Posted on 01/13/2006 5:38:54 AM PST by OXENinFLA
5th & Final Day of Hearings
This morning, the Senate Judiciary Cmte. convenes for a final session in the nomination hearings of Judge Samuel Alito. Outside witnesses who did not testify at yes- terday's hearings are given an opportunity to offer their opinions on the nominee. The Cmte. meets again to vote, either to approve or reject, on Tues., Jan. 17
FRI., 9:00AM ET, C-SPAN
Live Links
Six weeks from December 16th, 2005. End of this month.
I hope he doesn't get the jones for "strange new respect". He seems a little too starry-eyed to me.
```This is a huge victory for the dims```
Wrong.
They will take the weekend and claim this as some sort of victory, when in fact it's a parlimentary parlor trick.
They will pepper the airwaves with anti-Alito ads, have multiple calling/e-mail campaigns to pressure senators to sway their votes and there will be a lot of grandstanding over the next week.
It's better to have it now rather than a week.
Um, no ... starting with the hair. (Which reminds me, I have to pots and pans to scour.) ;)
Specter asked about the quality of the questions about Alito's jurisprudence. Specter says some Senators kept asking the same questions over and over. (Wasted time?)
Specter hasn't said he was going to delay. In fact, he said he saw no reason for one.
Civil rights leaders on cspan, carping about Alito.
here we go with the "civil rights" leaders..
Perhaps. O'Connor often brought Kennedy along to her point of view. It's going to take a year, maybe longer to get a fix on Roberts and Alito. If they turn out to be reliably conservative, and if Kennedy can be persuaded to go along with them, we will begin to see more conservative-friendly decisions.
In the meantime, I am strongly hoping GWB gets at least one more pick, because I have no faith that any of the current crop of leading presidential wannabes will nominate reliable conservatives.
For senators who are principled, the question is about his qualifications, and they should vote.
But for democrats who are going to vote strictly based on how it will effect their next election, they have to figure out which vote is worse for them. If they vote against Alito, they MIGHT get hurt by moderates who disagree. Moderates will disagree more or less based on how the media covers this. If the media keeps saying Alito sounded rational, answered questions, and looks like a good justice, moderates will punish democrats. If the media decides Roe is worth being partisan, the moderates might think the democrats are saving the country.
The couple of democrats left who are from red states will vote to end the filibuster, but we already got rid of half of them. I say that because in a few races a large turnout by angry republicans could throw someone like Daschle out. But there are only a couple left like that.
So the democrat senators have to weigh that risk, against the clear danger of going against the democrat base. MoveOn has called for a primary opponent against Lieberman over his support for the war. Surely any senator up for election this year in a blue state has to worry about being targetted in a primary, or having their legs cut out in a general election.
Lautenberg may have to support a filibuster for that reason. Menendez as well. Even the red-state senators might be worried that losing democrat support could lose them their seats.
So, how do you think they'll see this, given it is a Supreme Court nomination, not just appeals court. Are they more afraid of what moderates, independents, and rabid republicans will do to them, or are they more afraid of their base.
Yep - Arlen keeps saying that there is no reason for a delay and should be sent to the floor for a debate
Here's why it could be 2....RBG has health issues..and she might decide to step down..and Stevens..though liberal...thinks very highly of both Bushes....they have shown him much deference and respect..remember how much presence he had at Robert's swearing-in ceremony?...and he probably doesn't think much of the idea of a Dem naming his replacement..he's 85..and though in very good health and condition for his age..well, at that age..life is very finite..and he might just want to spend the last few years in retirement...or, health issues could come up tomorrow..People at that age, can deteriorate very rapidly..it's the nature of the body's aging process..
they could be trying to drag it out, hoping to postpone that.
It's very simple. Specter can call for a vote on his schedule and the 'Rats can object. Specter can rule that they already had their week and the vote proceeds. The 'Rats can appeal the decision of the Chair and the Committee votes. Anybody out there think there will be even ONE 'Pub who won't vote to uphold Arlen?
The 'Rats pissed Arlen off. Alito is a Delaware valley lawyer like Specter. Arlen is going to shove that gavel right up the jackasses' butts and the schedule will be maintained.
Or Arlen will cave. It's totally up to him. He's the Chairman. Is he going to act like it?
Civil rights groups having a press conference in which they are beginning their campaign against Alito. They will be running televised ads.
Wade Henderson...telling half truths.
The Dems are getting taken to school.
There are fools. Making an enemy of Specter was damn stupid. Rolling Lugar? Sure, Lugar is spineless and doesn't know how to control his committee. But pushing Specter too far where he perceives the control he has patiently awaited Decades for is under seige? Stupid is, as stupid does Dems.
Specter was going to vote for Alito. he likes Alito, despite any differences they might hold. That relationship goes back a few years. But the hardline he's taking is in direct response to Kennedy.
They spent this entire week smearing him. The American people don't like what they saw, and the Democrats are going to be taking it in the shorts if they continue to hoe that row they find themselves in.
Well yes, that's why they made better witnesses than the ignoramuses the Democrats called upon to provide "expert" testimony.
nobody is listening to them.
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