Archive: Senators Comment on Alito
Alito has "explaining do to"-Biden
(AP) The views that Samuel Alito expressed on reapportionment in a 20-year-old document could jeopardize his Supreme Court nomination and provoke a filibuster, a leading Democratic senator said Sunday. "I think he's got a lot of explaining to do, and depending on how he does, I think will determine whether or not he has a problem or not," said Sen. Joseph Biden, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which plans confirmation hearings in early January. In 1985, Alito was applying to become deputy assistant attorney general in the Reagan administration. In the document, he boasted that while working as an assistant to the solicitor general, he helped "to advance legal positions in which I personally believe very strongly." Drawing the most attention from Alito's critics today is his comment on abortion....
By Fred Barbash | November 20, 2005; 01:23 PM ET | Email a Comment
Specter: Don't Prejudge Alito
Here are excerpts from a speech delivered by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) today to the Chamber of Commerce: SPECTER: Senator Reid and Senator Kennedy and Senator Schumer were on the floor today criticizing the nomination. And it is my hope that we will not prejudge Judge Alito and will allow him to go through the constitutional process without making up our minds in advance. We just went through I think a -- well, they called it a dignified, appropriate procedure on Chief Justice Roberts. Got a little testy at times, but not too bad. Occasionally he wasn't permitted to answer questions and I had to give him a little breathing room to answer questions. And one senator said he was giving misleading answers, and that's a witness' prerogative, to give any answers he wants. Then if you don't like his answers, you don't have to vote for...
By Fred Barbash | November 16, 2005; 03:39 PM ET | Comments (3)
Reid on Alito: "Significant Concerns"
By Jesse J. Holland of the AP: Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid on Wednesday said he has "significant concerns" about Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, calling President Bush's latest choice one of the most conservative judges in the United States. "A picture of Sam Alito is emerging that may explain why the extreme right-wing is popping champagne corks," Reid, D-Nev., said in a Senate speech, referring to a 20-year-old document in which Alito asserted "the Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion." Abortion rights activists are concerned that Alito and recently confirmed Chief Justice John Roberts would move the Supreme Court to the right and perhaps overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established abortion rights....
By Fred Barbash | November 16, 2005; 10:41 AM ET | Comments (36)
Feinstein on Alito
Jesse J. Holland of AP reports: Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito distanced himself Tuesday from his 1985 comments that there was no constitutional right to abortion, telling a senator in private that he had merely been "an advocate seeking a job." Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., an abortion rights supporter and the only woman on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said she asked the conservative judge about a document released Monday showing Alito in 1985 telling the Reagan administration he was particularly proud to help argue that "the Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion."...
By Fred Barbash | November 15, 2005; 11:44 AM ET | Comments (81)
Kohl Meets Alito
The AP Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito told Sen. Herb Kohl that he acknowledged the importance of the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established abortion rights, Kohl said after their meeting Thursday....
By Fred Barbash | November 11, 2005; 04:52 PM ET | Email a Comment
Feingold On Alito
Reported by WXOW TV in LaCrosse: Feingold Meets with Alito : " Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold met with Samuel Alito and says he was impressed with the Supreme Court nominee's candor. Feingold says the two had a wide-ranging talk for an hour and was particularly impressed with their talk on Fourth Amendment safeguards against unreasonable searches. Also see this account in the Janesville Gazette....
By Fred Barbash | November 10, 2005; 11:57 AM ET | Email a Comment
Sen. Conrad Unlikely to Support Filibuster
The Grand Forks Herald reports Sen. Kent Conrad D-N.D.) saying that "absent some new information" it is unlikely he would support a filibuster on the Alito nomination. After meeting with Alito he said: "I found him to be very impressive, I found him to be a very thoughtful person," Conrad said. "He got off to a very good start with me." Alito definitely leans to the right, but that does not disqualify him from the job, Conrad said. "Absolutely he is conservative, but I believe in the broad mainstream of American jurisprudence," Conrad said. "It is healthy to have different views on the court."...
By Fred Barbash | November 9, 2005; 01:22 PM ET | Comments (2)
Sen. Obama: A wasted opportunity.
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill) says he will reserve judgement on Alito but is concerned that the President "has wasted an opportunity to appoint a consensus nominee...." according to the Afro Newspapers....
By Fred Barbash | November 7, 2005; 06:08 PM ET | Comments (1)
Coburn: Alito "legislating" from the bench.
In case you missed Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) on Meet the Press, suggesting that Alito is guilty of "legislating from the bench," here is the relevant exchange: MR. RUSSERT: Let me ask you about another decision, and the Brady Center for Prevent Gun Violence put this out last night. This is from Jim Brady, White House press secretary for Ronald Reagan who was shot in an assassination attempt -- "Judge Samuel Alito's dissent in U.S. versus Rybar argued that federal restrictions on machine gun possession amounted to an unconstitutional exercise of a congressional power under the commerce clause. His opinion attempted to erect arbitrary hurdles to congressional efforts to reduce the availability of machine guns to the criminal element." These aren't handguns or hunting rifles, these are machine guns. Do you believe that Congress has the right to restrict the sale and transfer of machine guns? Or do you think...
By Fred Barbash | November 7, 2005; 09:23 AM ET | Comments (28)
Biden: Up-or-down vote likely.
Hope Yen of AP reports: A Democratic member of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Sunday he believes Samuel Alito will get an up-or-down vote on his Supreme Court bid. "We should commit," said Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., minimizing prospects of a Senate filibuster that would prevent final action on President Bush's choice to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. "I think the probability is that will happen," Biden said on ABC's "This Week."...
By Fred Barbash | November 6, 2005; 11:32 AM ET | Comments (2)
Byrd on Alito
The Charleston Daily Mail quotes Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) making positive comments about Alito after meeting with him. That is not surprising, according to the senator's press spokesman, because Byrd has sought more conservative judges. Byrd, however, has not yet made up his mind on how he will vote on the Alito confirmation....
By Fred Barbash | November 4, 2005; 10:57 AM ET | Comments (24)
Gang of 14: "Not Breaking Up"
Sens. Ben Nelson (D-Ne) and Joseph Lieberman (D-Ct.) held a briefing after a meeting of the "Gang of 14." Here are excerpts from them and other senators: NELSON: Well, the first comment to make is that the gang is not breaking up. So we'd like to put that rumor to bed. I think we had an outstanding meeting this morning of checking in with one another. That's been one of the hallmarks of our group, that we communicate with one another. I think, number one, we felt that it's early in the process, it's way too early to talk about some of the more divisive things that have been talked about in the past....
By Fred Barbash | November 3, 2005; 11:28 AM ET | Comments (1)
Sen. Salazar troubled on Alito
Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo) was intervewed by Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade on Fox News. He expressed concern about whether Alito was "in the mainstream" of judicial thought. Here is a transcript: KILMEADE: This is his quote -- and I'm talking about Senator Ken Salazar -- The manner in which the president handled this nomination -- that's Judge Alito -- is disappointing. The president did not consult with the Senate on this nominee. Senator, are you still on the fence about Judge Alito? SALAZAR: Very much so. We're only beginning the process. There's many weeks ahead of looking at the different decisions and the history concerning Judge Alito. I'm greatly disappointed that he didn't appoint a woman and he did not consult the Senate. But we have a process that we have to follow in the Senate. And I hope that that's a dignified process that takes a good...
By Fred Barbash | November 3, 2005; 11:24 AM ET | Comments (35)
