I Know Why Mrs. Alito Sobbed
If it wasn't my own fine Lord Biden of Delaware, going on and on about Princeton in a gibberish that bordered on juvenile, then it was Lord Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts getting it into his head that he was Chairman of the House of Lords' judiciary committee and calling for an unwarranted executive session.
Then we had Lord Schumer of New York declare unequivocally that Alito would overturn the beloved right to abortion so cherished by Schumer's supporters.
As he told Wolf Blitzer on CNN:
As you know I questioned him pretty hard on Roe v. Wade. I came to a conclusion that in all likelihood he would vote to overturn. That was increased this morning by Senator Durbin's questioning, made it -- you know, it seemed even more so. And that's something that'll have to be weighed along with other issues.
For two grueling days, the Lords in their House questioned the Supreme Court nominee about what was basically nothing, yes nothing, nothing, and more nothing. Nothing at all.
It was about abortion and some little-known Princeton alumni organization that supposedly fought against the admission of minorities and women in that august institution. The "Concerned Alumni of Princeton" is the group and Alito was once a member. He had the audacity of list his membership in that organization in a resume submitted in 1985.
Since when does our constitution call for the Lords, in their role of providing advice and consent for Supreme Court nominees, to consider every line in every resume ever submitted by a nominee to be the stuff of high drama?
A Supreme Court nominee should be a qualified jurist. He or she should come with recommendations from the Bar Association and should have a work history that's reasonably clean and steady. He or she probably shouldn't have a criminal record. Supreme Court nominees really shouldn't have to discuss cases on which they might rule in the future. I'm no judge but this smacks of common sense.
The Democrats are so afraid Alito might overturn their precious right to an abortion. Something I consider very unlikely but even so, the man is only one out of nine. Get a grip.
As for the CAP membership and the mention of same in a long-ago resume, this was political grandstanding and nothing less. We all have resumes out here in la-la land. If it's applicable and makes us look good to a potential employer, we put it in there. The allegation inferred regarding this CAP group is that they are racist and sexist. The group supposedly lamented the way Princeton has deteriorated since women and minorities were admitted to that vaunted institution.
Alito says he joined CAP because of his concern for Princeton's treatment of on-campus military recruiters.
Though it doesn't matter much what Alito said. The whole idea was to get a sound byte out there combining the words "Alito", "membership", and "denial of membership to women and minorities". The plan is to say it over and over again until that's all yon soccer Moms and NASCAR Dads hear as they carry this country on their backs.
Except, heh, those Moms and Dads are hearing way more than that. They're hearing instead the dust up between Arlen Spector and Ted Kennedy after Ted tried to pull a fast one by calling for an executive session when entirely inappropriate. Ostensibly the session would call for a subpoena of CAP records although such a thing was not needed. All information about this organization is freely in the public domain and has been for some time.
Again, grandstanding.
Much has been speculated over the tears shed by Sam Alito's wife, Martha-Ann Bomgardner.
"Why did she cry?" the pundits, mostly male, ask in a bewildered tone.
"She didn't break down in tears until Lindsay Graham began complimenting Alito," the handsome anchors lament.
"She should be ashamed," the liberal web sites excoriate.
I know why Mrs. Alito cried when Lord Graham tried to ease the tension after two days of difficult testimony by assuring the world that Judge Alito was no bigot and his record clearly reflected this.
Perhaps it's because I'm a woman that I get it.
But to think of having to sit behind my husband while those who have the power to hire and fire him grill him incessantly- the whole time inserting innuendo in every attempt known to man to cast aspersions on the nominee- I would imagine I'd be a big knot inside. I'd want to jump to my feet, to rail at those who are doing nothing more than bowing to their extreme political base with no mind to the real job at hand. Which is to provide senatorial advice and consent on Supreme Court nominees, not participate in a political grandstand that involves throwing anything against the wall and hope that it sticks.
We had Lord Biden mocking the man's education, even, at one point, donning a Princeton cap during this most solemn proceeding.
Mrs. Alito finally heard a kind word and I imagine the doors of pent up frustration opened wide and sure. A woman would react that way. I'm sure Mrs. Alito knew this wouldn't be a walk in the park but the viciousness and vacuousness of it all took its toll. She held up well for the most part. Until a kind word, a sort of assurance, finally came her way on behalf of the husband she obviously loves. She was so grateful, so happy that finally someone has a good thing to say about her husband she knew to be a good man.
I'd have cried too.
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Mexico Presidente Fox Threatens to Get Tough
First noted in a prior Notable/Quotables, Mexico’s Vincente Fox made some threats that has America shaking in its boots.
His threats included everything from seeking U.N. sanctions to hiring his own PR firm.
