The Politik of Tork

Trick or Treat! I want to be a Supreme Court Justice for Halloween

That has to be what Samuel Alito is thinking just a few days after Miers withdrew her nomination to the high court. There is no doubting that Alito has the judicial credentials to take on the job of Supreme Court Justice, so it turns into a matter of his politics.

According to various news sources, Alito is being referred to as "Scalito." This is in reference to Justice Scalia. From everything that I am reading, it would appear that Alito is a mixed bag. For one thing, there is this little snippet from a BBC article.

As a supporter of restricting, if not entirely abolishing, the constitutional right of American women to have abortions, Mr Alito's selection would galvanise the conservative base of Mr Bush's Republican party but horrify the US left.

This statement about Judge Alito is supported by his dissent in a case that struck down a Pennsylvania law requiring a woman to notify her husband prior to having an abortion. The following is taken from this article on MSNBC.

“The Pennsylvania legislature could have rationally believed that some married women are initially inclined to obtain an abortion without their husbands’ knowledge because of perceived problems — such as economic constraints, future plans, or the husbands’ previously expressed opposition — that may be obviated by discussion prior to the abortion,” Alito wrote.

I'll be honest, I am not a supporter of abortion, but I don't believe that it is my place to tell a woman what to do with her body.

There are opinions from Alito though that I can't say I disagree with. At this point in the process, I am indifferent to him. Hopefully this time we will get to see the confirmation process through and learn more about this nominee before outright dismissing him.


Fort those of you wondering why I haven't written about Libby, I am holding off on my comments until he is proven innocent or guilty. You know, it's that whole thing called innocent until proven guilty.

posted by Matt @ 3:58 PM