Alito : Two Nominee Strategies. One Worked.~

The New York Times ^ | January 31, 2006 | DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 — The week before his Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. e-mailed the text of his opening statement to the White House. It included very little about his legal thinking, dwelled at length on his family and opened with a tired and rambling joke about courtroom banter between a lawyer and a judge.

The response from the White House: "Perfect, don't change a word," according to an administration official who was granted anonymity because Judge Alito's preparation sessions were confidential.

As the last obstacles to confirmation faded away Monday, Democratic aides said their party had initially expected Judge Alito to live up to his reputation as "Scalito," suggesting a conservative firebrand in the mold of Justice Antonin Scalia. Failing to adjust to his meekness, Democratic aides admit they searched too hard for scandal in Judge Alito's past.

The White House, meanwhile, sought to take advantage of Judge Alito's low-key, almost shy demeanor to build sympathy for him. They say they succeeded beyond all expectations when Judge Alito's wife, Martha-Ann, walked out in tears from his confirmation hearings.

"Any time they are yelling, preaching, lecturing, and you are cool and calm and breathing deep, you are winning," the administration official said the White House team told Judge Alito. "What that means on television sets where the American people are watching this is, you look good and they look bad. It was the central operating premise."

Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senator Harry Reid

of Nevada, the Democratic leader, agreed. "It was a classic rope-a-dope," Mr. Manley said, referring to the boxing tactic of leaning against the ropes to let an opponent exhaust himself punching.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

A Times-quoted "anonymous" Administration official is synonymous to a UFO.

LOL!!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

ROFLMAO!

[LdSentinal]

A part of that movie was filmed at my high school.

[John Lenin]

For more humor listen and watch Ted Kennedy explain how he was rope a doped.

Ted Kennedy blows a gasket 1/30/2006

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Unhinged: Exposing Liberals Gone Wild

(Book)

Authors:Michelle Malkin

Manufacturer:Regnery Publishing

Released:24 October, 2005

[onyx]

Perfect post! Thanks!

[onyx]

I think they thought they could defeat this nomination!

[John Lenin]

Chivas Ted brings up the Swift Boat Vets. doh!

[onyx]

Gawd, he's a filthy pig and that damn new england accent. "I 'sore' (saw) in the NYT..." I hate him. Can you tell?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

They were doing it for George.....Soros that is!

[onyx]

I'll take our George over theirs.

[Howlin]

I'm done; some days there is just TOO much to get hyped up about and I get so dang hacked off I can't sleep.

[Go Gordon]

The punch that would take the wind out of that murdering kennedy would be to have someone in the Senate confront him in front of a live feed camera with, "Have you spoken to the Kopechneys lately?" or, "Do you ever regret killing MaryJo?"

Wasn't Kennedy's theme: "If you were a black person in need of support, judge Alito would not Help. If you were abused by the executive branch's over-reaching power, judges Alito would not help" (wel you get the idea). Wouldn't it have been hillarius if a pubbie senator would have gotten up and said: "If you were a women in distress and about to drown, Senator Kennedy would not help"

[onyx]

Me too.
See you for the vote later this morning.

[bannie]

HA! Better, yet!!!

[Go Gordon]

makes one almost think that the whole miers thing was part of the plan.

I was thinking the same dang thing, so the next time Bush nominates a judge, the RATs have to take it easy for fear that he withdrawls the nominie and supplants them with a Roberts/Alito clone.

[al_again]

Hey Howlin,

I know you were upset over the Miers thing but what do you think now???

[musicman]

"Mark Levin."

I posted to freeper "holdonnow" on a thread awhile back, asking if he would PLEASE take Scott McClellan's job.

It got a big "YES" from most of the freeper's that read my request, but no answer from freeper "holdonnow"....dang it...

[Southack]

"I'm betting that the story represents a "best guess" scenario, totally fabricated in the Times news room."

Here's one line that the NY Times fabricated: "Any time they are yelling, preaching, lecturing, and you are cool and calm and breathing deep, you are winning," the administration official said the White House team told Judge Alito."

How do I know? I know that they fabricated the above line because the White House/Alito liaison team doesn't speak condescendingly to the Judge...and the above is condescending (or at least pedantic).

Uh, uh. Did *not* happen. The White House staff did *not* tell Judge Alito that his deep breathing meant that he was winning.

Now look at the above quote in its context (to see the bigger fabrication): "Any time they are yelling, preaching, lecturing, and you are cool and calm and breathing deep, you are winning," the administration official said the White House team told Judge Alito. "What that means on television sets where the American people are watching this is, you look good and they look bad. It was the central operating premise."

Uh, uh...Busted!

Look at the time line. The "central opening premise" is at the...wait for it...opening. It's not *after* the hearings have started.

So again, we can safely surmise that the NY Times is fabricating the above for their "article."

[okie01]

It would be interesting to have a pool on Kirkpatrick's "real, live sources who actually said what they were reported to have said".

I don't know how it could be proven, but my selection would be "two" -- James Manley (Reid's spokesperson) and Laura Capps (Kennedy's spokesperson), both named. The rest was woven with whole cloth, out of material furnished by these two...plus Kirkpatrick's fertile imagination.