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EDITORIAL: Why Alito is the wrong choice
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 1/17/6 | Editor

Posted on 01/17/2006 1:06:18 PM PST by SmithL

SUPREME Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr. was careful to avoid being too revealing at his Senate confirmation hearings, but he did answer the overriding question.

He is the wrong choice to succeed Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the nation's highest court.

In some ways, Alito's taciturn approach to questions about the great constitutional issues of our time was similar to that of Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. But the distinction between the history of the two judges -- and the role of the justice they were nominated to replace -- are important.

Of the two, Alito had far more explaining to do about his past, and his answers fell short of satisfying concerns about his record of advocating repeal of Roe vs. Wade, highlighting his membership in a Princeton alumni group with retrograde views of women and minorities and all too frequently siding with government and businesses against individuals seeking redress.

One of the focal points in the Alito hearings was the balance of power between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. That issue was not only timely because of the Bush administration's attempts to usurp the authority of Congress, but also because of Alito's past support for the concept of a "unitary executive" with extensive powers. In fact, as a Justice Department lawyer in the Reagan administration, Alito laid out a strategy for presidents to "increase the power of the executive to shape the law" by putting caveats with their signature on legislation. President Bush has been doing just that -- using "signing statements" more than 100 times to essentially reserve his right to ignore a law he might find unduly constraining. For example, in recently signing the torture ban, Bush included language that could allow him to override it for national security purposes.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 109th; alito; alitohearings; judicialnominees; scotus
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Consider the source.
1 posted on 01/17/2006 1:06:22 PM PST by SmithL
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To: SmithL

SF Chronicle - Too bad for you...


2 posted on 01/17/2006 1:07:51 PM PST by marvlus
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To: SmithL

blah blah blah.....GIVE US A LIBERAL....blah blah blah


3 posted on 01/17/2006 1:08:18 PM PST by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: SmithL


If these guys dont like him...he must be the right choice.


4 posted on 01/17/2006 1:08:25 PM PST by in hoc signo vinces ("Houston, TX...a waiting quagmire for jihadis.")
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To: SmithL

Wrong choice for a liberal President.


5 posted on 01/17/2006 1:08:53 PM PST by Semper Paratus
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To: SmithL

"Why The San Fransisco Chronicle Is Useful Only For Bird Cages"


6 posted on 01/17/2006 1:10:01 PM PST by Moby Grape
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To: SmithL

Wrong choice for Than Franthithco.

Right choice for America.

Choke on it, libs.


7 posted on 01/17/2006 1:10:20 PM PST by Skooz (Property taxes are immoral)
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To: The Ghost of FReepers Past

These are the same people that actively campaigned for a liberal Pope.


8 posted on 01/17/2006 1:10:20 PM PST by SmithL (Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Lift up your gates and sing, Hosana in the highest! Hosana to your King!)
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To: SmithL

"the great constitutional issues of our time"

"May we still murder babies, huh, can we?"


9 posted on 01/17/2006 1:10:47 PM PST by RoadTest (- - Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit. - Isaiah 27:6b)
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To: SmithL

You could read that through a full body condom?


10 posted on 01/17/2006 1:10:49 PM PST by xcamel (Exposing clandestine operations is treason. 13 knots make a noose.)
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To: SmithL

If the editors of the San Francisco Chronicle were in a position to cast a vote for or against confirmation, I might give a crap what their opinion is.


11 posted on 01/17/2006 1:11:21 PM PST by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
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To: SmithL

Thanks for the laugh.


12 posted on 01/17/2006 1:11:51 PM PST by Radix (Welcome home 3 ID!)
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To: SmithL
Bush won get it - He won, won I say- ha Ha HAH!!

Get over it!!!!!
13 posted on 01/17/2006 1:12:03 PM PST by HEY4QDEMS (Learn from the past, don't live in it.)
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To: SmithL

Is that the SF Pravda?


14 posted on 01/17/2006 1:12:08 PM PST by Paulus Invictus
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To: SmithL
Consider the source.

San Francisco Chronicle - The Cheese Stands Alone

15 posted on 01/17/2006 1:12:46 PM PST by siunevada (If we learn nothing from history, what's the point of having one? - Peggy Hill)
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To: SmithL

The San Francisco Comical whines again.


16 posted on 01/17/2006 1:13:14 PM PST by Ben Mugged (Unions are the stormtroopers of socialism)
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To: SmithL

It must REALLY hurt to be a Democrat right about now.


17 posted on 01/17/2006 1:13:34 PM PST by taxcontrol
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To: SmithL

Then get your own guys/girls elected you bunch of heterophobes (SF Chronicle)


18 posted on 01/17/2006 1:13:38 PM PST by subterfuge (The Democrat party--hating American ideals for 60 years.)
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To: SmithL
and the role of the justice they were nominated to replace -- are important

Ah, no.

19 posted on 01/17/2006 1:14:28 PM PST by Howlin
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To: SmithL

Didn't slick Willy put through about 1500 executive orders in the last few days of his term???


20 posted on 01/17/2006 1:14:40 PM PST by HEY4QDEMS (Learn from the past, don't live in it.)
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