... watching the hearings this morning. Then, after doing the "Midday" radio show, I ventured out into the real world. I knew the TiVo would save the afternoon session for me, but now, trying to watch it all, it seems so pointless and repetitive. Yes, I checked out the part where Lindsey Graham emoted and Mrs. Alito left the room. But is that anything? The imposition on the family of the nominee, forced to sit on camera all day, for days, is insane. Just about any damn thing these poor individuals do is justified, in my opinion. Frankly, I can't imagine what the loving spouse of the nominee would think of the Senators over the course of this ordeal. What is she thinking? Endure, endure, endure.
UPDATE, 10:40 pm: I'm slogging through the afternoon session on the TiVo. Boy, is it low energy -- just going through the motions. Alito seems to be grimly grinding through competent answers and the Senators seem to be just filling out their alotted time. We're laughing about how often Alito is just saying things are "crucially important," "critically important," "vitally important." We also laughed at Diane Feinstein saying: "You also said that precedent is not an exorable command..." Come on! If they're not even going to listen to themselves, why are we tuned in?
January 11, 2006
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18 comments:
Mrs. Alito is realizing that the Kennedy curse has different mojo where Teddy is concerned.
I am still waiting for my dream response: "Yes, but Senator Kennedy, I've never left a woman to drown."
Alas -- most of Ted's enemies er... Republican nominees are too nice, etc. to do so.
Verification word: qxbutf -- something about Quxxo, but I can't imagine what.
Ann, not for nothing, but your blog isn't displaying comments properly. If you have Firefox and Explorer, look at it in both & see for yourself. Or maybe it's just me. I have the latest versions of both.
Thersites: Yes, I know there are some problems with those browsers. Try checking the most recent archive to get to the current posts.
Those are the two most popular browsers, of course. Just trying to give you a heads up is all.
Doesn't it seem like you're not getting the number of comments you do usually? Just asking.
I've emailed Blogger about the problem. I think I'm getting a lot of comments.
I was so fresh and motivated...
Ann, blogger was having problems all day today, and even now it seems to be selling feminine hygiene products through your blog. You should speak to them about this, it's very annoying.
I watched just a few moments at midday, when Specter was asking his questions. Several times as the camera focused on Alito during the chairman's soliloquies, you could see his eyes go out of focus. Occasionally, he would allow himself to take sideward glances away from Specter. But then, it seemed, you could almost see him physically remind himself, "Okay, I've got to look him in the face" and jolt himself back to attention.
If this is how the grilled feels at his own grilling, one can only imagine how a poor spouse must feel. I know that my wife would say, "Bag this!" and be off. I'd want to go with her!
Mark Daniels
It would be very trying and taxing to be a spouse and see your mate grilled and attacked at times, knowing there is nothing you can do to ease his/her discomfort. Though I am biased in his favor, mostly because of his 15 yrs. as a federal Judge, I think he is doing very well. It is historical and it is depressing to see how few people are even interested. Judge Alito is in his prime and will give many years of good service to our nation as a SC Justice.
This morning , flipping through channels, I run across some talking head complaining that the Democrats weren't the reason Mrs. Alito cried, because it occured during the [softball] Graham questioning. Criminey.
Why surviving a mean-spirited distortion of your life with badgering questions is supposed to be a measure of fitness for SCOTUS (or any gov't job) is unclear. He certainly models grace under fire.
Then, they're not really looking for grace under fire. They just want to throw mud repeatedly and see what sticks, or impugn his integrity just to maul him. Either way.
Alito knows that no answer he gives would satisfy the Democrats. They do not want him in, so they are probing and poking to find something they kill off this nomination with. He has to sit and take it, never permitted to answer the question in a meaningful way, or defend himself from attack.
Kennedy has no shame at all.
word verification~ deleted due to obscenity!!
I'm sorry... I don't understand. Is the point that, in context, she should've said "inexorable" or that she merely used a somewhat archaic word?
You know. It's sad. But we've really turned into a nation of commentators. Only a handful of people are willing are willing to put themselves "out there" and really "do" anything, and 300 million people sit around second guessing them. Is that because it's so much easier and safer to make fun of others, rather than to do something and risk being made fun of?
Remember what Theodore Roosevelt said in 1910? "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
Chris O said : For the record, Mrs. Alito had her little outburst when Lindsay Graham was talking, so it's not really accurate to say the "Democrats made her cry."
I made this point myself earlier, but aghast that someone might be so foolish as to claim that somehow it was Graham, not Kennedy or Schumer, who was making her cry. Heck, even Katie Couric understood who caused it. She was interviewing Biden, not Graham, wasn't she?
W.V. ~ zojpkuhn: the wave of combined tears and nausea induced when being bullied .
"And Graham was apologizing for the Democrats calling him a bigot, which they never did."
Perhaps you need to look up the word bigot.
Bigot
Then go ahead and come back and tell us that Senator Kennedy didn't call him one during his 'questioning'. Go ahead. I'll wait.
chriso wrote:
And I don't know about you, but if I belonged to a campus group that was clearly controversial at the time, I'd remember. Especially if I'd subsequently put it on job applications.
I can perfectly well imagine how and why Alito might have joined this Alumni group but might not remember the specifics. There's a similar group at my alma mater that sends fundraising letters to alumni periodically. I imagine that CAP sent out a letter highlighting some campus outrage and soliciting new members, Alito sent in a check, and later, since the incident was fresh in his mind, he mentioned his membership in this conservative group in his application for a job in a conservative administration. A year or two down the line, his membership lapsed, he forgot what had provoked him to join the group in the first place, and since he'd never paid much attention to the subsequent mailings from the group, he didn't bother to renew. No big deal.
I've been fed up with the administration at my alma mater from time to time. And if the fundraising/membership letter from the similar group at my school got to me on one of those days, I might have sent in a check also.
As henry woodbury wrote:
Some commenters have expressed anger and disappointment at the trashing of Senators in some of these Alito posts and I agree. Insult-filled comments about dimwits and drunks are pointless.
It seems the whole hearing was full of bigots of Both persuasions, including Alito. What a way to run a Country. After having retired a year ago, I've had more time to look into politics. I've never been more ashamed of my country.
It seems you didn't look up the word.
"I certainly hope you're not claiming that a political opponent's characterization of one's remarks is the same as having actually made the remarks?"
Perhaps you didn't type this correctly. If you'd like to rephrase, feel free.
Kennedy was obviously attempting to paint Alito with the same brush as he was painting the entire CAP association. Are you doubting this? If so, please provide a reasonable explanation for his tirade that offers an alternative motive.
Kennedy used quote after quote laying the groundwork for Alito's character. Using anti-gay, anti-black, and anti-women rhetoric that he's found through the CAP association and laying it on the clearly unaccepting (and undeserving) shoulders of Alito. Even after, multiple times I feel the need to remind you, Altio disavowed any such beliefs.
What is that word that means someone is intolerant of others? While I'm sorry that someone has to spell this out to you, but Kennedy was calling this man a bigot and a liar (Vanguard) in the most transparent terms. If you can't be bothered to learn the definiton of words, please, don't bother arguing with those that do.
-- word: bopnik : Sounds like a beatnik hiphop.
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