Thursday, January 12, 2006

 

Retreato On Scalito?



If the Democrats have an actual plan to filibuster the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court, it's the best-kept secret since D-Day.

Indeed, other than a single article indicating that Joementum (of all people) "hasn't ruled it out," there's been radio silence on the issue.

Putting aside his shucking and jiving on whether he'd vote to reverse Roe v. Wade (and how he'd rule on every other hot-button issue), it's not like he hasn't offered three different explanations about his ruling in cases in violation of his express promise to recuse himself where: (a) his sister's law firm represented a party; and (b) he held stock in one of the corporate parties. It's not like his explanation why he joined the Concerned Alumni of Princeton (CAP) -- a fretful rearguard organization dedicated to keeping women and minorities out of the university even absent affirmative action and where they could prove demonstrably better grades and higher test scores than white males -- made no sense.

Indeed, his entire career indicates a fawning willingness to suck up to power. Right now, what the country needs is a judicial candidate with the stones to stand up to the most aggressive, unchecked Executive power grab in history. Sam Alito is not that candidate.

But will the Democrats risk the anger of the GOP -- and possibly the latter's exercise of the "nuclear option?" If they won't filibuster this extremist perjurer, isn't their "right" to filibuster gone already?

posted by Michael 5:42 PM