Alito Confirmation Hearings Begin Today

Alito Confirmation Hearings Begin

Some concerns might involve an 'up or down vote' vs a filibuster as well as Bush's authorization of spying.

Bush added, "The Supreme Court is a dignified body; Sam is a dignified person. And my hope, of course, is that the Senate bring dignity to the process and give this man a fair hearing and an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor."

The reference to an up-or-down vote addressed the prospect that Senate Democrats could decide to block Alito through a filibuster, which would mean the nominee would need at least 60 votes in the 100-member body, instead of a simple majority, to win confirmation. Liberal advocacy groups have called for the defeat of Alito, but no senator has yet come out publicly in favor of a filibuster against him.

Bush-Authorized Spying Spills into the Alito Hearings

Senators say Alito's writings endorsing a strong executive have taken on new significance since the disclosure that President George W. Bush authorized eavesdropping on American citizens without court approval.

Democrats have decided the issue is so politically potent that they are leaving questions on abortion mainly to Republicans -- a tactic that runs the risk of offending some of their strongest supporters. The intense focus on presidential power has unnerved some women's rights groups, which have traditionally played a central role in Supreme Court confirmation hearings.

A Field Guide to the Confirmation Hearings

Alito's Senate confirmation hearings, which begin this week, will be anything but bland or dull. After a long holiday truce, the battle over Alito's nomination suddenly flared again last week, with dueling D.C. press conferences, partisan advertisements, and e-mail campaigns creating the illusion, if not the real prospect, that Alito is in for a far tougher time than Roberts.

This should be fun and interesting to follow.

[edit on 9-1-2006 by Benevolent Heretic]

I so the hearings and I can tell you the man was so nervous that his voice sounded like he was about to lose it.

The man has a bad record and that alone is going to bite him in the butt.

But he is the Ally that Bush wants in the supreme court now that he is doing all kind of illegal stuff, he will be in his favor.

Originally posted by marg6043
The man has a bad record and that alone is going to bite him in the butt.

Please, tell us more about this "bad record". I'd like to hear it.

I'm surprised that this thread doesn't have a hundred responses. I watched part of the hearings, and the sub-story of the despicable display put on by the Democratic senators was almost a headline unto itself. The display put on by Kennedy was shameful; he should be censured. And he should check into a clinic immediately; his alcoholism is a disgrace to the American Senate. He does not deserve to be a Senator.

Originally posted by jsobecky
The display put on by Kennedy was shameful; he should be censured. And he should check into a clinic immediately; his alcoholism is a disgrace to the American Senate. He does not deserve to be a Senator.

I didn't see Kennedy's 'contribution'. Was he drunk or something? Can you elaborate on this 'alcoholism' claim? I rarely watch TV news so I don't see him in his public personna very often. Thanks.

I'm surprised there aren't more people talking about this, too, maybe because it's just boring?

Edit: I know Kennedy has had trouble with alcohol in the past, and that he's alcoholic, I'm just wondering if he's drinking again.

[edit on 12-1-2006 by Benevolent Heretic]

And not even remotely good entertainment.
anyone still "proudly Republican" or whatever they label themselves in the Bush camp, should be thoroughly disgusted with the GOP "4 Corners Offense" = run the clock out on their question period without ever asking a question until they throw up such a puff whiff of one that it's inconsequential.

Yeah, Kennedy's had some drinking and murder problems in his past, but I don't think that applies to this situation. I'm guessing you're talking about Kennedy and Spector getting into an argument over whether Spector ever got something Kennedy sent to him. Kennedy claims he got a response from Spector, and Spector actually got the paper Kennedy sent him a while ago during the heiring, shortly after Kennedy brought it up. Looking at that, I suspect Spector either forgot about it or was lying about not ever getting it.

Still doesn't explain what the tirade did towards confirming Soon-To-Be Supreme Court Justice Ally Oto, but Kennedy is a democrat, so I'm sure he had a good reason.

Bout: I take it these little outbursts where the democrats have been arguing politics and instead of questioning Ally Oto or as they launch into a tirade of explaining why policies today are wrong is the right way to conduct this, aye?

Originally posted by junglejake
Yeah, Kennedy's had some drinking and murder problems in his past, but I don't think that applies to this situation.

