset, Alito appears of serious consideration. I want to see where this goes. And boy, do I sense a backyard brawl coming. . .
My sentiments are very much like yours. Tiny bit disappointed that we didn’t get JRB but so much happier with this pick over Miers and even over Roberts. We know what he believes and it’s awesome. Now for the showdown with the dems. Now we will see if the gang of 7 have backbones.
Hear-hear! I’ve been checking things further and I’m thinking Bush may have actually hit a homer here. I’m hedging my bet and bit; I’m also hoping GWB did some serious soul-searching recently and is coming up with a series of plans to attack on many fronts.
My thoughts: bring on the Teddies and the Chuckies. Let’s take off the gloves and get some bloody knuckles. I can hear the Dem and DEM wailing and caterwauling beginning even now. . .listen; can you hear it?
And then let’s start lining up more SCOTUS ducks if/when John Paul Stevens retires in the next 3 years.
BTW LMC: GREAT blog you’ve got!!
Thanks!! The more I think about this pick the more excited I get. He isn’t stealth at all. When I wrote that first comment earlier I was listening to Chuck Schumer in the background on Fox News and he wasn’t even making me mad. I didn’t care and him & Teddy can cry & nash their teeth. Like I said in an earlier blog on the Supreme Court. We hope the dems are on their medication cause its gonna get scary.
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Sorry, I commented on the wrong post.
What I meant to say is, “Hot Damn! We go ourselves a fight!”
BWH and LMC: by gosh boys and girls, I sure do think we’re GONNA get a fight — but a fight based in nought.
In case you haven’t heard, Alito was confirmed by all Dems and the GOP in 1990 — not one dissenting vote. Take THAT Chuckie and Teddie.
That was before he made his right wing agenda known with all his extreme rulings :-). But it will make it a little harder for them to protest.