Bush court nominee tough target

[cal04]

US Democrats have launched a final assault against Samuel Alito, President George W. Bush's conservative Supreme Court nominee, as he ended more than two days of testimony at a confirmation hearing. Detractors said that listening to 18 hours of Judge Alito's explanations of his views and his votes as an appeals court judge, confirmed their view that the 55-year-old was a right-wing partisan intent on undoing decades of gains for women, minorities and the poor.

Harry Reid, the top Democrat in the US Senate, said it was disheartening that Judge Alito would replace Sandra Day O'Connor, the retiring justice known for her moderate views and her perennial role as the court's tie-breaking "swing vote." "The right wing insisted that Justice O'Connor be replaced with a sure vote for their extreme agenda. Four days of hearings have shown that Judge Alito is no Sandra Day O'Connor," Senator Reid said after the interrogation of Judge Alito concluded.

Judge Alito's appointment is crucial because of the importance of the Supreme Court in deciding on many social and political issues ranging from abortion to election results. Another leading Democrat, John Edwards, the Democratic vice presidential nominee in the 2004 election, called Judge Alito a conservative "ideologue" who would try to turn back the clock on years of hard-fought progress by liberals. "His record, both on the bench and as an official in the Reagan and Bush administrations, showed that he is an ideologue who would put our fundamental rights at risk," Senator Edwards said.

Judge Alito, a 15-year veteran federal appeals court judge, was questioned about abortion rights, limits on presidential powers and civil rights, but Democrats failed to get the assurances they wanted about his intentions. The nomination is scheduled for a vote on Tuesday by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Judge Alito frustrated Democrats by refusing to be pinned down by repeated questions on presidential authority - a key topic since it was revealed last month that the Bush administration launched a domestic espionage program following the September 11, 2001, attacks. Some legal scholars have said the administration overstepped constitutional bounds by ordering the eavesdropping without court approval.

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http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17810531%255E1702,00.html

[sasha031]

1. Oh look it made the Australian

funny how it never reaches our MSM