I agree. Unless he showed signs of being drunk or 'off the wagon' I don't even know why it was brought up. Character assassination?

I'm guessing you're talking about Kennedy and Spector getting into an argument over whether Spector ever got something Kennedy sent to him.

This Video shows that argument and Kennedy seems pretty sober to me.

Looking at that, I suspect Spector either forgot about it or was lying about not ever getting it.

Seems Spector not only got the letter, but responded to it. I'm sure he has tons of coorespondence and forgot. He seemed pretty flustered to me.

Yeah, I've noticed that most right wing programs that have been talking about this story are leaving that key factor out. You hear all about Specter banging the gavel and, essensially, telling Kennedy to shut up as continues to beat this dead horse (but it's only the Republicans who aren't staying on task, right bout? ), but there's no mention of the fact that Kennedy has Spector's response.

BH, lemme tell ya, I, too, get flustered when I start railing against something, getting all up-in-arms only to discover that I was dead wrong. I get even more flustered if I was dead wrong because I did exactly what I'm railing against.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
I didn't see Kennedy's 'contribution'. Was he drunk or something? Can you elaborate on this 'alcoholism' claim? I rarely watch TV news so I don't see him in his public personna very often. Thanks.

He was jones'ing quite badly - hands shaking, face red,etc.

And what was the burning info that he just had to know about? He was trying to paint Alito as a sexist because of his membership in the CAP club, a (at that time) male students club, 25 years ago, when Alito attended Princeton.

Kennedy never mentioned his own membership in the males-only Owls Club when he was at Harvard.

Friggin hypocrite!

Edit: I know Kennedy has had trouble with alcohol in the past, and that he's alcoholic, I'm just wondering if he's drinking again.

He never stopped.

from Bout Time
And not even remotely good entertainment.
anyone still "proudly Republican" or whatever they label themselves in the Bush camp, should be thoroughly disgusted with the GOP "4 Corners Offense" = run the clock out on their question period without ever asking a question until they throw up such a puff whiff of one that it's inconsequential.

Bah! Bullcrap! You wanna talk about killing time, how about the twelve minute question that Biden asked the other day?

from junglejake
Still doesn't explain what the tirade did towards confirming Soon-To-Be Supreme Court Justice Ally Oto, but Kennedy is a democrat, so I'm sure he had a good reason.

That's the problem with the current crop of Democrats - they think that since they are currently in the minority in Congress, that their main responsibility is to thwart the Republicans every chance they get.

WELL, WHAT ABOUT US, WE THE PEOPLE?? Sorry, Dems, your first responsibility is to do what is best for the people who elected you, even if that means co-operating with the Republicans once in a while. The same goes for the Republicans, but I don't see near as much antipathy coming from that camp.

And this CAP crap is nothing more than a red herring. Judge Andrew Napolitano, who was on the board of CAP at that time, says that Alito was a non-player in CAP. So this is nothing more than a lame attempt to dredge up something bad about the guy.

And Kennedy wants to subpoena records from CAP? What a waste of resources.

If i remember quite well is some murder problems in the Bush family also and drinking involve and who knows the drinking may have never stop.

Maybe Kennedy and Bush are drinking partners.

BTW Alitos looks like he was in the bring of crying but his wife did the theatrical exit for him.

I tell you if you can not take the heat don't get to close to the burner.

Originally posted by jsobecky
He was jones'ing quite badly - hands shaking, face red,etc.

Really? In the videos I've seen he looks quite calm and composed.

And what was the burning info that he just had to know about? He was trying to paint Alito as a sexist because of his membership in the CAP club, a (at that time) male students club, 25 years ago, when Alito attended Princeton.

Of course Kennedy (and others who don't want Alito confirmed) is going to go after every little piece of controversial information. That's the way this game is played on both sides.

Kennedy never mentioned his own membership in the males-only Owls Club when he was at Harvard.

Kennedy isn't being confirmed as a SC judge.

He never stopped.

Got any information at all on that? Anything? Any pictures? Video? Slurring speech? Any Kennedy Basher journalists out there who can back you up?

The same goes for the Republicans, but I don't see near as much antipathy coming from that camp.

I don't doubt that you notice it on one side more than the other.

And Kennedy wants to subpoena records from CAP? What a waste of resources.

That's what this body does best! Wastes time!