Seems a congress critter had an answer.
If this was an email, Fox could get Tancredo for “annoyance”.
MIND YOUR OWN BEE'S WAX"Which United States citizens voted (Mexican President) Vicente Fox into office? Vicente Fox was not elected by the American people. How dare he butt into our domestic policies. I, myself, have a bit of advice for Fox: it's not becoming of a member of the 'international community' to lob vague threats at one's neighbor. No 'amigo' of the U.S. threatens our sovereignty, and no good neighbor would entangle itself in our domestic politics."
- Rep. Tom Tancredo, Colorado Republican, responding to Fox's threats of retaliation if Congress moves forward on erecting a fence on the U.S./Mexican border
Conservatives and College
If the very liberal institutions of higher learning aren’t throwing out ROTC recruiting, they’re discouraging a future of conservative teachers.
It’s a section of our work force that the mega-teachers’ unions already have a lock on.
Can’t have conservatives out an about, expecting to work hard and teaching that dreams and hopes can be achieved by same, mucking up a good thing.
LEFT WAY OR THE HIGHWAY
"Many education schools discourage, even disqualify, prospective teachers who lack the correct 'disposition,' meaning those who do not embrace today's 'progressive' political catechism. Karen Siegfried had a 3.75 grade-point average at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, but after voicing conservative views, she was told by her education professors that she lacked the "professional disposition" teachers need. She is now studying to be an aviation technician."
- Columnist George Will
Not to State the Obvious
Former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry was robbed in his home recently, covered in a recent True Crime post.
While there are some questions regarding this “crime”, it’s without question that D.C. and other states that have banned guns still have the highest crime rates in the country.
Only problem, the criminals have the guns. If a person will commit a crime with a gun what on earth made the lawmakers assume he or she would obey such as laws on purchasing guns?
The honest citizens who don’t commit crimes, they’re the ones left defenseless.
"This week, the ex-mayor was the victim of a violent crime in 'gun-free' Washington, D.C. He was robbed at gunpoint by two young men who entered his apartment, held a gun to his head, and robbed him of his wallet, cash, and credit cards. The nearly three-decades-old ban did nothing to protect Barry. Despite the ban, Barry admitted that 'guns are everywhere.' What he didn't say is that those guns are in the hands of criminals, while the District's law-abiding citizens are prohibited from possessing them. Clearly, the ban has done nothing to stem the tide of armed criminals carrying out violent crimes."
- National Rifle Association, 1/6/05
Ted Kennedy-A Study In Hypocrisy
Actually, Kennedy is not alone in accepting special interest money for favorable congressional treatment, witness Jack Abramoff. He was, however, the biggest bloviator of them all during the recent Alito hearings.
Kennedy tried all manner of ways to disrupt what should have been dignified hearings, once compelling Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter to chastise this pathetic creature on national TV.
Since the fine Lord representing Massachusetts in the House of Lords puts himself valiantly on display for ridicule, well let us do the deed.
For Kennedy also had some issues with Alito’s ethics as if a man who left a young woman to drown in the bottom of a shallow pond should be questioning anyone’s ethics.
Thus, The Economist points out:
Ted Kennedy is deeply troubled by the ethics of the Supreme Court nominee. Between 2001 and 2006, Samuel Alito, who is currently an appeals court judge, accepted $7,684,423 in “donations” from special interests who perhaps wanted the law tweaked in their favour. That included $28,000 from defence contractors, $42,200 from drug firms and a whopping $745,373 from lawyers and law firms.
No, wait. Those are Senator Kennedy's conflicts of interest—or, rather, a brief excerpt from a long list compiled by the Centre for Responsive Politics.
The NSA Spy “Scandal”
Seems, by the NY Times, it depends on who is President whether electronic eavesdropping is a good or bad thing.
We note that the NY Times reported in 1999:
“If you made a phone call today or sent an e-mail to a friend, there’s a good chance what you said or wrote was captured and screened by the country’s largest intelligence agency.” (Steve Kroft, CBS’ 60 Minutes)
Those words were aired on February 27, 2000 to describe the National Security Agency and an electronic surveillance program called Echelon whose mission, according to Kroft, “is to eavesdrop on enemies of the state: foreign countries, terrorist groups and drug cartels. But in the process, Echelon’s computers capture virtually every electronic conversation around the world.”
And yet there was no outcry by the Times. Demands weren’t made for congressional investigations, whispers weren’t uttered for impeachment of President …Clinton?
The Quote This Week That Says It All
"The beginning of wisdom is to desire it." -- Solomon Gabirol
Ending With No Less a Personage Than Mother Theresa
"Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless."
Mother Teresa
More Notable/Quotables HERE
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