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Monday, October 31, 2005
A Battle over Principle
Miers stands aside in favor of Alito.
PRECEDENTS. At last
the conservatives can
begin preparing for the fight they've hungered for so desperately. The
Senate Judiciary Committee will be the setting for a titanic
confrontation between the conservative vision of the constitution as
immutable bedrock of America and the liberal vision of the constitution
as a paper towel used to wipe up every mess the little people make on
the floor. It should be memorable. Intellectuals on the right have been
girding for battle since Bork got bonked, and liberals have been
amassing a war chest of personal smears even longer than that. We asked
the God of the Right Wing, George Will, what it's going to take for his
fellow Princeton alum Samuel Alito to prevail against Democrats Leahy,
Kennedy, Schumer, and Biden on the left and Arlen "Bore them to Death"
Specter in the slimy middle. Will was uncharacteristically direct:
Over at the Weekly Standard, the God of the Neocons, Bill Kristol, showed us the impressive conservative arsenal that Alito will have at his disposal:
Training is going to be the key. This
contest will be more about endurance over multiple rounds than specific
ring tactics. Kennedy in particular can hang in there as long as his
corner maintains a ready supply of scotch, and Specter can keep going
on the constant buzz he gets from the sound of his own voice. So Sam
"The Jersey Giant" Alito is going to have to avoid the temptation to
punch himself out in futile knockout attempts when he scores, as he
will, with devastating clarity and logic. He should take his shots,
sure, but when you're fighting opponents who just don't know when
they've been staggered, you can get into a lot of trouble with
over-pursuit. The bout will probably go the distance, and it may be
decided in the end by a split decision.
Over at the Weekly Standard, the God of the Neocons, Bill Kristol, showed us the impressive conservative arsenal that Alito will have at his disposal:
We have to admit that it inspires
confidence... at least until you get a load of the liberal arsenal
they're displaying over at the Democratic caucus:
Principle is a wonderful thing, and
we're sure it's going to be a great moment for American democracy when
the idealists square off in the hearings. Are you looking forward to it
as much as we are?
