Did specter just use the words "flaming liberal" during the opening statements?

Specter [paraphrasing]: "Alito can look like a flaming liberal or an arch conservative depending on the ruling you read."

1/9/2006 12:10:11 PM

i hope he doesn't take away a woman's right to eat her baby

1/9/2006 12:32:42 PM

mmmmm baby.

1/9/2006 12:39:59 PM

these hearings are ridiculous. And so is Kennedy. He called Alito "alleyoto"

The man has finally gone senile.

1/9/2006 2:18:09 PM

wait

is a bush-fan talking smack about how someone pronounces something?

1/9/2006 2:42:29 PM

Nucular.

It's pronounced nucular.

1/9/2006 2:59:21 PM

Yes I am. Alleyoto? Come on. I never claimed that Bush was the smartest. But the New England liberal Kennedy... he's supposed to be the all encompassing definition of intelligence, isn't he?


I like Brownback. He spoke very well. He's got my vote in 2008... so far.

1/9/2006 3:05:05 PM

are there any official odds that Alito gets confirmed?

1/9/2006 3:40:52 PM

Yes. The official odds are at "maybe", as set by the Occidental Office of Official Odds Officiation, or OOOOO.

1/9/2006 3:46:45 PM

It all pends on a democratic filibuster... I really don't think they have the balls to. But we'll see.

1/9/2006 3:50:44 PM

Name one bad thing about Alito.

1/9/2006 5:13:48 PM

according to Kennedy: he hasn't authored a single opinion protecting a minority from the clutches of the white aristocracy.

1/9/2006 5:14:46 PM

Seriously though, I have read complaints about him on mediamatters. I have yet to see a single case that he would decide wrongly on in anyone's opinion. That I think would be a constructive criticism. People say you can't "prejudge cases", but you can evaluate how a particular case HAS BEEN judged.

After all, if the words judicial activism have a meaning, it's that a judge interprets a case unreasonably in the opinion of the qualified majority. That his decisions have not demonstrated him to be whatever someone thinks any judge should prove themselves to be is just too vague of a complaint. Maybe he hasn't had enough of cases dealing with those issues.

1/9/2006 5:32:54 PM

Quote :

"It all pends on a democratic filibuster... I really don't think they have the balls to. But we'll see."

I wouldn't count that approach out yet. This is an election year, and the Democrats might do it to grandstand and fire up their supporters. Especially at a time when George W. Bush and the Republican Party are looking very vulnerable.

1/9/2006 5:40:40 PM

http://tinyurl.com/8gcgv

1/10/2006 1:13:55 AM

Wow, Bush is retarded.

1/10/2006 1:38:02 AM

Quote :

"As a judge, he dissented in 1991 as his appeals court threw out a Pennsylvania provision requiring a married woman seeking an abortion to notify her husband. The Supreme Court later upheld that ruling. CNN.com"

OK, now that's fucked up.

1/10/2006 3:49:52 AM

^ I agree with that. GG, Alito.

However, Leahy just grilled Alito on his membership in CAP and Alito gave a weak response: "I don't remember being in that group."

I think that may be his deal breaker, not Roe, not domestic spying, but this.

1/10/2006 10:38:54 AM

Also, women shouldn't be allowed to learn to read.

1/10/2006 11:20:31 AM

how do you know he's not going to say stuff "just to get a job" again?

what a maroon.

1/10/2006 11:23:08 AM

He's a slavish lapdog to authority.

1/10/2006 12:15:26 PM

^ not according to the non-partisan ABA.

Hey, I can make unfounded claims too! Watch!

pryderi's mom is a crack whore that takes it exclusively in the ass by migrant mexican workers with expired work visas.

1/10/2006 12:20:25 PM

He approves of police interpreting a warrant in order to strip search a 10 year old girl.

1/10/2006 12:36:19 PM

gg Joe Biden

Quote :

"Sen. Joe Biden (D): Looking for more qualified candidates, that's how businesses discriminate."

Moving civil rights forward one confirmation hearing at a time...

1/10/2006 12:40:22 PM

Quote :

"^ not according to the non-partisan ABA. Hey, I can make unfounded claims too! Watch! pryderi's mom is a crack whore that takes it exclusively in the ass by migrant mexican workers with expired work visas"

I founded my claim. You're just a mean-spirited twerp without arguments.

1/10/2006 1:16:36 PM

What's the CAP thing about? I keep hearing Princeton, ROTC, CAP, what the shit happened?

1/10/2006 2:21:31 PM

His tone makes him sound scared as shit.

CRY!

[Edited on January 10, 2006 at 2:27 PM. Reason : -]

1/10/2006 2:27:32 PM

Quote :

"What's the CAP thing about? I keep hearing Princeton, ROTC, CAP, what the shit happened?"

CAP is short for Concerned Alumni of Princton. They were a group that, among other things, advocated minimizing the acceptance of women and minorities into Princeton. When called out on the fact that he listed that on his resume in the 80s and obtained a federal judgeship under Reagan, Alito responded "I don't remember being a part of that group, but if it's on the resume, then I obviously was." He went on to say that he was never active, never a leader, never even at the meetings. I thought that was weak. If you were a member then own up to it and apologize. However, the group did advocate for keeping ROTC on campus, which is why he says he would've been a member of that group.

So I thought that was weak... although, I'm impressed by him so far.

Quote :

"He's a slavish lapdog to authority."

Quote :

"I founded my claim. You're just a mean-spirited twerp without arguments."

I hope that wasn't the claim that you say you founded. If so, that's as weak as Alito saying "oh I don't remember being a part of CAP.

