Posted on 01/30/2006 9:16:41 PM PST by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
"This nomination was handled brilliantly."
makes one almost think that the whole miers thing was part of the plan.
They did a good job of casting.
Great screen capture! Uncle Teddy was very entertaining today. Most fun I've had since.....well, since halfway through election night!
He was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay worse then Dean
I've been watching the Senate for some time .. I've seen Kennedy go on his rants
But I have never seen or heard anything like what I witnessed on TV today
I suppose it was Kennedy's
ApocAlito Now!
That's only if the President nominates Ann Coulter.
"Both Republican and Democratic staff members in the Senate spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution from their bosses.
A$$holes."
Seriously, does the Slimes buy these staffers beer and whores as soon as they get hired?
I'm sick of all of them, mostly the ones on OUR side selling us out.
I think the Democrats who voted for cloture were in large part voting against Kerry. They didn't want to be publicly associated with filibuster that appeared to be orchestrated by a failed Presidential candidate who was too busy hobnobbing in Davos to actually participate in the filibuster he was calling for.
Thanks Howlin....now I may watch for a replay....
How could the Miers thing help? What benefit could that have had vs. nominating Alito in the first place?
Strategery + Schardenfreude = Stratenschardenfreudery
It's a pretty interesting article. The Federalist Society has done a great job of putting the judiciary in order. One thing that these sorts of articles overlook, though, is that the society is about creating qualified candidates like Roberts and Alito, not just getting them appointed.
I got the picture from this site
http://exposetheleft.com/2006/01/30/kennedynuts/
Kennedy Goes Nuts On The Senate Floor (VIDEO)
If true....it would be a Brilliant plan!!!
Congrats to Scalito.
Yes, it is, isn't it?
It's nothing to be ashamed of, IMO. It just goes to show we had a PLAN.
Unsurprising analysis from the dims and NYT. For them, it's all about how the dims lost on style points, it doesn't even enter into their thinking that as a matter of substance most Americans are in favor of appointing to the Sup Ct a well-qualified jurist who is satisfied being a good judge and not a philosopher-king.
It's the same story in presidential races, the news analysis and dim spin is all about the style points, it's not comprehensible to them that the dims lose because most Americans don't agree with their worldview on the basic issues, but it must be because of some particular stylistic point or side issue.
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