Democrats Ready to Go After Alito (WP)

[struggle4progress]

... Another committee Democrat, Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that Alito in 1985 unequivocally stated "that the Constitution does not provide for a right to an abortion. The worst thing that could happen with Judge Alito is if he tries to duck the question" at the hearing. Unlike recently confirmed Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., Schumer said, Alito has expressed his personal and legal views on abortion so clearly that he cannot refuse to discuss them with senators by contending he must remain unbiased in case the Supreme Court revisits the issue ...

At the 1990 confirmation hearing for his seat on a federal appeals court, Alito told senators he would not rule in cases involving the Vanguard Group Inc. or Smith Barney Inc., firms that have handled some of his investments. However, he ruled in a 1996 case involving Smith Barney, and a 2002 case involving Vanguard ... Kennedy cited Vanguard, the Princeton alumni group and other matters in an op-ed piece, headlined "Alito's Credibility Problem," in Saturday's Washington Post ...

Alito wrote in a 1996 dissent that Congress did not have the power under the Constitution's commerce clause to pass a law banning possession of machine guns, arguing that there was no evidence the mere possession of such weapons affected interstate commerce.

"He was one of the very few to say that the federal government can't regulate machine guns," Schumer said yesterday. The federal government "has regulated machine guns since the days of John Dillinger in 1936."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/08/AR2006010800794.html

[HuffleClaw]

1. he's got a lot of answering to do

only question is, WILL HE? or will he evade the issues? personally, it seems he's been fully exposed as a loon. however, i'm not sure this will be publicized enough to sink him. i sure hope it will.

[AuntiBush]

6. Do Any of Those Appointed by Bush?

Seriously...

[enough already]

13. It doesn't matter if he answers the qeustions

This guy is nothing more than another Bush nazi. He has to be stopped.

[Trevelyan]

19. Please sign petition letter TODAY to stop Alito

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/webreturn/?url=/au/issues/alert/?alertid=8318456

=Oppose Confirmation of Samuel Alito as Associate Justice to the U.S. Supreme Court As hearings begin, Action is Needed to Protect Decades of Church-State Safeguards

As the Senate Judiciary Committee begins the confirmation hearing on Judge Samuel Alito’s nomination to fill the seat of retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, I write to share my belief that the Senate should refuse to confirm Judge Samuel Alito because of his troubling record on religious liberty issues. I care deeply about the preservation of religious liberty and the constitutional requirement of the separation of church and state.. If Judge Alito is confirmed, decades of settled church-state law likely will be overturned and religious liberty will be threatened.

=== Judge Alito’s record makes clear that he would work to dismantle the wall of separation between church and state and to open the door to majority rule on religious matters. Replacing Justice Sandra Day O’Connor with Judge Alito would fundamentally alter First Amendment law and immediately put at risk many of the crucial protections for religious minorities that the Supreme Court has recognized and consistently enforced during the past sixty years. Judge Alito’s judicial philosophy, particularly in how it relates to the Establishment Clause, would be disastrous for religious liberty and the protection of religious minorities

[Jeffersons Ghost]

25. done

I sent the letter, for all the good it will do with my red-neck, red-state representatives.

[Trevelyan]

24. I just emailed Reid to stop Alito and there was only this short, cryptic

statement on Alito on Sen. Reid's site. Please call or email now because there is a big move, including one on http://www.Congress.org of the right to call Senators to CONFIRM Alito - We need to act now to stop this.

"=== (Reid's) Statement on Alito Hearings Thursday, January 5, 2006

Washington, DC - Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, released the following statement today on the Alito nomination:

“News reports that Senator Reid told Senator Frist that Democrats would delay the committee vote on Judge Alito are inaccurate. No decision has been made regarding a Senate Judiciary Committee rule that permits any committee member to request a one-week postponement of a committee vote.”

[marmar]

2. They've got to...

We really can't afford this one. He can't wait to turn back lots of clocks.

:scared:

[mom cat]

3. K&R!

[AndyTiedye]

4. We Need To Pin Him Down On His Views on Presidential Power...

...and what limits thereto (if any) he recognizes.

This is the big one.

