Well, if the conservative Right Wing in America was less than enamoured with the nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court, they are ecstatic with the nomination of Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr. Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. has a long record of rulings on highly charged issues from abortion to the First Amendment.
President Bush, reeling from a spate of controveries over Iraq, Harriet Miers, Scooter Libby and Katrina, is looking to save his presidency and re-engage his conservative base by nominating an unquestioned conservative. This nomination will serve as a test of Bush’s power going foward towards 2008. If Bush cannot get this nomination through a Republican Senate, the “lame duck” tag that some pundits have hung on him may stick. However, if Alito is confirmed, Bush could be “back in business” when it comes to other parts of his agenda.
For the Democrats, the Alito nomination represents an interesting quandry. For the last few months–maybe even years–it seems like we’ve been living in a one party country. Since the war in Iraq began, Democrats have been hiding in the shadows, making sure their Congressional and Senatorial seats are safe. With President Bush weakened by controversy and polling in the low 40s, Democrats have chosen to remain silent. Now, by nominating Alito, however, President Bush has launched an attack on the Democratic Party’s most prized issue, abortion. Judge Alito once wrote that women should be forced to notify their husbands and enter counseling prior to having an abortion. I’ve always said that the Democratic Party doesn’t stand for anything except abortion. Everything else is negotiable. So Alito, who is clearly Pro-Life, will test the Democrats’ mettle. Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont has already called the nomination “needlessly provocative.” Will the Dems pull out the filibuster? Let’s see how it plays out.
Here is a excellent article on TheStateOf…the Bush Administration.
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