Turley: “There Will Be No One to the Right of Sam Alito on This Court” (Hear, hear!)

Today Show transcript ^ | October 31, 2005 | Jonathon Turley

[freedomdefender]

When Harriet Miers’ nomination was first announced, George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley called her an “amazingly bad choice.” This morning, he weighed in Samuel Alito:

JONATHAN TURLEY: He’s the top choice for particularly pro-life people. Sam Alito is viewed as someone who is likely to join the hard right in likely narrowing Roe and possibly voting to overturn Roe.

KATIE COURIC: So he is a strict constructionist in every since of the word? I know President Bush is looking for a conservative jurist, so he fits the bill in terms of someone who will interpret the Constitution literally and may disagree with the right to privacy, which is the foundation of Roe v. Wade?

TURLEY: Oh absolutely. There will be no one to the right of Sam Alito on this Court. This is a pretty hardcore fellow on abortion issues.

COURIC: Not even Antonin Scalia?

TURLEY: They’ll have to make a race to the right, but I think it will be by a nose, if at all. …

COURIC: And ideology trumped gender in this case, right?

TURLEY: I think so. I think the president wanted, first of all, to show he could pick someone who was clearly qualified and has the resume, but he also wanted to rally his base. He’s done both with Sam Alito. No one on the conservative base can be unhappy with Sam Alito. The question is whether they can weather this storm that will be coming, I think, and whether there will be a filibuster.

[thoughtomator]

And whether the GOP will use the Democrat filibuster on national center stage to publicly destroy that party once and for all.

[freedomdefender]

They (Scalia and Alito) will have to make a race to the right, but I think it will be by a nose, if at all. …

Wow, to hear this is a real pick-me-up on a Monday morning!

[dangus]

So he is a strict constructionist in every since of the word? I know President Bush is looking for a conservative jurist, so he fits the bill in terms of someone who will interpret the Constitution literally

Thank you, Katie.

[MarcusTulliusCicero]

KATIE COURIC: So he is a strict constructionist in every since of the word? I know President Bush is looking for a conservative jurist, so he fits the bill in terms of someone who will interpret the Constitution literally and may disagree with the right to privacy, which is the foundation of Roe v. Wade?

So, Katie admits that the right to privacy isn't in the Constitution. Well, that's progress of a sort, I guess.

[trubluolyguy]

The question is whether they can weather this storm that will be coming, I think, and whether there will be a filibuster.

---

Hey lefties, oddballs and other assorted liberal nut-job's?

Don't sing it, BRING IT.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Here's a take on this morning's Today:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1512458/posts

[cynicom]

Senator Frist is already exploring ways on how to surrender to the democrats on this appointment.

[Heatseeker]

Significantly, the left is relying less and less on the threat of the loss of "abortion rights" to scare people - it's the "right to privacy" supposedly at stake.

[MediaMole]

Sounds good. The same conservatives who opposed Miers had better get ready to fight like hell for Alito.

[NeoCaveman]

No one is more conservative than my favorite Justice, Clarence Thomas.

[Brilliant]

We need Alito, and two more like him.

[tfecw]

"And whether the GOP will use the Democrat filibuster on national center stage to publicly destroy that party once and for all."

You think that'll do it? Facts and statistics have been destroying them for years and they don't get the hint. They are like zombies. They should be dead, but they aren't, and when you chop them to pieces, the pieces still crawl around

[hawaiian]

Does anyone have any evidence regarding his willingness to overturn Roe, other than that he was a dissenting vote on a decision on whether or not women had to notify their husbands before having abortions? This is the only point people keep talking about, and it's hardly conclusive.

[thoughtomator]

That's what flamethrowers are for.

[Charles Henrickson]

the top choice for particularly pro-life people. . . . likely narrowing Roe and possibly voting to overturn Roe. . . . a strict constructionist. . . . a conservative jurist . . . someone who will interpret the Constitution literally. . . .

Last week Chicago wins the World Series, now this.

Life is good.

[Old Seadog]

Sam Alito. Looks pretty good from here

[No Longer Free State]

Waht she did was equate 'strict constructionist' with 'right wing extremist'

[Swampmarine]

Good choice. We need to assume a filibuster. The real question is are there 51 votes (including Cheney) to invoke the constitutional option? I'm betting yes.

[50sDad]

They are like zombies. They should be dead, but they aren't, and when you chop them to pieces, the pieces still crawl around.

You are dead right. Prove them wrong in an arguement, and they won't acknowledge it, just vault off on another arguement as if it proved them right...and they genuinely don't know they've been proven wrong.