With Alito on the Court. Bush** gets to rule by decree.

[Czolgosz]

7. His view in Executive power is out-of-the-ballpark extremely broad, and

his view of Congressional power is crazy-insane narrow.

In simplest terms, he does not believe in checks and balances -- he believes that the other branches of the government are subsidiarity to the Executive branch.

On this issue, he is FAR to the right of even Scalia or Thomas.

[AndyTiedye]

8. That Is What His Record Suggests

He will have to be questioned at great length on this and so many other issues,
and his suitability as a Justice will have to be debated in the Senate at great length.
Very great length....
very very great length...
very very very great length...

[Czolgosz]

9. I hope he's successfully filibustered. If not, I hope he gets no Democrat

votes.

If he is confirmed, as Alito eliminates our rights one by one (except our right to bear arms -- he's oddly comfortable with that lone right; go figure), I will have great difficulty forgiving anyone who voted for him.

[FreedomAngel82]

40. I agree

I don't think Feingold will vote for him hopefully.

[dusty64]

14. Not that it would matter.

He previously lied to Congress, promising to recuse himself from cases in which he has a vested financial interest and he didn't. He will tell them what they want to hear and then do as he pleases, he MUST be stopped!

[TankLV]

38. Just like the bastard "trust me" Porter Goss.

[PegDAC]

32. His hero is Robert Bork

who said that freedom of speech applies only to political speech (as in Pioneers and Rangers)

Be afraid. Be very afraid.


:puke: :eyes: :argh: :scared: :thumbsdown: :cry: :yoiks:

[madmark]

34. This is the one that matters; it trumps all else including abortion

[AuntiBush]

5. If Alito is Nominated, well...

seems like that last nail in our coffins.

Checkout what others are saying about his stand on Social Security, for one (issue):
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=alito+on+social+security&btnG=Google+Search

[Nutmegger]

37. OMG, I'm scared at the results!!

Found a site callled Issues2000. Man, it was scary in there.

[Neil Lisst]

10. We don't call him Scalito for nuthin'

He's bad, and he doesn't have Roberts' schoolboy smile and demeanor.

Let the flaying begin!!

[incapsulated]

11. They better...

I want to see blood. BLOOOOD I say!

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

12. What about his failure to recuse in issues that involved him personally

That he had previously sworn to remove himself from? I have big problems with that. Seems cut and dried. Especially since the Supreme Court apparently has no oversight as to when someone should recuse.

[Chalco]

15. Rachel Maddow this morning said that 7 judges

were called by the administration to testify in Alito's behalf. Isn't this a conflict of interest? Think about it. This is unprecedented.

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

16. Talkin Texan

Did you hear the one about we should all learn to speak Arabic?
Seems our president who can't even speak english without insulting the language says, speaking Arabic shows we are interested in their culture, I wonder where he is at in his lessons.....hmmm

Little side note, the USS Ronald Reagan was deployed to the western Indian Ocean with several thousand sailors aboard. It is the newest aircraft carrier. Iran anybody? :nuke:

[Trevelyan]

20. Oppose the Supreme Court Nomination of Judge Samuel Alito

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/webreturn/?url=/rac/issues/alert/?alertid=8350621
Jr.
=Dear Senator,

As a Reform Jew/Christian concerned about the preservation of reproductive choice, civil rights, women’s rights, and the scope of federal power particularly as it relates to civil rights and environmental protection, I urge you to oppose the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito Jr. to the Supreme Court of the United States.

[Trevelyan]

21. Sees Clearly - Where did you read that about the USS Reagan

I hope it is wrong as the troop ship to Venezula during Katrina was apparently wrong. Never heard about it again. I hope there are some sane people in Bilderberg who will stop them.

[SamuelAlito]

17. Well, my pretties

I am prepared for all attacks. I am getting my secret evil agenda in place. And I am blogging about it the whole time.

The Right Honorable Samuel A. Alito, Jr.
(the A stands for Awesome)

[Daylin Byak]

18. All I got to say is this:

The Democrats can't give in to the republicans on this one like what they did with Roberts, this guy is so far to the right, he's to the left. He is the perfect judge for the repukes to vote for(it gets bad when you have losers like Lindsey Graham praiseing him like he's christ himself).

