Posted on 01/08/2006 11:07:34 AM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito begins his Senate confirmation hearing on Monday, facing tough questions on matters from civil liberties and presidential war powers to his own opposition to abortion.
With the direction of the nation's highest court at stake, lawmakers in both parties on the Senate Judiciary Committee are expected to challenge President George W. Bush's conservative nominee on his legal record and beliefs.
Yet barring an unforeseen bombshell or bumbling performance, the full Republican-led Senate later this month is expected to confirm Alito, a federal appeals judge since 1990 who previously served as a U.S. prosecutor and Reagan administration lawyer.
"There is a heavy sense of drama as these hearings begin," Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, said in a statement released on Sunday and prepared for delivery at the opening of the proceeding.
"This hearing will give Judge Alito a full opportunity to address the issues of concern," Specter said.
If confirmed, Alito, 55, could shift the ideological balance on the nation's highest court. He would replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, a moderate conservative who often has been the swing vote on the nine-member court on abortion, civil rights and other hot-button social issues.
Backers portray Alito as a "mainstream conservative" and a "fair-minded judge" who last week received the American Bar Association's top rating, based on his professional qualifications, integrity and judicial temperament.
Yet largely liberal foes question Alito's judicial philosophy and see him as having staked out extreme positions. They charge that his record as a judge and work as a Reagan administration lawyer show him to be a threat to such basics as civil rights, abortion rights and environmental protection.
A key question is whether "the average person is going to get a fair shake" under Alito, said Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy (news, bio, voting record) of Massachusetts, a leading liberal voice on Capitol Hill.
Ethan Siegal of The Washington Exchange, a private firm that tracks Congress for institutional investors, predicted "Senate Democrats will put up a fight and play to their liberal base, and then watch Alito be confirmed."
Larry Sabato, a political science professor at the University of Virginia, agreed. "There may be plenty for critics to complain about, but there is not enough to deny Alito confirmation."
ALITO MEMO A CONCERN
The first day of the hearing will be devoted to opening statements by committee members -- 10 Republicans and eight Democrats. Alito will then give his opening statement.
At least two days of questioning will begin on Tuesday. Many are certain to focus on a 1985 memo he wrote as a job application within the Reagan administration.
"I am particularly proud of my contributions in recent cases in which the government has argued in the Supreme Court that racial and ethnic quotas should not be allowed and that the Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion," Alito wrote.
Senators plan to ask Alito about a variety of matters, including civil rights, abortion and his view of legal precedent, including the 1973 Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, that legalized abortion.
Alito says as a judge he rules in accordance with the Constitution and without the influence of personal beliefs.
But Senate abortion-rights defenders plan to question Alito closely on this topic as well as the right to privacy, a key underpinning of Roe v. Wade.
Specter told Alito in a letter last month to also expect questions about the recent disclosure that Bush ordered, without warrants, spying on Americans with suspected terrorist ties shortly after the September 11 attacks.
While Alito is expected to be confirmed, the vote will likely be closer than the 78-22 one John Roberts received in September as Bush's first nominee to the Supreme Court.
Twenty-two of the Senate's 44 Democrats joined the chamber's one independent and 55 Republicans in approving Roberts to replace William Rehnquist, the court's conservative anchor, as chief justice of the United States.
Sen. John Cornyn (news, bio, voting record), a Texas Republican, said there are about 20 Democrats who would vote against any Bush nominee.
But Cornyn said: "I do predict that he (Alito) will be confirmed by a comfortable bipartisan margin."
Could that group of "largely liberal foes" possibly include Specter himself?
U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Samuel Alito attends a meeting with U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) (not pictured) at Dorgan's office on Capitol Hill in Washington December 14, 2005. Alito's Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings for the position of U.S. associate justice are scheduled to begin on January 9. (Jason Reed/Reuters)
President of the National Organization for Women Kim Gandy speaks out against the U.S. Supreme Court nomination of Judge Samuel Alito in Washington January 4, 2006. Alito will begin his confirmation hearings on January 9. (Jim Young/Reuters)
There. REUters buried the lede there.
U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) (R) reacts as U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) (L) speaks during a taping of 'Meet the Press' at the NBC studios in Washington January 8, 2006. Senators Schumer and Cornyn spoke about this week's upcoming Supreme Court confirmation hearing for Judge Samuel Alito. NO SALES NO ARCHIVE REUTERS/Alex Wong/Meet the Press/Handout
Kennedy means "the average killer" (such as himself). After all, don't liberals have a constitutional right to kill their babies and drown their girlfriends?
What is a " full Republican" ?
lol (I know I know) ;-)
So Alito is against hiring people based on skin color over qualification. He also doesn't see imaginary rights. OMG this man is evil, evil I tell you.....
The left is having a meltdown. If only they would fight our enemies with such force and dedication. Alito is a highly qualified judge that is not swayed by public opinion. This is all that should matter. I will dance myself to the point of exhaustion on the day Schumer and his ilk are driven from office. And believe me, it won't be pretty.
Is there no other picture of Kim Gandy without a propaganda slogan in the background?
The "Mainstream" Media is unbelievable - Goebbels would be proud.
"And believe me, it won't be pretty."
You mean, sort of like Elaine Benis and her little kicks?
As all Freepers should remember...we wanted this fight real bad, even a filibuster...that is one reason for the Miers diassapointment....now we are going to get the fight and it is going to be a doozy...yeeeehawwwww!
Alito will be confirmed in the end and oh it will be so much fun to watch the lib freaks squirm.
it had better not be, if Specter flips - Alito won't make it.
LOL, she would be considered graceful.
I am looking forward to killing the judicial filibuster. I just dislike the tactic of destroying a person because they are politically opposite of a few extremists. If this is the new rule then I suggest that the GOP start playing the game.
I suggest taking out Schumer first. Unfortuately Schumer will be in office until he decides not to be. The NY GOP has neither the will nor the candidate to defeat him. We have been waiting patiently for years but all we get in inferior candidates and crappy campaigns. They NY GOP should have started working on His defeat the day after he was elected the first time. They are making the same mistake with Hillary. They waited until the last minute and all we have is Pirro. They should have selected someone years ago and groomed them for an assualt on the Hillary's 2006 run. Hillary has been running for 2006 since 2000. The NY GOP is waiting for who knows what. I'm tired of waiting.
the demographics of the state are the reason few republicans can win, not the fact that the party apparatus is not good. Peter King will be lucky to hold onto his seat this time around, he's the last republican congressman on long island - which used to be 100% solidly republican. its not the party, its the people.
Abortion is now the fundamental basis of all Democrat policy positions:
Opposition to the war is rooted in opposition to Pres. Bush.
Opposition to Pres. Bush is rooted in opposition to conservative philosophy.
Opposition to conservative philosophy is rooted in opposition to conservative justices.
Opposition to conservative justices is rooted in opposition to the pro-life position.
Opposition to the pro-life position is rooted in the defense of abortion on demand.
No other issue has unified support in the Democrat Party.
Republicans can win if there was a qualified person running. Louise Slaughter is an absolute dunce but no one of note has run against her since Rosenberg. I've gone so far as to help the Libertaian guy stuff envelopes because he was the only guy I could find running against her. The same goes for other statewide races. We want to vote GOP but we aren't going to throw more money at a person that won't even make a dent in a race.
If a person was groomed for a position they could have been chipping away at Hillary's flaws 6 years ago. Every time she speak this person could have pointed out how bad she was for the country. After years of that then run against her. Alas, it's too late now. She will win by a landslide because the ball was dropped.
THAT would be fun!
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