Posted on 01/10/2006 4:14:05 AM PST by OXENinFLA
ALITO CONFIRMATION HEARINGS
Questioning Begins Today
Each of the eighteen senators on the Judiciary Cmte. will have 30 minutes to question Supreme Court nominee Samual Alito today during round one. Sen. Arlen Specter, as chairman, will begin, then they will alternate by party in order of individual seniority. Round two starts on Wednesday.
"It's not sad that these horses hindquarters expend so much of their energy to exude flatulence on camera and then have the viewer conclude that they just fa*ted."
For some reason, an image of the Swimmer's jowls crossed my mind.
LOL! They should love him then because it's the gun that makes the bad decision, not the person.
Bush's next choice for the O'Connor vacancy, Harriet Miers, withdrew her nomination after coming under sustained criticism from conservatives who said they doubted her credentials on abortion.Back in October and November, most of the MSM was reporting and opining that the primary objections to Miers were credentials, capability and lack of a philosophical track record.By JESSE J. HOLLAND, Associated Press Writer Mon Jan 9, 6:37 PM ET
LEAHY: I have said that the president did not help his cause by withdrawing his earlier nomination of Harriet Miers in the face of criticism from the narrow faction of his own party who were concerned about how she might vote.Hearings - Day 1 - Jan. 9, 2005
It's hard to see how the withdrawal of Miers, even for the reason given yesterday and being reinforced by the media now, is useful except to set up a prejudice that Alito is against Roe. But they already have his 1985 memo to set up that prejudice, and the memo is a much more direct "set-up" than trying to tie Alito's position to the administrations withdrawal of Miers.
Another angle of attack that the Miers withdrawal set up is that both supporters and objectors to Miers wanted her judicial philosophy to be completely laid out in hearings. The argument to "let it all hang out at the hearings" was necessary for supporters, because hearings would be a substitute for a written track record. But Alito does have a track record, and that record will be helpful shorthand for him to "let it all hang out in hearings."
In other words, he'll be able to explain his rationale for each of the cases raised by objectors - instead of saying "I can't answer that because it may come before me." I expect he will well-explain how he will apply his philosophy, and come off as fully forthcoming. If so, it will become impossible to oppose Alito on the grounds that he was not as forthcoming as Miers' testimony is imagined to have had to been.
LOL! I foresee the dummies asking Alito about "Spying" on American citizens through their MAIL! LOL!
Matt Lauer has given his opening hearing statement.........
1 10 06 Lauer....burst out with this:
"Let's face it. He is an ultra-conservative and his track record on the bench [speaking over Thompson]. . . he goes to the right on key issues."
They are pretty hard to look at, aren't they?
Snort. Well, compared to judges like Ginsburg, just about everyone else in the country is ultra-conservative.
just about everyone else in the country is ultra-conservative.
Lauer could never see or recognize ultra liberal.........
unless he looked in the camera lens.
I feel exactly the same way. I don't want to damage my TV watching those lowlifes slime all over honorable men.
The DEMs will pull every unethical stunt in the book to stall the inevitable. The committee vote will be party line. I think the committee rules are such that given unanimous opposition from one party, one DEM in the opposition can demand (and get) a one week delay in committee vote on the nomination. But if one DEM agrees to vote on the nomination, then the committee vote is held.
Either way, once out of committee, the debate on the floor of the Senate will be fully partisan by the usual suspects (Kennedy, Boxer, Reid, Durbin, Kerry, et al).
I haven't given any thought into whether any (or which) of the DEM committee members might be swayed to approve of the nominee, or agree to the chair's timing on taking the vote.
I caught a little of Sam Brownback's comments on this morning's airing of yesterday's hearings on C-Span.
He was right on target.
Senator Biden will have 30 seconds, the average time a person can listen to him speak and remain conscious.
The best part of all this is that there is plenty of time for President Bush to nominate even one more judge to the US Supreme Court.
That will be an awesome legacy if he gets all conservatives on the bench.
I think that Stevens and Ginsburg will do all in their power to stay for the remainder of his term.
Nah, you have to understand.
Lindsey represents South Carolina. His constituents were far from happy about his role in the Gang of Fourteen. They are far fom happy about his involvement with McCain. Lindsey is taking center stage during these hearings to attempt to regain his constituents favor because there are still ill feelings against him.
Of all the people that joined that pact, Lindsey is the one that has a credible challenger already in the wings. So expect Lindsey to playact as the great Conservative Reagan Republican.
As for me, I'll allow him to do so to get Alito through but he's not fooling me.
Will not be able to be here the next two days, couldn't get out of work. :-) Prayers for Alito, reading the recaps each day after work, and look forward to joining everyone Thursday if he's still testifying. :-)
He'll vote against Alito ... you just watch
I do not see the problem here :) It sounds like a win/win situation.
Boxer is more than likely at Kinkos already getting her posters ready for the floor 'fight'.
http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearing.cfm?id=1725.
That pretty well indicates that Judge Alito will have at most two days more before the committee.
g'mornin' folks ,... ken is out running , he'll be back soon
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