So, ... Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC) TUTORED Alito?

[Bozita]

Just heard while listening to Bernie Ward stream.

WTF?

Graham sat in on all of the coaching/rehearsal sessions with Alito.

UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE!

[GrpCaptMandrake]

1. Graham, and apparent;y

several other members of the Repig membership of the Jud'y Committee

[hang a left]

7. Apparently....

also members of the administration.

[rucky]

2. At first I thought your header read "Torture"

it wouldn't be any more surprising.

[Suich]

4. I'd swear it said "torture" the 1st time I read it! n/t

[leftstreet]

5. I did too

LOL!

[NanceGreggs]

6. What's truly sad about that is ...

... it's unnervingly true. But it DID make me laugh, so thanks!

:rofl:

Maybe it's just part of our brainwashing process - we're all starting to (subconsciously) READ IN BUSHEEZE ...

[shraby]

3. Feingold questioned Alito about it. I'm trying to

find a transcript of the hearings. I'd like to see what all Feingold and Schumer asked Alito.

[hang a left]

8. I don't know if this is what you are looking for but here ya go anyway

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=102329

[shraby]

9. Thank you.

[progressivebydesign]

10. I believe it. Alito answered everything way too quickly.

Did anyone else notice that?? He never took a normal pause before answering on anything... he rehearsed his answers thoroughly. Almost as if.. somehow. .someone got hold of the questions beforehand.

[tritsofme]

13. I don't see how Graham could have gotten ahold of other senator's

questions.

I have no doubt Alito is a very smart man, and capable of answering complex questions on matters of law.

Graham being at these mock hearings was inappropriate, but I don't see where we go from there.

[rodeodance]

11. it was on the news yesterday also.

[malaise]

12. Read this

Feingold knew that - listen to his questions again.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x105479

Edit - add

[H2O Man]

14. I read about it

on TruthOut. It is highly unethical.

[DoYouEverWonder]

15. Didn't seem to help when it came Graham's turn to question him

In light of this revelation, the exchange between Graham and Alito is even funnier then it was to begin with. Graham obviously was trying to make a point but Alito went blank and couldn't figure out the answer Graham was looking for. Graham finally gives up in frustration and answers the question himself so that the conversation could continue. By the time Graham was done he ended up sounding like a college professor lecturing a really dense student. LMAO.


GRAHAM: Can you show me in a case in American jurisprudence where an enemy prisoner held by our military was allowed to bring a lawsuit against our own military regarding their detention?

ALITO: I am not aware of such a case.

GRAHAM: Is there a constitutional right for a foreign, noncitizen enemy prisoner to have access to our courts to sue regarding their condition of the confinement under our Constitution?

ALITO: Well, I'm not aware of a precedent that addresses the issue.

GRAHAM: Do you know of any case where an enemy prisoner of war brought a habeas petition in World War II objecting to be their confinement to our federal judiciary?

ALITO: There may have been a lower court case. I'm trying to remember the exact status of the individual.

GRAHAM: Let me help you. There were two cases. One of them involved six saboteurs, the in re Quirin case. Would you agree with me that that case stood for the proposition that in a time of war or declared hostilities an illegal combatant, even though they may be an American citizen, the proper forum for them to be tried in is a military tribunal and they're not entitled to a jury trial as an American citizen in a non-wartime environment?

ALITO: Well, those were a number of German saboteurs who landed by submarine in the United States. And they were taken into custody. And they were tried before a military tribunal.

And the case went up to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court sustained their being tried before a military tribunal. At least one of them claimed to be an American citizen. And most of them, I think all but one or two, actually were executed.

GRAHAM: And our Supreme Court said that is the proper forum during a war-time environment to try people who were engaged in a legal combat activities against our country. Is that correct?

ALITO: They sustained what was done under the circumstances.

GRAHAM: That would be a precedent then, wouldn't it?

ALITO: It is a precedent. Yes.

GRAHAM: OK.

There was a case involving six Germans, soldiers, captured in Japan and transferred to Germany, and they brought a habeas petition to be released in the -- I can't remember the ...

ALITO: Eisentrager.

GRAHAM: You know it. Tell me what the court decided there.

ALITO: They were, as I recall, they were Germans who were found in China...

GRAHAM: China. You're right

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/10/AR2006011001418.html


BTW: The Washington Post has the transcript up for yesterday's hearing.

[blindpig]

16. Don't let Graham fool you.

He is a swine. I have occasionally seen it opined that Graham ain't so bad, that he is reasonably and sometimes bucks the party. Bullshit. It's all a facade, in the end he's a team player.Trust him as far as you can throw him.