Alito Gets Highest Ratings, While Opposition Groups Prepare For Battle

Posted on January 4, 2006

Hat tip: Michelle Malkin
The ABA gives Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito its highest rating. The vote was unanimous, with one recusal.

With the showdown set to go in less than a week, opposition groups like the ACLU are making every effort to whip up the opposition.

In its letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter and Ranking Member Patrick Leahy, the ACLU noted that Alito’s rulings over the last fifteen years on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit are largely consistent with the now well-publicized letter he submitted to the Reagan Administration seeking a position with the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Council. In the letter he expressed particular pride in the role he played in the Solicitor General’s Office in helping to craft Supreme Court briefs arguing “that racial and ethnic quotas should not be allowed and that the Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion.” His letter proclaimed that these were positions “in which I personally believe very strongly.”

“Our report demonstrates that Judge Alito has repeatedly taken a hostile position towards civil liberties and civil rights,” said Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. “New allegations about the White House’s civil liberties violations and violations of federal law make the Senate’s obligation to thoroughly examine the nominee’s record even more imperative.” ACLU

Meanwhile, a coalition of groups opposed to the nomination is preparing its campaign. Ralph Neas, head of People for the American Way, a liberal-leaning group, compares the coming battle to the 1987 fight over Judge Robert Bork.

“As you know I chaired the ‘Block Bork Coalition’ in 1987. In this coalition that’s mobilizing is as formidable a coalition as the progressive community has had since 1987,” Neas said. “Of course, this time it’s an arch-conservative replacing not another arch-conservative but a mainstream conservative … Maybe very importantly, is the extensive paper trail. This trail goes back over 20 years, in many ways it’s similar to Robert Bork’s paper trail in 1987.”

Despite the whirlwind surrounding the nomination, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, says he thinks Alito can have a fair and impartial hearing.

“I think his confirmation will be decided in the hearings. I maintain an open mind, want to go right down the middle and see to it that we handle him properly,” said Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa.

The crescendo of both anti- and pro-Alito campaigns is likely to peak over the weekend, just before the start of hearings. Both sides say their efforts won’t end there. They have the funding, and are prepared to fight it out, until the matter is decided on the Senate floor. FOX

Confirm Them notes:

It’s nice that the ABA embraced the obvious. But in the past, Democrats have called ABA ratings the “gold standard.” And the ABA’s announcement makes it that much more difficult for the Democrats to justify mistreating the nominee or mounting a filibuster. That’s not to say that the Dems won’t do it anyway.

Indeed.

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2 Responses to “Alito Gets Highest Ratings, While Opposition Groups Prepare For Battle”

Crazy Politico on January 4th, 2006 6:45 pm

Wasn’t that the criteria Kennedy &#38; Company were espousing during the Clinton years as the only thing the Senate should use to vote on judges?

Funny, I’ll be he doesn’t hold that position anymore.
D M Brown on January 4th, 2006 9:43 pm

Wow – I’m surprised. Why did the ABA do that? I guess they couldn’t contradict their earlier ratings.

But there’s no question that the ABA is the voice of the liberal faction of attorneys. This is big for Alito.