Official Opening Statements Thread - Alito Hearings Now! Part III

[LeftCoast]

Previous thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x89812

[Viva_La_Revolution]

1. Official Opening Statements Thread - Alito Hearings Now! Part 3

One

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x88324#88963


Two

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x89812

[Sydnie]

2. Thanks Viva! n/t

[LeftCoast]

3. Sorry for the confusion there VLR

:hi:

[Viva_La_Revolution]

5. No sweat.

Teamwork my friend!

:hi:

[bettyellen]

DUPE....

http://www.savethecourt.org/site/c.mwK0JbNTJrF/b.1321625/k.6C29/Stop_Alito_Action_HQ.htm

[bettyellen]

4. CONTACT YOUR SENATORS- LINK HERE

http://www.savethecourt.org/site/c.mwK0JbNTJrF/b.1321625/k.6C29/Stop_Alito_Action_HQ.htm

[bettyellen]

6. wasn't the immigrant father meme debunked?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

8. I don't know.... would be interesting to track that one down

[bettyellen]

14. his dad came as an infant:

"A White House spokesman, Steve Schmidt, was quoted in The New York Times as having said that Alito's father ''came to America as a young boy searching for opportunity."
In fact, according to immigration and Census records, Alito's father was only about 5 or 6 months old when he arrived in Philadelphia.
''He was an infant, not even a year old" when he emigrated from Italy, Rosemary Alito, 91, said in a brief telephone interview, about her husband, who died in 1987.
It was really the grandparents, Maria and Antonio, who lived the classic immigrant tale, struggling to come to America, learning a new language, and searching for opportunity from the bottom of the economic ladder."

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=alito+father+immigrant+italy&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

[quiet.american]

16. His grandfather was the family pioneer - father arrived in U.S. as infant.

A White House spokesman, Steve Schmidt, was quoted in The New York Times as having said that Alito's father ''came to America as a young boy searching for opportunity."

In fact, according to immigration and Census records, Alito's father was only about 5 or 6 months old when he arrived in Philadelphia.

''He was an infant, not even a year old" when he emigrated from Italy, Rosemary Alito, 91, said in a brief telephone interview, about her husband, who died in 1987.

It was really the grandparents, Maria and Antonio, who lived the classic immigrant tale, struggling to come to America, learning a new language, and searching for opportunity from the bottom of the economic ladder.


Boston.com
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/12/11/alitos_classic_family_odyssey/

[Up2Late]

7. What the HELL is Democratic Senator Frank Lautenberg (NJ) doing there?

What's his deal? He's testifying FOR Alito?

[bettyellen]

9. they said he was sitting in for ( Governor elect ) John Corzine....

:puke:

[rpgamerd00d]

11. Alito is from NJ

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

35. So is Tony Soprano.

[in_cog_ni_to]

10. Will this man answer the questions the DEM Senators ask?

I think he's going to take the same tact Roberts did and will follow the urging of the Repuke Senators to NOT answer questions. The repukes WANT TO BRING THE SENATE TO IT'S KNEES. THIS IS IT.

[ewagner]

12. Just fired up the laptop

in front of the TV...

Caught the statements of the last two Republicans...noticed that the Repub strategy seems to be to make the debate about abortion and not Presidential powers or any other of his strange decisions (strip search of 10 year old girl or sodimizing a retarded man with a broomstick)

I can't understand that strategy though....unless they're trying to lose....maybe they're expecting a filibuster?

[Strawman]

13. Whitman saying the exact opposite of Coburn

Better watch it. He might lose the far right's support if they believe her.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

15. Formal Swearing In

41 cameras in the well

only 28 camera's for Roberts.

[Strawman]

22. gotta get that photo

if he looks right in the pictures of his swearing in and he and his family looks nice and normal enough that'll trump most everything that was predictably said today. sad but true.

[shance]

17. Am ver y disappointed but not surprised to see Christine Whitman

testifying for him.

Why would she testify for an extremist candidate like Alito? Are they friends?

[SharonRB]

20. I was disappointed as well

I expected more from her.

[bobalu]

79. Why are you surprised? ..

I lived in Jersey during the early-mid nineties when Chrissie was Governor...She tried to privatize government agencies like the DMV...Her position was: "either give up your lavish salaries of $24,000 a year (!) and take a cut to $18,000 or I'm privatizing".

When, on a TV interview someone asked her to consider what this would be like, especially for a single parent, etc., she shot back "better than nothing"!

Lovely woman..an Old Money Deb who, when challenged as to whether she understood the financial struggles of most folks, could only respond that she DID have a year after graduating college when she "didn't have a job"...As if, with her millionaire family, she'd be standing in bread lines, or something.

...This is a woman, who along with her hubby, makes over a million a year in investments, on top of the governor's salary, of course.

[lyonn]

18. Coburn certainly let us all know how he feels

All I can say is thank gawd that old ladies can not reproduce like old men can. I am an old lady. This would be a non-issue if women 50 or older could still have children?