And of coursse he won't say during the hearings that he won't overturn ROE cause if he says that he'll be doomed, he'll do all his dirty work if he gets confirmed.

We need to stand tall on this, ask him some tough "hardball" type questions and don't give in to Bill Frist.

[Savannah Progressive]

22. We said the same thing about Roberts

We demanded that our elected representatives stopped Roberts. Instead, they voted to confirm Roberts. Thus, using History as our example, we can assume that Alito will avoid the tough questions, and our Reps will vote to confirm.

[BlueIris]

33. Methinks you'd better be prepared for some disappointment,

Mr. Misogynist. Enjoy a life of mediocrity and ridicule after you don't get confirmed. Even Bork will be laughing at you.

[Trevelyan]

23. Judge Alito’s brand of Establishment Clause jurisprudence

Judge Alito’s brand of Establishment Clause jurisprudence would bring about remarkable- indeed, radical- results, with potentially devastating consequences for the separation of church and state as we know it.

For more information, please see Americans United’s report at

http://www.au.org/site/DocServer/AU_Alito_Report.pdf?docID=401

1) Sex and Race Discrimination at Work: Judge Alito's rulings would make it easier for conservative lower court federal judges to dismiss cases before they go to a jury or even to overturn jury verdicts in employment discrimination cases brought under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

2) On Abortion: As an attorney in Reagan's Solicitor General's office, Alito crafted a legal strategy for the eventual overturning of Roe v. Wade. We know he is willing to take steps to implement this strategy. As a judge in 1991, Alito ruled that a state can require women to notify their husbands before they are allowed to have an abortion. He was the sole judge on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals to so decide. Fortunately the Supreme Court at that time did not agree with his minority opinion.

3) On Birth Control: During the same period, Alito wrote that "certain methods of birth control are 'abortifacients,' i.e., that they do not prevent fertilization but terminate the development of the fetus after conception..." The extreme right has long argued that the IUD and birth control pills are "abortifacients" and should be outlawed.

4) Violence Against Women: In arguing for husband's notification he dismissed the arguments that this would endanger women because of the potential for domestic violence. In education and employment cases, he ruled against strict enforcement of protections from sexual harassment.

5) Affirmative Action: He's definitely a vote against enforcement of affirmative action programs. Remember such programs are still necessary for women's and minorities' advancement.

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/webreturn/?url=/fmf1/issues/alert/?alertid=8355956
Act Now to Block Alito! Call your Senators and tell them you expect them to vote NO on Alito!

This is a profoundly serious moment in the long march for women’s equality. With women’s rights and civil rights hanging in the balance, we must act now to block the confirmation of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. The confirmation of a reactionary judge like Samuel Alito to Justice O'Connor's pivotal seat will reverse decades of progress towards equality for women. We hear that calls from the right wing have been pouring into Senate offices to urge "yes" votes on the Alito nomination. We can’t let a small well-organized minority drown out the vast majority of Americans who want to save women’s rights and civil rights decisions by the Supreme Court.

Please call your Senators on Monday and throughout the rest of the confirmation process. Tell them that you care - that our nation cannot go backwards on women’s rights and civil rights - that you expect them to vote no on Alito!

[oc2002]

26. Going after Alito is a Waste of Time...he will be confirmed....

I think the dems need to be carefull, and pick their fights carefully. They may ignite more support for the administration if they get too aggressive here.

The day that Dubya was re-selected is the day we lost this battle.

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[AndyTiedye]

36. If We Can't Win This One, There Isn't Any Hope Anyway

Alito supports granting Bush** dictatorial powers, and would certainly
rule as needed to keep the regime in power indefinitely.
So would (at least) Scalia, Roberts, and Thomas.

[Raksha]

39. I agree we need to pick our fights carefully...

and this is ONE fight we need to pick! Alito sounds like a major RW nutjob. His notions about the "imperial presidency" are every bit as alarming as his views on reproductive choice, maybe even more so.

