The confirmation hearings for Sam Alito began yesterday. Not much happened really, each person on the Judiciary Committee got to make a speech, and then Alito got to make his opening remarks.
It was typical stuff from the Democrats, they will ask "tough questions that had better be answered". They are going to talk about abortion, Presidential powers in war time, and the character of Alito himself. He responded by saying that he would do his job to interpret the law to the letter, no more no less.
The Democrats face an un-enviable dilemma over Alito. They would love nothing more than to "Bork" him, that is make him out to be a racist, extremist, bigoted toad person. Remember the Supreme Court is their last bastion of power, we the people keep electing people that aren't good for us so they have to overturn any "bad" laws in the courts. But the problem is Alito is not a montser and everyone knows this. He is an excellent jurist who is very accomplished and knows his stuff.
So the Democrats real problem is that if they come down too hard on Alito they will look bad to their voters who put them in office. However the Liberal movers and shakers, the people with the money, want the Alito nomination killed at all costs. So the Democrats have to talk big and scary to appease the moveon.org crowd, while not sounding so rabid as to alienate the people back in their states who actually vote for them.
Maybe they should ask Tom Daschle for advice....
