Hotline blog: Family Res. Council Worries On Alito And Pres. Power

[Pirate Smile]

January 05, 2006
Family Res. Council Worries On Alito And Pres. Power

A rare discordant note from a key interest group ally of the White House. Family Research Council pres. Tony Perkins isn't thrilled about Alito's view of presidential power.

In an interview with Rachel Maddow on Air America Radio (yes -- Perkins braves Air America like journalists brave Hugh Hewitt), said he's concerned about the NSA collection program and has conveyed his concerns to some of his conservative friends.

These friends, says Perkins,

"say 'we can trust George Bush'. Well, that's not the issue. These transcend personality. These powers stay with that branch of government. They set precedent. And so I think we have to be very careful when we give unconstitutional or constitutionally questionable authority to any branch of government. So I think we would agree on that.

MADDOW: So when Samuel Alito wrote memos when he was working for the Reagan justice department in favor of expanded presidential power saying he wanted signing statements when the president wrote legislature and all this stuff that is coming home to roost under President Bush. Will those decisions now turn you against the nomination? You’ve been in support of the nomination thus far.
PERKINS: Let’s make clear our position -- we have not endorsed Samuel Alito. I will say this, we look favorably upon his nomination and this is why, while there are issues that we could perceive as troubling and I would say that would be one that would raise some concerns among the staff at Family Research Council, but we see a pattern in his time on the bench which is quite extensive that he is one that holds a philosophy of judicial restraint. "

Posted at 02:16 PM

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2006/01/family_res_coun.html#more

[FreedomAngel82]

1. That might be the thing that gets Alito down