More on Samuel Alito

I don't see any benefit in opposing the nomination of Judge Alito for the Supreme Court. I've reviewed some of Alito's opinions. Yes, he is clearly a conservative and no, I don't agree with all of his positions, but I do find them reasonable.

Given the right wing slant of this administration and congress, the next nominee WILL be an apparent conservative. I say apparent because good people, of integrity and intelligence, often grow when they become a member of the Supreme Court and realize that the buck now stops with them, that there ain't no Supremes looking over their shoulder to correct mistakes and that THEY now have the final responsibility for the protection of the rights of all citizens in their hands. It is now up to them to defend the minority from the tyranny of the majority.

Judge Alito certainly has the credentials. I don't see ANY justification for the current foaming at the mouth of some Democrats. Alito may be the best option we're going to get. The Democrats need to understand that this isn't a battle they can win. If they decide to fight it anyway, it's just going to divert attention away from other issues and they're going to look like obstructionist idiots at the same time. In other words, they're going to play right into the Republicans hands.

Unless some new information comes to light from private papers or speeches, I don't think it makes any sense to oppose this nomination especially given the fact that he was unanimously approved for the 3rd Circuit. Trust me, this guy is MUCH better than Miers. At least Alito doesn't go around saying "golly gee, George, you're just the bestest president ever (*clutch hands & rapidly blink eyes*).

My daughter is at Seton Hall Law, which is far from a conservative bastion despite being a Roman Catholic institution, and Judge Alito has apparently taught there as an adjunct professor. Here's what Seton Hall Law has to say about him.

"Samuel A. Alito began serving as an adjunct professor at the Law School in 1999, teaching Constitutional Law I during the fall semester. In the spring of 2000, he taught Constitutional Law II. In both the spring of 2003 and 2004, he taught a course on Terrorism and Civil Liberties, which he developed. That course examined constitutional and other legal questions presented by antiterrorism measures adopted by the U.S.

In 1995, Judge Alito was presented with the Law School’s Saint Thomas More Medal in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field of law.

'Judge Alito is a man of outstanding character and qualifications whom we are proud to see nominated for this position,' said Dean Patrick E. Hobbs upon learning of the nomination."

I find it hard to oppose the nomination of a man for the Supreme Court who has developed a law school course on "Terrorism and Civil Liberties," who has been a professor of Constitutional Law and who has been a Federal Court of Appeals judge for 15 years!