Alito hearings

[IrisHope]

What do you think of the Alito hearings?

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito refused yesterday to agree that the 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion ruling is settled law and tried to fend off challenges to his credibility for his ties to a controversial and conservative Princeton alumni group. On his second day of questioning yesterday, Alito, 55, a New Jersey appeals judge, faced a crisper, harder line of questioning from Democrats. It was another marathon session that featured clashes between senators and a temporary and tearful departure from the room by Alito's wife.

[Delta]

I think the Dems, especially Kennedy, have come off as desperate and foolish.

Alito is about 1000 times smarter than any of those Senators (Dems and Reps both) and it shows. It's basically all political theater, complete with a Princeton hat worn by Biden to make some sort of point about Alito's involvement with CAP.

Basically, the Dems need to give themselves cover to vote against him like all the liberal interest groups and donors want, so they are grasping at straws.

I feel bad for his wife, but frankly I don't know that I'd have even lasted as long as she did or even have been there in the first place. I don't know that I could sit behind my husband and maintain my composure on live TV for 5 seconds were my husband facing something like that (and I'm talking even if it was all completely fair questioning.) I'd have to sit in the back or not be in the room at all.

[jp'swife]

I know this is overused...but I completely agree with everything Delta just mentioned.
I give his wife a lot of props too. I'm sure it's very emotional and stressful-especially hearing things that you absolutely disagree with.

[batgirl]

Oh come on, Delta, the Republicans came off just as "foolish" (but probably not as desperate since everyone knows the whiney little sob is in and our civil rights are out...)

Did you see Tom Coburn R-Oklahoma hold up his billboard of Dick Durbin??? And his little rant about, oh, how did he put it... something like it (abortion) ripping out a poor innocent child from its mother's womb...

I don't remember a question being in there...

Edited to add... Alito's crying wife left during questioning from a Republican, not a Democrat...

[kris97]

FWIW I'm a Democrat and pro-choice, and I find myself just annoyed that the forum has turned into an utterly predictable showcase of partisanship. I feel like screaming -- to both sides -- stop the showboating. I also get annoyed at the superficial understanding of legal matters that many of the questions betray. What a young associate writes in a memo to his client is not necessarily indicative of how they'd rule as a judge. The whole process seems to have devolved into the exact opposite of what the hearings are supposed to be -- a chance to probe into the credentials and philosophy of a judicial candidate. Not, as it's become ever since Bork and Thomas -- a political spectacle.

[ysolde]

FWIW I'm a Democrat and pro-choice, and I find myself just annoyed that the forum has turned into an utterly predictable showcase of partisanship. I feel like screaming -- to both sides -- stop the showboating. I also get annoyed at the superficial understanding of legal matters that many of the questions betray. What a young associate writes in a memo to his client is not necessarily indicative of how they'd rule as a judge. The whole process seems to have devolved into the exact opposite of what the hearings are supposed to be -- a chance to probe into the credentials and philosophy of a judicial candidate. Not, as it's become ever since Bork and Thomas -- a political spectacle.

Thank you! I have no idea whether Alito is qualified, nor what his judicial philosophy is, and the hearings are drawing to a close.

[msnicolea]

Tom Coburn scares the bejeezus out of me. That is all.

[batgirl]

Tom Coburn scares the bejeezus out of me. That is all.

Oh man, me too. The guy is a complete wacko!

[LittleFredPunkinHead]

Geez louise... Of course to a partisan Republican the Democrats look "desperate and foolish." To a partisan Democrat the Republicans look "desperate and foolish." But it all comes down to a lot of showboating on both sides.

What sucks, IMO, is that there's so much "speechifying" by all of the representatives, while the guy that it's really about sits there like a defendent on trial. Resisting saying anything of much substance because it might displease one party or the other.

[kris97]

What sucks, IMO, is that there's so much "speechifying" by all of the representatives, while the guy that it's really about sits there like a defendent on trial. Resisting saying anything of much substance because it might displease one party or the other.


Amen. Taking it one step further - look what the speechifying has done to the way the candidate is prepared for the hearing: while I know that candidates have probably always been "groomed" by the President for the confirmation hearings, it's gotten to a point of such intricate rehearsal that the whole thing is this elaborate dance of Dem. v. Rep. It's like the non-election year version of the Presidential debates -- a media event in which the parties use to sell their agendas -- which is NOT what the hearings IMO are supposed to be.

[flygirl]

What sucks, IMO, is that there's so much "speechifying" by all of the representatives, while the guy that it's really about sits there like a defendent on trial. Resisting saying anything of much substance because it might displease one party or the other.
I've only heard pieces of the hearings, and every exchange I heard (except the Kennedy/Specter exchange, which was ridiculous at best) was exactly as you state. It's unfortunate that it's so prevalant.

[Delta]

I also get annoyed at the superficial understanding of legal matters that many of the questions betray. Not a lawyer here (though I am married to one ;-)), nor did I sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night but this was pretty obvious to me too.

I really wish there was some sort of scroll at the bottom of the screen with all of Alito's thoughts during this - he of course was gracious and playing the game and all of that - but you know he internally had to be just rolling his eyes.


What sucks, IMO, is that there's so much "speechifying" by all of the representatives, while the guy that it's really about sits there like a defendent on trial. Resisting saying anything of much substance because it might displease one party or the other.
True, true.

[wine_o_girlie]

I missed hearing about why Alito's wife was crying? What's the deal?

[jp'swife]

From washingtonpost.com

Mrs. Alito broke down during an exchange in which Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), an Alito supporter, played devil's advocate to Democratic attacks on Alito's membership in a controversial alumni group by asking, "Are you really a closet bigot?"

Alito said no, and Graham said he had believed him because of the way "you have lived you life." Graham then said, "I am sorry that your family has had to sit here and listen to this."

Mrs. Alito started crying, and left the room. She returned after a committee break with her husband.

[dionysia]

[...]nor did I sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night but this was pretty obvious to me too. Bwahahahahaha!

I did enjoy this picture of Dianne Feinstein:
http://sfgate.com/n/pictures/2006/01/12/difi1.jpg

Di

[jp'swife]

damn! someone needs a nap!