Alito voted out of committee 10 to 8, and a nation holds its breath
Guy T. Sturino
January 24, 2006
Today’s meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee went exactly as expected. Ten Senators voted to confirm Judge Samuel Alito as Justice of the Supreme court, and eight Senators voted to deny his confirmation. Those who voted to deny his confirmation spoke to Judge Alito’s judicial leanings as established by his record on the Appeals Court and his past writings. Those who voted to confirm his nomination touted his numerous recommendations by other judges and the American Bar Association.
Those not willing to confirm expressed their concerns about a court which would likely, in their opinion, begin a long period of limiting individual freedoms, increasing the power of the President and diminishing the role of Congress. Several spoke directly to the issue of a woman’s right to an abortion, which they felt would be in serious jeopardy. On the other side, several attacks on the dissenting Senator’s motives were made, calling their stated reasons no more than politically motivated and without basis.
Only one side seemed to be concerned about the balance of power in government, civil rights, and abuses of law enforcement authority. The other side expressed concern about deference to the president, and an open, almost gleeful, expectation that Roe v. Wade would be overturned. Since Senate hearings on c-span are not something many people watch, both sides were simply getting their views on the record in a format that maybe would be reported in a favorable light in the media.
The truth is, unfortunately, that regardless of what the majority of Americans might want, this Senate has, for the past five years, done exactly as it pleases without fear of repercussions from their constituency. Strong evidence indicates that the majority in this Senate are well insulated from any concern about funds for their next reelection campaign by the deep pockets of special interests. Judge Alito has shown a strong preference for the rights of corporations over individuals and even the Congress. Congress itself has enriched corporations with taxpayer dollars at an unprecedented pace.
Thoughtful reflection on the legislation which has been passed recently, and the documented history of Judge Alito’s philosophical bent toward a super strong administrative branch can have only one conclusion. There is a majority in the Senate today who don’t give a flea’s eyebrow for any person in the United States with a net worth less than several million dollars. All the talk, all the sweet sounding words, and all the baby kissing and hand shaking in the world can’t hide a record of voting for one thing while promising another. Over half the Senate can be found nothing less than guilty as charged.
If our children grow up shouldering a greater national debt, less opportunity to earn more than a subsistence level income, a fear of being spied on by their government, and fewer rights and freedoms than their parents, the blame lies squarely on the shoulders of Congress, and in large measure on this Senate’s confirmation of Judge Samuel Alito as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. No, it isn’t his personal agenda, but it is most certainly the agenda of those who want him in this position.
Those not willing to confirm expressed their concerns about a court which would likely, in their opinion, begin a long period of limiting individual freedoms, increasing the power of the President and diminishing the role of Congress. Several spoke directly to the issue of a woman’s right to an abortion, which they felt would be in serious jeopardy. On the other side, several attacks on the dissenting Senator’s motives were made, calling their stated reasons no more than politically motivated and without basis.
Only one side seemed to be concerned about the balance of power in government, civil rights, and abuses of law enforcement authority. The other side expressed concern about deference to the president, and an open, almost gleeful, expectation that Roe v. Wade would be overturned. Since Senate hearings on c-span are not something many people watch, both sides were simply getting their views on the record in a format that maybe would be reported in a favorable light in the media.
The truth is, unfortunately, that regardless of what the majority of Americans might want, this Senate has, for the past five years, done exactly as it pleases without fear of repercussions from their constituency. Strong evidence indicates that the majority in this Senate are well insulated from any concern about funds for their next reelection campaign by the deep pockets of special interests. Judge Alito has shown a strong preference for the rights of corporations over individuals and even the Congress. Congress itself has enriched corporations with taxpayer dollars at an unprecedented pace.
Thoughtful reflection on the legislation which has been passed recently, and the documented history of Judge Alito’s philosophical bent toward a super strong administrative branch can have only one conclusion. There is a majority in the Senate today who don’t give a flea’s eyebrow for any person in the United States with a net worth less than several million dollars. All the talk, all the sweet sounding words, and all the baby kissing and hand shaking in the world can’t hide a record of voting for one thing while promising another. Over half the Senate can be found nothing less than guilty as charged.
If our children grow up shouldering a greater national debt, less opportunity to earn more than a subsistence level income, a fear of being spied on by their government, and fewer rights and freedoms than their parents, the blame lies squarely on the shoulders of Congress, and in large measure on this Senate’s confirmation of Judge Samuel Alito as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. No, it isn’t his personal agenda, but it is most certainly the agenda of those who want him in this position.
Print
Email