[enough already]

41. We should have gone hard after Roberts

Letting that nazi in a nice suit walk was the biggest mistake our "leaders" have ever made. It makes it that much tougher to go after Alito, but if we don't fight this fight, the whole fucking ballgame is over.

[thefool_wa]

27. This Stinks

At the 1990 confirmation hearing for his seat on a federal appeals court, Alito told senators he would not rule in cases involving the Vanguard Group Inc. or Smith Barney Inc., firms that have handled some of his investments. However, he ruled in a 1996 case involving Smith Barney, and a 2002 case involving Vanguard ... Kennedy cited Vanguard, the Princeton alumni group and other matters in an op-ed piece, headlined "Alito's Credibility Problem," in Saturday's Washington Post ...

So, why is it exactly that this did not get him removed from the bench as an appeals court judge and why does this not automatically disqualify him as a supreme court justice?

It seems to me that the judges that preside over the law in this country should be of the highest ethical caliber, and this type of conflict of interest is unacceptable. So while I totally see how GW is capable of nominating him, I don't see how anyone on the Hill can possibly think he meets the standards to which our highest court needs to be held.

Confirmation: Denied

[pberq]

28. THE NEXT TWO WEEKS WILL DECIDE IF DEMOCRACY WILL SURVIVE

This is an email I go from the "The Pen" <[e-mail] >

THE NEXT TWO WEEKS WILL DECIDE IF DEMOCRACY WILL SURVIVE

Bush is now completely and certifiably out of control. But to remove the last
restraint on the creation of a new American dictatorship they must install one more lock down
vote on the Supreme Court, in the person of Sam Alito.

Despite Alito's extreme right wing voting record and lifelong ideological agenda,
nobody expects him to show up at his hearing sporting a tail and horns wearing a red suit.
Instead he will lie and evade like some Wal-Mart smiley face, just as he did when in
his confirmation for the Court of Appeals he promised to recuse himself from cases
involving his own investments. Then he fought to do precisely otherwise. He will make
absolutely any misrepresentation of his views and his agenda to try to sneak past public
accountability yet again, while his record shouts otherwise. And only your voices speaking
out now can turn the tide against this judicial coup.

http://www.usalone.com/alito.php

We are planning a two-stage action. First with the action page above we will build a
consensus that ANY replacement for Sandra Day O'Connor must be no worse than a true
moderate and centrist. Then after the conclusion of the hearings we will speak out AGAIN
on specific question of the final vote in the Senate. Please submit every possible
action page you can get your hands on, and keep speaking out until we prevail, just as we
did on ANWR and the torture prohibition.

But remember that Alito was the author of the tactic of Bush trying to spin acts of
Congress with so-called "signing statements" in hopes that some future Supreme Court
(including now guess who) would give them weight over the will of the people. And Bush did
just that with the anti-torture bill, declaring that he really didn't consider himself
bound at all. Every day from now on must be STOP Alito day, otherwise our democracy is
doomed.

[LynneSin]

30. I think Democrats have been playing this one smart

I mean, nothing is worse than giving away your whole game plan during the pre-game show, which some DUers here were upset when that didn't happen.

THe best thing was to play it down, talk about giving a fair hearing, say something trivial nice about Alito and let the repukes do all the pre-game positioning.

It doesn't matter what we say before the debate starts but what happens during the debate and the final outcome.

[worldgonekrazy]

35. I agree

There is always something to be said for "framing the issue," of course, but in this case I think a "wait and see" attitude is the best one for the Dems to present. Then, hopefully, they can latch on to something Alito says or does not say in the hearings and react with rightuous indignation. The public might buy it and say "well it seemed like the Dems were going to give him a fair chance before THAT happened." Personally, I think that they ought to focus on this issue or Executive Power, since it ties in so well with the current spying scandal. I just don't think abortion will do it, and in fact might backfire as it will remind the Christian right of why they liked Bush in the first place.

[BlueIris]

31. Wait, Schumer's on board? Now I have hope.

I never really doubted that the Dems would raise a ruckus, but if Schumer himself--whom I think of as a moderate and an anti-choice apologist--wants to oppose Alito and is admitting it in public, I can get optimistic. WAY TO GO, MY DEMOCRATS!