Monday, December 05, 2005

Alito: Death by 1,000 documents

I don't understand why the Samuel Alito nomination is still considered a shoo-in. As more documents are released and studied, there are more and more difficult issues he needs to face. At some point, you would think somebody would say, "Look, each of these may be a small thing, but taken together, there's a pattern of clear advocacy and questionable actions on your part." This AP story does exactly that.

The list is getting longer every day. The man presided over cases in which he had a financial interest.

He advised the Reagan administration to use guerilla style tactics to chip away at abortion rights, and didn't provide the document when asked by the Congress.

Then there was his full-throated support of shooting potential felons when there's no threat posed to police officers or the public. The memo specifically outlines Alito's beliefs as he tries to lobby his seniors to take the position. That's a far cry from his claims that those memos reflect the attitudes and opinions of a very conservative administration.

At the very least, Alito has a very loose definition of "honest." Isn't that enough to seriously damage his chances when he sits before the Judiciary Committee? Is this a meme that's waiting to develop?

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