Originally posted by marg6043
If i remember quite well is some murder problems in the Bush family also and drinking involve and who knows the drinking may have never stop.

marg, this is a stretch even for you. Please supply details.:shk:

by jsobecky

Midland, Texas, in 1963 Miss Welch later (Laura Bush) struck and killed a young boy while running a stop sign. While the report was black out as the conditions of Miss Welch in the night of the accident they boy in question died from the accident.

While rumors said that she was romanticaly involve with the young star athlete the family denied that they dated.

Now how did the "kennedy accident happen" yes it was an accident just like Miss Welch accident.

Even you most remember that one.

The man is against women rights.

1980’s. Alito went further, however, saying the majority was wrong to strike down a requirement that women notify their spouses before having an abortion. The Supreme Court later rejected Alito’s view, voting to reaffirm Roe v. Wade.

His racial discrimantion is not see quite well by Blacks Americans. He will protect racist employers
[Bray v. Marriott Hotels, 1997]

ALITO WOULD ALLOW DISABILITY-BASED DISCRIMINATION
[Nathanson v. Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1991]

ALITO WOULD STRIKE DOWN THE FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT: The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) “guarantees most workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a loved one.”
Chittister v. Department of Community and Economic Development, 2000

ALITO SUPPORTS UNAUTHORIZED STRIP SEARCHES
Doe v. Groody, 2004

ALITO HOSTILE TOWARD IMMIGRANTS
The man does have a problem with racial minorities
Dia v. Ashcroft, 2003; Ki Se Lee v. Ashcroft, 2004

If Alitos is the decising vote on Roe V. Wade as a suppreme court judge the GOP will definitly be destroy by voters spliting.

Roe vs Wade is about privacy the privacy of citizens and the rights of women in this country.

The GOP will not survived.












[edit on 12-1-2006 by marg6043]

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
Really? In the videos I've seen he looks quite calm and composed.

You didn't see his hands shaking uncontrollably?

Of course Kennedy (and others who don't want Alito confirmed) is going to go after every little piece of controversial information. That's the way this game is played on both sides.

He should stop playing games and start acting like a US Senator.

Kennedy never mentioned his own membership in the males-only Owls Club when he was at Harvard.

Kennedy isn't being confirmed as a SC judge.

How did I know that would be your response? He is a hypocrite, and you want to defend him.

He never stopped.

Got any information at all on that? Anything? Any pictures? Video? Slurring speech? Any Kennedy Basher journalists out there who can back you up?

Tons and tons of sightings. Regardless, the best he can hope to ever call himself is a "dry drunk".

The same goes for the Republicans, but I don't see near as much antipathy coming from that camp.

I don't doubt that you notice it on one side more than the other.

And I don't doubt that you'd pooh-pooh it as "That's just the way the game is played".

That's what this body does best!

Wastes time!

Aha! See what I mean?

Originally posted by marg6043
by jsobecky

Midland, Texas, in 1963 Miss Welch later (Laura Bush) struck and killed a young boy while running a stop sign. While the report was black out as the conditions of Miss Welch in the night of the accident they boy in question died from the accident.

While rumors said that she was romanticaly involve with the young star athlete the family denied that they dated.

marg, you're really being intellectually dishonest. Here's what you said:

If i remember quite well is some murder problems in the Bush family also and drinking involve

1. There was NO murder problems in the BUSH family.
2. There was NO drinking problem in the ACCIDENT that happened with Laura (Welch) Bush. You want to throw dirt onto a teenage girl's past? The blacked out details had nothing to do with drinking, and you know it.

Now how did the "kennedy accident happen" yes it was an accident just like Miss Welch accident.

Yes it was an accident. He hit that bridge so hard that Ms. Kopechne's panties ended up in the glove compartment of the Oldsmobile.

And he tried to cover it up. Did you ever hear the details of the aftermath? He is definitely a danger to women in general.

The man is against women rights.

It's going to take a lot more than a bunch of sensational headlines to convince me. Especially since some of the decisions he made were sound legal reasoning, like your first example:

1980’s. Alito went further, however, saying the majority was wrong to strike down a requirement that women notify their spouses before having an abortion. The Supreme Court later rejected Alito’s view, voting to reaffirm Roe v. Wade.

A man has every right to have a say in the life of his prospective child. It wasn't conceived in secret, unless the wife was an adulterous whore. Enough said.