He is miserable because so many downs syndrome have lost their lives through abortion. If the Fed. govt. would provide financial help for those families that must deal with this condition it would be a worthwhile discussion.

[Catamount]

48. I agree with you and almost fell off my exercise bike in disgust

I felt like screaming "what about the life of the mother?" "what about all the deaths created by the gov.when it comes to the death penalty?" "and the illegal war--what about all those deaths?"
Then I turned off the sound until he finished.
God help protect us from people like Coburn.

[Vinca]

66. I was disgusted, too.

He seems to have forgotten the Republican's recent slash and burn bill of programs that would help poor children. What's worse? An abortion or a baby starving to death?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

19. Alito himself now...

telling some longwinded story about ?

His mother, 1st generation, first in family to college.

no mention of papa?

I went to public school, attended Princeton, 12 miles down the road.

what a fuzzy story.

[bettyellen]

21. in what way is this $ 50 scholarship story relevant?

that our nation was very very different back then?

[bettyellen]

23. he felt "comfortable" enough as Princeton to try and exclude

women and minorities. wow, slam the door after your ass gets in, huh?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

24. did you hear that comment about his mothers background?

"she came from a culture where the woman rarely left the house"

[Sydnie]

27. I caught that.

Surprised she did.

[bettyellen]

32. Trivia: Rose Alito is the real name of the gal in the Springsteen song....

she wasn't Rosalita. She was an old friends 2nd cousin. :shrug:

[bettyellen]

28. he means New Jersey, right?

he's really trying to prempt any talk of his sexist views with his mom and sister's careers.
but they did that despite his views, what an asshole.

[Sydnie]

30. Imagine what family dinners would be like with him

and them there too? Guess he sits and gets waited on, huh?

[bettyellen]

38. I think he wished his Mom stayed home, and that he didn't have to compete

academically with his sister. or apparently, that black guy down the street.

[Sydnie]

50. and quite possibly that jew over there too. n/t

[Catamount]

51. His wife looked like that kind of woman herself... does anyone

know about her?

[Junkdrawer]

25. Nixon's "Checkers" speech was less corny...

I'm waiting to hear about his wife's "Simple Republican Coat".

[Sydnie]

26. Judges DO have clients - it's WE THE PEOPLE moran!

Judges should be practicing attorney - does he think these guys are stupid? Or is he just talking to blivet** as followers?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

29. "no person in this country is above the law.

no person is beneath the law/" Is it just me, or was his voice very shakey there for a second?

[Sydnie]

31. It wasn't just you. n/t

[ewagner]

44. Very weak opening statement

Disjunct.....

not at all a coherent statement

not inspirational

not hopeful

somewhat elitist about his Princeton days..."people who should have known better acting irresponsibly." Like protesting the war?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

47. good summary. nt

[bettyellen]

40. yep, i noticed him wincing badly when privacy came up too.

[gkhouston]

70. he's not gonna make it through several days of questioning, at

this rate. They'd better up the tranquilizers, stat!

on edit: A judicial nominee who looks nervous while being questioned about protecting our rights. That ain't gonna fly in Peoria.

[selmo7]

53. arriving late here -

but yeah - he was VERY VERY NERVOUS! No doubt about it.
(well I would be too, but I'm not a judge either.)

[Viva_La_Revolution]

33. Thanks Guys!

[Sydnie]

36. thank you Viva

as usual! ;)

[cal04]

39. Thank you for starting this and everybody for posting

:hi: :yourock:

[bettyellen]

41. tks, Viva!

[Sydnie]

34. 3 more votes for greatest n/t

[Viva_La_Revolution]

37. Viewer reactions

Call-in on CSPAN

[Viva_La_Revolution]

42. first caller was repug...

most he had to say is that Alito has a fine record, and he's younger than I thought he would be.

second caller - The Vanguard thing bothers him

[Up2Late]

43. So is that it for the day? I have the sound off...

...what happens next?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

45. That's it till tomorrow....

Now we get to surf the news channels and pick up the spin...


But CSPAN SHEDULE says..

01:30 PM EST
5:30 (est.) LIVE
Senate Committee
Alito Confirmation Hearing, Day 2
Judiciary
Arlen Specter , R-PA
Samuel A. Alito Jr., U.S. Court of Appeals
The beginning and end of this live program may be earlier or later than the scheduled times.

gotta be wrong

[bettyellen]

49. what did you think of that weird Princeton crack?

is he trying to seem like a simple little homeboy? instead of an ivy league toady ass shill?

[lyonn]

55. His comment about the irrational and radical

people around him during his Princton era. Tom Curry, msnbc, now on c-span, mentioned it and quoted it, which I didn't, but that was Tom's first comment and he thought it was telling.

[bettyellen]

58. did hew use those words? sounds like code to me... irrational= women

radical= blacks, jews

remember the days when it was okay to say shit like that?

[lyonn]

61. I assumed he was referring to war protestor,

hippies, all those that thought they had rights. Silly them, the govt. knows best. Alito will make sure this pres. has all the power to put down these child killing, free loading population known as democrats.

