What is happening with Alito?

[treis]

Alito was nominated about 2 moths ago but it seems very little has happened in getting him confirmed by the Senate. What exactly has been done for the past two months and what is currently going on? Is this length of time between appointment and even the beginning of confirmation typical?

[Cliffy]

It’s not uncommon. The guy has a lot of paper out there that has to be reviewed, analyzed, and understood before the hearings. Plus the schedule includes a lot of time built in for Alito to shmooze the senators. That’s actually pretty important – the senators get to ask him things they’re concerned about that don’t play on TV, and the nominee might be somewhat less circumspect in his answers in private. The rumors are that this process, more than anything else is what scuttled the Miers nomination – the Administration squired her around the Hill to one-on-ones with senators, and the senators she met with decided she didn’t have the chops.

Anyway, I believe the confirmation hearing is scheduled for next week.

–Cliffy

[friedo]

Just the other day Alito got a unanimous thumbs-up from the American Bar Association, which is an important step for nearly all nominees.

[Gfactor]

Specter said hearings will start January 9, with a vote by the full Senate tentatively scheduled for January 20.

Alito hearings to begin in January (article dated 11/3/2005; discussing reasons for delay).

[Gfactor]

A discussion of the fluctuating value of ABA ratings

In 2001, the Bush administration chose to disregard the ABA ratings. According to the Washington, D.C., newspaper Legal Times, Alberto Gonzales, Bush’s former White House counsel who now serves as attorney general, led the move, and Miers argued against it.

Since taking office in 2001, President Bush has nominated 294 people to the federal court, and the ABA rated 284 of them. Of that number, five were found “not qualified.” Klain, who describes the organization as an “easy grader,” adds that the characterization may not be entirely fair because, for the most part, presidents appoint highly qualified people to the court.

[AskNott]

Forces on both sides are firing up big ad campaigns to let us know how wonderful and/or terrible he is. I heard an excerpt from one of the pro ads. A black-voiced minister was talking about how we need Alito to fight the folks who won’t let us have the 10 C in courthouses and won’t let us send tax money to church schools. A group on the other side is saying he’s dangerous for exactly the same reasons. One prickly issue that’s in the papers is recusal/not recusal. When he was appointed to his current bench job, he promised in writing that he would recuse himself from any cases where he personally had money invested. When such cases came up, though, he did not recuse.

We’ll see pretty soon how it all shakes out. If the anti-Alito folks win, it will be a major upset.

[John_Mace]

@AskNott

One prickly issue that’s in the papers is recusal/not recusal. When he was appointed to his current bench job, he promised in writing that he would recuse himself from any cases where he personally had money invested. When such cases came up, though, he did not recuse.

It was only one case, not “cases”. And this will be a non-issue compared to the elephant in the living room-- abortion.

[friedo]

Personally, if I discovered an elephant in my living room, I would not hesitate to abort it.

[Guinastasia]

@friedo

Personally, if I discovered an elephant in my living room, I would not hesitate to abort it.

Abort what-the elephant or the living room?