University of South Carolina Libraries
Democrats caution colleagues against rushing to judge Alito RLITO • COlUinUCD FROfll I mind on Alito after discussing the right to privacy and other constitutional issues with him Tuesday. “Not surprisingly, it’s hard to draw hard and fast conclusions on how he will vote,” Johnson said. “There is no question he is a conservative.” Democratic leaders are cautioning their colleagues against rushing to judgment on President Bush’s pick to replace his previous unsuccessful choice, White House counsel Harriet Miers, as the successor for retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. “Ordinarily it takes six to eight weeks to evaluate a Supreme Court nominee. We shouldn’t rush to judgment,” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the No. 2 Senate Democrat, said on CBS’ “The Early Show.” De wine, who met with Alito for more than an hour, is one of the 14 centrist senators Democrats need to sustain a filibuster. Without the group’s seven Republicans, Democrats would not be able to prevent Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., from abolishing judicial filibusters and confirming judges with a simple majority vote. The Republicans hold 55 of the 100 seats in the Senate. DeWine made clear Tuesday that a Democratic filibuster would not have his support, saying he didn’t see how “anyone would think that this would constitute what our group of 14 termed ‘extraordinary circumstances’ that would justify a filibuster.” “This is a nomination of a judge who is clearly within the Rod Edmonds / The Associated Press President Bush watches judge Samuel Alito, right, speak after he announced Alito as his new nominee for the Supreme Court. mainstream of conservative thought,” he added. The so-called “Gang of 14” will hold its first meeting on Alito Thursday. The White House on Tuesday named former Indiana Republican Sen. Dan Coats and former Republican Party chairman Ed Gillespie to help guide Alito through his confirmation process. The two served in the same capacity for Miers, who withdrew her nomination last week after some conservatives refused to fully support her candidacy and questioned whether she was qualified. Conservatives are much more comfortable with Alito than they were with Miers because of his conservative track record as a federal judge, prosecutor and a Reagan administration lawyer. Miers had never been a judge. The nomination got Bush on the good side again of conservative and anti-abortion groups, who declared Alito a winner after opposing Miers. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family Action, said he was “extremely pleased,” and the anti-abortion Operation: Rescue declared that the country was on “the fast track to derailing Roe v. Wade as the law of the land.” Bush, who has seen his standing eroded by Iraq, rising fuel prices, hurricane mistakes and the indictment of a top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, emphasized Alito’s work on “thousands of appeals” and “hundreds of opinions.” Alito pledged to uphold the duty of a judge to “interpret the Constitution and the laws faithfully and fairly.” Democrats are deeply suspicious of Alito, with Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, the party’s leader, wondering aloud “why those who want to pack the court with judicial activists are so much more enthusiastic about him” than Miers. Alito upheld a requirement for spousal notification in an abortion case more than a decade ago, although Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter — an abortion rights Republican — insisted that doesn’t mean Alito would rule to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that established abortion rights. Born T Nominee No. 2 Princeton University, President Bush s new nominee A.B., 1972* for the Supreme Court, Samuel | Alito, has 15 years experience as a federal appeals court judge. .Yale Law Oct. 31: '-' Third ij School, Nominated Circuit*;; J.D., 1975 for associate W • New Haven justl.^e position .: PA. '■ Trenton Alito N.J. ■«- One of 14 appellate court ; _ judges in the circuit 0 DLL. j U.S. :. ; Attorney for U.S. Court of j Washington, D.C. ; the District of Appeals for the j ^ ^ j New Jersey Third Circuit | ’75 j ! '80 : '85 ’90 .’95 j 00 '05 Law clerk, Hon. Leonard I. Garth, U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit Assistant U.S. attorney, District of New Jersey Assistant to the U.S. solicitor general, Department of Justice Deputy assistant U.S. attorney general, Department of Justice Some noteworthy appeals court opinions YEAR CASEALITO’S POSITION 1991 Planned Dissented in the case that struck down a Parenthood v. Pennsylvania law requiring women who sought Casey abortions to notify their spouses 1996 Homarv. Wrote dissent that a state university didn’t violate Gilbert the due process rights of a campus police officer when they suspended him without pay after learning he had been arrested on drug charges 1999 Fraternal Order Wrote majority opinion that Muslim officers could of Police v. City keep their beards; the city had made an exception of Newark for medical reasons, but not religious ones SOURCES: Federal Judicial Center; USCourts.gov; AP Villanova University School of Law Zeta Tau Alpha congratulates the BEST new pledge class! We love our new ZTA babies! Elizabeth Aimar Grace Aimar Carly Bland Elizabeth Blanton Caroline Boineau Laura Bolos Andrea Bondio 1 Lauren Bostic Melissa Brangwynne Erica Branson Kathleen Budds Samantha Cheek Courtney Cockfield Jillian Cody Brittany Cumalander Heather Daraza Ariana Dedianko leathering FHne Kayla Edrington Catherine Foote Jean Foxworth Jennifer Franke Katherine Freemon Brittany Goodridge Madison Horne Katherine Hudson Haley Keisler Donna Kim Andrea Lindler Jessica Lown Kate Macary Stephanie Marshall Laralane McCain Molly McCrary Gray McGurn Halle Mehalic Meredith Moring Jessica Nanney Jericha Nichols Mary Rasa Ashley Richter Nancy Sharp Mallory Shealy Jewell Singleton Tori Smith Courtney Sterling Randan Swindler Jade Swords Leslie Tanenbaum Sarah Waller Cady West Katye White Hannah Wilson * * Nikki Zimmer