Tuesday, January 10, 2006

An Observation Regarding Samuel Alito

I don't want to knock Ronald Reagan from the fast track to sainthood so many seem to feel he deserves. I'm just saying that having Samuel Alito come up through the Reagan Justice Department through the years of the Iran-Contra affair... and now he's been nominated to the Supreme Court of the U.S. by an administration populated with rehabilitated names from the Iran-Contra affair... Poindexter and Abrams come to mind... and some of the briefs that he is acknowledged to have written during those years to argue cases before the Supreme Court.
Today he is saying that, as a judge, he doesn't "give heed" to his "personal views," but that he just interprets the law. Given that he will probably win the Senate's consent and sit on the Court I would really like to believe that. I would. Really. I would like to believe that a guy who came up representing the Iran-Contra administration could sit on the highest court in the country and give a fair hearing to arguments against... domestic spying?... civil rights of "suspected" terrorists?... malfeasance and
fiscal improprieties by members of Congress and lobbyists?... and interpret the law fairly. I would also like to believe in Santa Claus.

5 comments:

tully said...

What is the revelance of Iran-Contra, the fact that he was in the Justice Department (an unrelated department from the scandal) and his becoming a Supreme Court Justice?

Anonymous said...

I watched the hearings off and on Tuesday. The man is disingenuous and shifty, and I am particularly wary of a man who repeatedly says he supported a variety of policies in the past to get a job or in loyal support of a government colleague - but I didn't really believe that or, I'm different now. That doesn't sound like independent thought to me.

Anonymous said...

"... would also like to believe in Santa Claus."

And the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy and ...

We will end up with the best Supreme Court money can buy. For 30 years...

Anonymous said...

Has all the earmarks of a man with an agenda he doesn't intend to disclose lest he be disqualified.

Anonymous said...

Just read CNN news item that John Kerry is considering a filibuster against Alito. If only this action could block his appointment to the Supreme Court ... is this too much to hope for?