Oregon Senator Ron Wyden to oppose Alito

AP ^ | 1-20-2006 | MATTHEW DALY

[nwrep]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden said Friday he will oppose Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, saying he is not convinced that Alito will bring an impartial viewpoint to the court.

Wyden, a Democrat, met with Alito on Wednesday and talked about executive power, legal precedents and abortion rights.

“I cannot reconcile the seemingly moderate and amiable jurist of the past few weeks” with Alito’s two-decade record as a federal appeals court judge and official in the Reagan and Bush administrations, Wyden said Friday.

“It is my conclusion that Judge Alito’s record portends a view on the power of the president that would undermine our proven and constitutionally-mandated system of checks and balances,” Wyden said.

“His record demonstrates a dangerous and narrow interpretation of the commerce clause (of the Constitution), which could lead to results that would threaten the health and safety of all Americans.”

Wyden also criticized Alito for “standing with large, corporate polluters who fouled our air, poisoned our waters, and then don’t want to pay for it.”

Wyden is the latest among a growing number of Democrats who say they will oppose Alito, a veteran appeals court judge from New Jersey. Wyden voted for Chief Justice John Roberts last fall.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote Tuesday on Alito’s nomination to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, with the full Senate voting after that. Alito is widely expected to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled chamber.

Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., has said he expects to vote for Alito, calling him “supremely qualified.”

[TheBigB]

No Republican will say they will vote to confirm him, then vote to uphold a filibuster.

I don't think you're quite as bright as you're trying to appear.

[RobbyS]

Oregon has always been a liberal state. Wasn't it a hotbed of the KKK in the 1920s?

[rcrngroup]

He said he will vote to support Alito. He did not say he would vote for the nuke option. It only takes 41 votes for a filibuster. Republicans do not vote to uphold a filibuster. To break one they have to vote for a rule change which McCain has never voiced support for

Ok, but both DeWine & Graham are on record as saying Alito's nomination does NOT constitute extraordinary circumstances in the "Gang of 14" cowardly document. So if the Dims want to filibuster, DeWine & Graham will both vote for the nuclear option since they will view the Dims as having declared this to be extraordinary circumstances when in fact it is not. Actually I think I would like to see the Dims attempt to filibuster Alito because I believe the nuclear option would be voted on & approved, and the Dims would go ballistic.

[RobbyS]

Kennedy is a reed swaying in the wind. He wants to be on the winning side.

[SoCar]

No Republican will say they will vote to confirm him, then vote to uphold a filibuster.

You just said Chafee or Collins might. How about Snowe, McCain, Warner or Specter. No one really knows.

This rule change seems to be a really big thing for the Rinos. They had to come to a deal before so who's to say. I think the extraordinary circumstances is too big a hurdle but it's not insurmountable.

I doubt a filibuster will happen but let's be realistic. Until we have 50 votes committed to the nuke option we cannot be sure. And I'm not trying to appear so bright. I'm just a realist.

[TheBigB]

Neither Chaffee nor Collins have announced their support, though. I said no Republican will say they will vote to confirm him, then vote to uphold a filibuster. MHO.

Apologies for the brightness remark, FRiend. It's been a long night.

[DakotaRed]

Tree Hugger Central opposes Alito? What a surprise ..... not!

[SoCar]

DeWine and Graham make 49 I believe. So we need just one more. Then I will relax. If we had just one more on the record the filibuster will not be attempted. The Rats can count.

We need just one more "Gang" member or Specter on the record for the nuke. Then Alito sails through with no filibuster. Until then I worry slightly.

[tiki]

I wrote him a pretty scathing reply. I asked for more information on his decision we'll see what his staff sends me.

[SoCar]

I said no Republican will say they will vote to confirm him, then vote to uphold a filibuster. MHO.

I hope you are right but I'm not as sure.

Apology accepted. And one right back at you. To me there is nothing more important then SCOTUS but in my "real" life no one seems to know or care. No wonder Red State Dems get away with this crap. NO ONE but us junkies cares!!!!

[Nam Vet]

Deer in the headlights syndrome? Lights are on, but nobody's home?

Nam Vet

[airborne]

Wyden also criticized Alito for “standing with large, corporate polluters who fouled our air, poisoned our waters, and then don’t want to pay for it.”

I'm sure Iran has a much better environmental record than the US! (duh)

[CheyennePress]

"I have stated that I would like this nominee be a > moderate, and someone whose views are generally consistent with those of > Justice O'Connor on many of the important issues."

Good luck with that. Justice O'Connor was never consistent. Honestly, sitting down and reading her opinions is sheer torture after you read Scalia's. She kind of wanders all over the place, whereas he is just so very much to the point.

Law students will likely be thankful to see her leave and be replaced by Alito.

[Clemenza]

Actually, as a kid growing up in New York, I didn't think poor whites existed. I think many liberals must have grown up in similar environments where the only poor people you see are black and brown.

[Clemenza]

Snowe and Collins = Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern.

[clooney4824]

Hey...thanks for dummy lib Wydens site...I live in the People's Republic of Oregon....just sent him an email pointing out how stupid he is. Expecting the usual form answer (or the Black helicopters!!!!). HeHeHe..such fun!!!

[gsrinok]

A dimocrat opposes Alito? Imagine that. This is about politics to them, nothing more.

[samtheman]

96.3

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

Wyden, I believe, is the dumbest member of the senate.

Wyden even looks stupid...

His physical persona, mannerisms and subtle speech peculiarities lend themselves to indicate he might be a closeted homosexual... or some other type of sexual deviant.

And, I'm not kidding. There is something disturbing about that man under the surface that has manifested itself physically and it is not unique to him alone. There are many people for which this phenomena can be observed. Barney Frank is a great example...

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

Compare the look on Sen. Dianne Feinstein's face during Judge Aleto's hearings to one of the sinners in Michelangelo's famous Sistine Chapel fresco "The Blessed and the Damned of the Last Judgment."

An excellent observation on your part. It is a profoundly disturbing, lucid and most accurate analysis... worthy of pinging every FReeper to the comparison...

Pay special attention to this everybody...

The Nuclear Option

If you want to be added to this list, please notify me...

Originally, the Nuclear Option Ping List started out as a practical joke. With all the vitriolic response I received from certain un-named individuals, I figured it would be a great idea to do it for real...

I have observed here on Free Republic, a never ending flaming of religious folks and conservatives by people who promote things such as drug abuse, homosexuality, the ritual murder of abortion and other garbage.

The purpose of this is to alert people to the cultural Marxism run amok... Drugs, sex perverts, pornography (in film and in music), marijuana, liquor, bashing the religious people, destroying social institutions (like marriage and the Boy Scouts), etc., etc.,... ad nausea...

The druggies like the sex perverts can only perpetuate an ever increasing market for their filth by molesting the minds and bodies of the young ones... this is the only way they get new Demo-rat voters... CHEMICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE!

It is no coincidence Islamic pagans hate Israel, Jews, Christians and Western Civilization. The entire basis of Western Civilization is Mosaic Law, something both the Neo-Pagan Left and the pagan Islamic thugs cannot abide and wish to destroy.

The very idea that human beings have individual rights not subject to the whims of a monarch, but subject to the laws of Yahweh, is directly from Moses.

Historically, this is proven over and over again with the succsessive conflicts between the forces of paganism and the Judaic culture. It is being played out here and all over the world today...