Up or Down is Up Again - Plus a Litmus Test
Following the horrendous attempt to become a Supreme Court Justice, Harriet Miers withdrew her name from consideration. With that conserative revolt over her nomination over, President Bush nominated a third judge to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (John Roberts, who was then nominated to replace Chief Justice William Rehnquist, and Miers), Samuel Alito, Jr.
I have wondered what happened to the "up or down vote" mantra that Republicans were chanting in the spring. It wasn't there for Harriet Miers. Conservative groups did all in their power to ensure that Miers wouldn't see the light of day on the Senate floor and they succeeded. Now that Alito is the nominee and is more reliably conservative than what we saw from Miers, the morality of the "up or down vote" has come back.
Recently, commercials urging Senate liberals to allow the vote for Alito have appeared. This ad comes from JudgeAlito.com, which is funded by a group called Progress for America. This conservative group has also funded UporDownVote.com. This group has been consistent in backing whatever the president nominates, including a clearly unqualified candidate in Miers. However, it is rather disingenuous in calling on Senate liberals to not block the vote for Alito when it was their ideological partners in the conservative movement (especially the religious conservative movement) that never brought Miers to the floor.
Why is he more deserving of an "up or down vote" than Miers?
A more fair ad would call on their ideological siblings to ensure that they don't drive away another Bush nominee. But they won't have to do that. This is because the conservatives will vote for Alito. They'll vote for him because he passed their litmus test.
Right...conservatives don't have the litmus tests that those Democrats do for judges. Nevermind that they have one of their own. For instance, take this site attacking Democrats for having a litmus test. Nevermind that the site has its litmus test right in its name, EndRoe.org. It would be hard to believe they would accept a qualified judge that was in favor of that decision. And there you have it, a litmus test.
Bush will nominate conservatives. And a Republican Senate will likely confirm them without hesitation. But let's cut the hypocrisy. And let's stop spending all this cash telling people to "urge their senators" to follow this twisted logic. Perhaps the money could go to fund a child that wasn't aborted.
I have wondered what happened to the "up or down vote" mantra that Republicans were chanting in the spring. It wasn't there for Harriet Miers. Conservative groups did all in their power to ensure that Miers wouldn't see the light of day on the Senate floor and they succeeded. Now that Alito is the nominee and is more reliably conservative than what we saw from Miers, the morality of the "up or down vote" has come back.
Recently, commercials urging Senate liberals to allow the vote for Alito have appeared. This ad comes from JudgeAlito.com, which is funded by a group called Progress for America. This conservative group has also funded UporDownVote.com. This group has been consistent in backing whatever the president nominates, including a clearly unqualified candidate in Miers. However, it is rather disingenuous in calling on Senate liberals to not block the vote for Alito when it was their ideological partners in the conservative movement (especially the religious conservative movement) that never brought Miers to the floor.
Why is he more deserving of an "up or down vote" than Miers?
A more fair ad would call on their ideological siblings to ensure that they don't drive away another Bush nominee. But they won't have to do that. This is because the conservatives will vote for Alito. They'll vote for him because he passed their litmus test.
Right...conservatives don't have the litmus tests that those Democrats do for judges. Nevermind that they have one of their own. For instance, take this site attacking Democrats for having a litmus test. Nevermind that the site has its litmus test right in its name, EndRoe.org. It would be hard to believe they would accept a qualified judge that was in favor of that decision. And there you have it, a litmus test.
Bush will nominate conservatives. And a Republican Senate will likely confirm them without hesitation. But let's cut the hypocrisy. And let's stop spending all this cash telling people to "urge their senators" to follow this twisted logic. Perhaps the money could go to fund a child that wasn't aborted.
posted by Will at 7:30 AM
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