Judging Scalito

By Amy Hart in News on Nov 1, 2005 4:20PM

Now that Harriet Miers, the legal sensation that never was, is gone and forgotten, Chicagoist can focus our attention on the latest Bush Supreme Court nominee, Samuel Alito.

Republicans are down right giddy about Alito’s long conservative record, and think he may be the key in moving the court to the right. In fact, Alito is nicknamed Scalito, after ultra conservative Justice Antonin Scalia.

Side note--Chicagoist thinks Scalito sounds more like a Pepperidge Farm cookie than a judge. (Mmmm… milanos, sausalitos, scalitos…)

Conservatives might be jumping for joy, but several key Democrats are hinting at a fight against Alito’s confirmation.

Illinois Senators Barack Obama and Dick Durbin are leading the opposition. Durbin, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, yesterday released a statement saying in part:

I have reviewed a number of the cases on which Judge Alito has ruled, including those involving civil rights, women’s rights and the power of Congress to deal with issues facing this nation. As a member of the Judiciary Committee, I will have a series of questions that need to be answered before I am satisfied that this nominee meets the test for this lifetime appointment.

Obama reiterated Durbin’s concerns by saying:

…President Bush has wasted an opportunity to appoint a consensus nominee in the mold of Sandra Day O'Connor and has instead made a selection to appease the far right-wing of the Republican Party.

Chicagoist is concerned that Alito might push the Supreme Court too much to the right, as studies show groups of like minded people naturally move towards extremist positions.