[bettyellen]

62. i assumed it had to do with those he wanted to keep off campus....

it seemed more logical to me.

[lyonn]

65. Probably all of the above!

My words were not quotes but what stuck in my mind. All I could visualize was the dissent during that time on campus' and he was against all of it, including accepting the unacceptable into Princeton.

[bettyellen]

67. funny an "immigrant's son" felt so damned entitled, huh?

[gkhouston]

71. he didn't feel entitled, he felt insecure, hence the resentment.

got that bathbub yet?

[bettyellen]

74. they started work last week....

so, it's supposed to be April. they haven't done a thing for two or three days though. :shrug: they asked if i would move in with a neighbor, so they could do both places at once, and i laughed, because at the rate they went last place, that would take 20 months. so, it'll be anywhere from 3- 10 months. :shrug:

[gkhouston]

75. looks like you might able to inaugurate the place with an

indoor/outdoor party after all. I remember back when you thought they'd finish in the late fall... of 2005. :crazy:

[lyonn]

77. Correction to my post

he didn't say irrational or radical. He was discussing the turmoil on the campus' at that time and the word was "irresponsible".

[Up2Late]

59. What did he say about Princeton? I think he's a Yale Man...,

...just like all the other RW Criminals in our Government.

You know, I think I'm beginning to understand "Mr. Howell" (Gilligan's Island) meant when he would say in shocked disappointment, "Oh! A Yale Man!"

[bettyellen]

63. Yale Law, after Princeton.

[Up2Late]

52. Has CSPAN said when the replay of today's "action" starts?

They usually replay this sort of thing 2 or 3 times on the same day.

[bettyellen]

54. 8 PM

catch schumer and feingold.
awesome.

[bettyellen]

46. questioning begins tommorrow...

[Strawman]

56. This is going to be tough

Because the problem with Alito is never really going to be articulated quite right by the media. He is competent and he doesn't seem like an ideologue. He's not Tom Coburn, that would make it easy, but ultimately, he will passively allow us to go to the same place Coburn would lead us. The problem with him is that he doesn't believe in a living Constitution and most people don't have any appreciation why the fuck that matters. The problem with him is that if judges act like he does, the judiciary is hardly a check on the executive and legislative branches. If judges didn't have a living and expansive view of our rights and liberties, one that could evolve and change with the times, we wouldn't have many of the liberties we enjoy today. We're going from a country that used to be ahead of the curve in terms of human freedom to one that is behind. The courts protect minorities from majority tyranny. Sam Alito's literalist, narrow view of the Constitution makes it mostly meaningless in modern life. In general, of course it is good not to legislate from the bench. But ultimately this country is best served by a Supreme Court that has an expansive view of our rights. He has a philosophical bias that makes him incapable of keeping the Constitution alive. Conveniently, this dovetails nicely with his politics, which he claims are irrelevant. They may be, but ultimately the result is the same, and it's scary.

That objection is hard to capture in a soundbite against a man who looks so normal, and sounds competent and seems reasonable at face value. It's a debate that is over the head of the mainstream mass media. I heard Feingold and Durbin make the arguments, but I don't think he will be forced to answer them by the media. If they don't nail him on something shady, it's going to be tough to win on the merits of the core objection.

Think I'm going to post this at my blog...for further discussion, see
http://thedailynode.blogspot.com/

[Sydnie]

57. These c-span callers are wack! n/t

[Sydnie]

60. Grassley after party statement

"history brings balance" . Yeah, it brougt balance for Hitler too, but a whole hell of a lot of people had to suffer, flee, fear, die, and buck the system before balance was restored ... you asshat!

[Viva_La_Revolution]

64. I caught that too..

What does he think, History just fixes itself?
Senators have nothing to do with it?

[Neil Lisst]

69. Grassley was once called "the 2 dumbest Senators in the Senate"

It's so accurate, too.

[Skidmore]

72. But, Chuck can mow his lawn with 3 lawnmowers at the same time.

[Neil Lisst]

68. I predict Mrs. Alito will be played by Mya Rudolph or Tina Fey.

When SNL does its skit about the hearings.

Since when do we need spouses at these hearings?

I don't recall seeing them at other nominations.

He's married, got kids, got a wife, got a mother. I'm convinced! Swear him in! Sheesh.

[Sydnie]

73. Listening to the replay - retirement age is in jeopardy

He was very forceful about the fact that his mother worked as a teacher and a principal "until she was forced to retire". Scary shit, that statement.

[gkhouston]

76. in BushWorld, how many people can afford to retire?

Except, of course, those rich enough to be receiving significant tax cuts? :sarcasm:


Seriously... I think this guy shouldn't be approved because he's too mean-spirited and narrow. A justice needs to intepret the law with some compassion for others, and I'm not seeing any evidence of that.

[Tsiyu]

78. For those who wish to catch up

:kick: alito

[Tsiyu]

80. Thanks for keeping it going

This issue supersedes all issues

[Tsiyu]

81. Kick

:kick:

[Tsiyu]

82. kick

:kick: