Alito Nomination, DEFCON 3
By Doug Edelman (11/01/05)
As the Liberal hacks like Reid, Kennedy et al begin to gear up the filibuster machine… it's time to put the birds in the air. No, the launch codes have not been invoked for the "Nuclear Option", but it's time for a show of force. Let the B-52's fly to fail safe!
The text for the rules change should be finalized. The necessary signatories should be put on standby – ready to sign the new rule blocking the filibuster on short notice. Let the libs know that we MEAN BUSINESS and want a fair hearing and up or down vote on Alito. Period.
Alito is eminently qualified. His character is unassailable. He has the education, experience and judicial temperament to meet the highest standards of the highest court.
As I've written before, the president IS and SHOULD BE entitled to his nominee, barring a finding that he/she is unqualified or a flaw in character is found. Miers qualifications were questionable, making for legitimate hesitancy to support her. On the other hand, Alito's qualifications are above reproach. The ONLY reason one would oppose his nomination is on idealogical grounds.
It is indeed an unfortunate evolution that has brought us to the place where ideology plays such a role in the confirmation process. Advise/Consent was not envisioned by the founders to be a forum for political football. The presumption has always been that barring incompetence or flaw of character, the President was entitled to have his nominee confirmed. This was (and is) a privilege of the Office of President. He is given the right and the responsibility to fill judicial vacancies with those who share his ideologies. To the victor goes the spoils. This is and should be a factor voters consider when casting their ballots.
Since the nomination of Judge Bork was successfully scuttled by the Left on idealogical grounds, the standard operating procedure of the Left has been to first, keep conservative nominees from ever coming before the floor for a vote via procedures and filibuster. Once a nominee successfully survived to reach an actual hearing, they would be maligned, slandered and have their character assassinated until they either stepped aside, or the left amassed enough votes to kill a nomination.
But then President Clinton had the opportunity to slide the court to the left. Ruth Bader Ginsburg sat before the Senate Hearings as a radical leftist… a former ACLU bulldog. Her ideology was well known. There was danger of her being "BORKED" with the same stick the left had beaten the right with. In forstalling that, she invoked what later became known as the "Ginsburg Rule" – refusing to answer ideologically based questions. Without that ammunition to use against her, and in deference to the "President gets his nominee" philosophy, Ginsburg was confirmed with over 95% of the Senate's affirmation. And while we did seat the leftmost leaning justice with that vote… we also began a positive turn in the court. The "Ginsburg Rule" had been established.
Chief Justice Roberts successfully invoked the very same rule in his hearings, and the Liberals were shut down cold. Embarassingly so. And despite all their grousing and posturing to their base… they could not prevent an overwhelming confirmation vote.
Comes now Samuel Alito. If he's allowed to actually come before the committee and hearings are held – a repeat of the Roberts hearings is foreseeable, with likely the same result – confirmation by a wide margin. So what's a good Liberal Warrior to do? The only thing they CAN do. Invoke the filibuster to attempt to keep him from coming before the committee for hearings.
If they do, Nuke 'em
Copyright © 2005 by Doug Edelman
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