ALITO CONFIRMATION HEADED TO SENATE FLOOR

The Senate Judiciary Committee following a party line vote of 10 - 8 approved the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito sending it to the Senate floor where his confirmation is expected to take place by the end of this week. Democrats were united in their agreement with Republicans that Alito is highly qualified to sit on the High Court. Their opposition was based on purely ideological reasons based on perceived notions as to how they felt Alito might vote were certain cases to come before the court. Using Alito's record and the usual misinterpretations and exaggerations of that record as they did in the hearings Democrats once again attempted to paint this fine American as bad for the country and that his confirmation would reverse the court and in essence set the country back years. Again they have claimed in many of their statements to speak for the American people with statements such as, "the American people deserve to hear more, " by Chuck Schumer. The purpose of the advise and consent responsibility of the Senate as specified by the Constitution is to determine the qualifications of a nominee and whether there are skeletons in the closet that could jeopardize that nominee as a justice. Their responsibility is NOT to determine how a nominee will judge a case based on that nominees beliefs as Democrats have done with Alito. The determination of Committee Democrats that he was qualified to sit on the bench should have been where their , "advise, " ended. When liberal Clinton appointees Justice Ginsberg and Justice Breyer were sent to the Senate floor by committee during their confirmation process, Republicans though disagreeing with the nominees beliefs passed them through committee because they were qualified and did not use a litany test based on personal perception as to how the Senator believes the nominee will judge a case as Democrats have done with Alito. I have stated before that the process of Judiciary Committee hearings to question a nominee is good for the American people as it is quite possibly the only time that we can listen to the opinions and legal qualifications of a judge. It is also good to investigate a judges qualifications but no one can or should expect a nominee to pre-judge a case and the perception of any possible judgment should never be the determination of that judges appointment. The President appoints according to his judicial philosophy and that is the Constitutional privilege of winning an election. The Senate does not have that authority yet Democrats believe it their responsibility to rip a conservative nominee and attempt to demonize them for political purposes. This will continue on the Senate floor. Confirmation is more or less certain. Let's hope that some Democrats rather than political grand standing to appease their base follow their Constitutional responsibility and place their consent to a qualified and deserving nominee and not just party loyalty.

Ken Taylor