I'm just saying, he's not a slavish lapdog to authority. It's difficult to get a top rating by the ABA... you're definitley no slouch and no one's tool to garner that very prestigious honor.

[Edited on January 10, 2006 at 3:39 PM. Reason : .]

1/10/2006 3:35:26 PM

Quote :

"abonorio: It's difficult to get a top rating by the ABA"

Am I the only one that thinks the GOP is going to vastly regret touting the ABA at these hearings?

I'm waiting for W's next nomination to get just a "qualified" rating...

1/10/2006 3:46:23 PM

well wait and see. Roberts was top rated too.

1/10/2006 3:50:27 PM

Quote :

"I wouldn't count that approach out yet. This is an election year, and the Democrats might do it to grandstand and fire up their supporters. Especially at a time when George W. Bush and the Republican Party are looking very vulnerable."

I don't think they would risk it. Problem is, Frist only needs 50 votes to pull the Constitutional Option and eliminate ALL filibusters on judicial nominees - which would open the doors wide open for Bush to appoint the hardest-right judges he can find. (I nominate me.) The Gang of 14 consisted of 7 Republicans, which would mean that he has 48 votes now. And DeWine and Graham have both said that if there is a filibuster on Alito they would vote for the Constitutional Option.

1/10/2006 7:58:58 PM

Advocates of the "nuclear option" are no doubt the biggest pussies in the world.

Period.

1/10/2006 8:02:28 PM

i liked roberts.

I dont like this guy.

1/10/2006 8:16:01 PM

Wow... specter and kennedy are going at it.

It's hilarious.

1/11/2006 12:40:22 PM

Does Senator Cornyn ask any questions. I haven't been watching much, but I've yet to hear any. He just seems to defend Alito.

1/11/2006 5:24:21 PM

I've watched the 2 days, and it ranges. Attack attack attack defend defend defend.

It's like it's a show for the senators to show one another up. It's a waste of time. I wish they'd as fucking questions.

1/11/2006 5:32:50 PM

Quote :

"Am I the only one that thinks the GOP is going to vastly regret touting the ABA at these hearings? I'm waiting for W's next nomination to get just a "qualified" rating..."

We've had lower ranked ABA nominees make it to the court before. From USA Today:

Quote :

"Chief Justice John Roberts, 2005, unanimous well-qualified. Justice Stephen Breyer, 1994, unanimous well-qualified. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 1993, unanimous well-qualified. Justice Clarence Thomas, 1991, 12 votes for qualified, two votes for not qualified and one recusal. Justice David Souter, 1990, unanimous well-qualified. Justice Anthony Kennedy, 1987, unanimous well-qualified. Douglas Ginsburg, 1987, withdrew nomination before receiving ABA rating. Robert Bork, 1987, majority well-qualified, four votes for not qualified. Bork was rejected by the Senate. Justice Antonin Scalia, 1986, unanimous well-qualified. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, 1981, well-qualified on judicial temperament and integrity, qualified on professional competence. Justice John Paul Stevens, 1975, unanimous well-qualified."

1/11/2006 5:39:49 PM

Wow, they made Mrs. Alito cry.

What the fuck? This is terrible.

1/11/2006 5:53:07 PM

^
I missed that part.

Details?

1/11/2006 6:42:41 PM

Well they've spent 2 days kind dragging alito through the mud (I don't really blame them, it's a high position... i just wish more QUESTIONS would be asked instead of speeches by the senators, of both parties). Lindsey Graham takes his turn and gives an apology to Alito and his family about all of the horrible things that have been said by his colleagues about him, and she starts to cry and leaves the hearings.

1/11/2006 7:07:03 PM

i would hope they would make anyone cry with the scrutiny it takes to get this job.

personally, i dont want some crazy hard-right catholic presiding over the highest court, but im sure i dont "get it"

[Edited on January 11, 2006 at 7:12 PM. Reason : .]

1/11/2006 7:11:02 PM

Quote :

"I don't really blame them, it's a high position... i just wish more QUESTIONS would be asked instead of speeches by the senators, of both parties"

^ maybe you missed that part?

1/11/2006 7:16:47 PM

Lindsay Graham is the biggest syncophantic asslicker in the senate. I swear to god, I don't know how he can manage to fellate and praise every republican appointee at the exact same time.

1/11/2006 7:23:35 PM

Having Ms. Alito cry as a republican claimed democrats were calling him a bigot just clinched him the nomination.

Republicans are devious.

1/11/2006 8:21:59 PM

Last I checked, Lindsay Graham is one of the few republicans who has publicly rebuffed Bush on his wiretapping program. That doesn't sound like the work of a syncophantic asslicker to me.

1/11/2006 8:25:21 PM

you misunderestimated

1/11/2006 8:29:16 PM

yeah, wait, isnt' graham one of the gang of 14?

nice try. I really don't think Graham is in the corner of the republican asshole that you think he is.

1/11/2006 9:16:32 PM

Quote :

"Does Senator Cornyn ask any questions. I haven't been watching much, but I've yet to hear any. He just seems to defend Alito."

God damn, I hate that asshole.

1/11/2006 10:53:10 PM

Quote :

"However, Leahy just grilled Alito on his membership in CAP and Alito gave a weak response: "I don't remember being in that group.""

If Alito is proven to be a liar, should he be confirmed?

[Edited on January 13, 2006 at 3:26 AM. Reason : .]

1/13/2006 3:23:54 AM

Quote :

"Wow, they made Mrs. Alito cry. What the fuck? This is terrible."

Agreed. There's nothing worse than getting your feelings hurt before your husband gets a lifetime appointment with a 200K/year salary.

1/13/2006 8:00:18 AM