Originally posted by jsobecky
You didn't see his hands shaking uncontrollably?

No. And I'm not sure that would indicate aforementioned 'jonesing' for alcohol, and even if it did, that doesn't mean he's off the wagon. Does it?

How did I know that would be your response? He is a hypocrite, and you want to defend him.

I'm not defending him specifically. I'm just telling you the reason that his past affiliations don't matter in this case. If he were being confirmed, you can believe I'd support people questioning him, regardless of their personal issues.

Tons and tons of sightings. Regardless, the best he can hope to ever call himself is a "dry drunk".

No links, then, huh?

I just googled Ted Kennedy with the term 'dry drunk' because I didn't know what it means and all I got were links to George W Bush.

And I don't doubt that you'd pooh-pooh it as "That's just the way the game is played".

The game sucks, I hate it, too, but why should this be any different than thousands and thousands of hours they spend blah-blah-blahing about every single thing they do?

It's going to take a lot more than a bunch of sensational headlines to convince me.

Well, it sure doesn't take that much to convince you that Kennedy is a POS.

Marg, if you want to know about the "murder" and why her record was expunged, why drinking was never factored into it, and why it wasn't murder, we extensively discussed it on this thread. Long story short, she was a minor, and the law expunges minor's records. Maybe the law was created to protect Laura? Laura Bush also isn't the greatest practical physicist on the planet, so, if you read through the details of the accident that are delved into on that thread, she could not have planned that unless what Bout Time eluded to is accurate. I think it was that she has supernatural powers or something, you can read through the thread. Finally, alcohol probably wasn't involved because police on the scene said alcohol wasn't involved.

BH, we know Kennedy is still a drunk because Sean Hannity says his name as Ted >hic< Kennedy Seriously, I really don't give a krump if the guy is a drunk. Ted Kennedy gives us so, so, so many more reasons to think of him as a dumbbutt hypocrite, we don't need to bring his alcohol addiction into the mix to explain it. Besides, I can definitely understand how someone who has seen most of his family assassinated or killed over his life might try to escape through a bottle and not be able to find his way out.

JSO, I disagree that it is the representative to represent all the people in the country. First, it is that politicians responsibility to represent their district or state's wishes primarily. Then, it is the people's responsibility to remove that representative from power through the vote if that person is not doing a good job. The fact that Ted Kennedy is still a senator says one of two things:

1. More than half the population of Massachusetts are not doing their civic duty, or

2. The people in that state like pork and like to waste time.

The Miss Welch "Accident" is full of controversies and none will never be explain that is a fact.

Kennedy was an accident also but because he was not a "Young teen girl" that later married into the "Bush Family" his controversial "Accident" has been given all kind of "Explanation" whenever somebody has to bring his dark past.

A death by accident in a car is still a killing of somebody Innocent be Kennedy "Accident or Miss Welch Accident" somebody got killed.

A man has every right to have a say in the life of his prospective child. It wasn't conceived in secret, unless the wife was an adulterous whore. Enough said.

I can believe that in this time an age you can said something like that without knowing the problems that the women may find herself before becoming pregnant with another man child, Jsobecky.

Who are you, Alitos or anybody to dictate, tag and name calling a women as an adulterous whore.

Judging a women base of personal opinions because you may feel in power to do that is bias against women.

No wonder men in our country feels that they should control women in any aspect of life how sad.

A women is not a property or something that should be used and discarted as toilet paper when men are finished with them.

Women has rights just like men do and they include privacy.

Shame on you.

Originally posted by jsobecky
A man has every right to have a say in the life of his prospective child.

Where is this 'right' stated? Or is it just your opinion? Yes, it's just your opinion, and not a 'right' at all.

JJ - Thanks for your perspective. Hannity! :shk: No wonder I don't know what a slob Kennedy is. I don't watch Hannity!

Man! Is this thread off-topic! Anything to say about Alito, anybody?

Originally posted by marg6043
Kennedy was an accident also but because he was not a "Young teen girl" that later married into the "Bush Family" his controversial "Accident" has been given all kind of "Explanation" whenever somebody has to bring his dark past.

That's really the problem with Laura's accident and why Ted should get a pass for his, isn't it. No Bush ties. Knowing Bush = guilty. Being associated with a donkey = innocent.