President Bush to Democrats: trick or treat!
President Bush, stung by the rejection of his first choice, nominated conservative judge Samuel Alito today to replace moderate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in a bid to reshape the Supreme Court and mollify his political base.''Judge Alito is one of the most accomplished and respected judges in America,'' the president said in announcing Alito's selection. ''He's got a mastery of the law and a deep commitment to justice.'' Bush exhorted the Senate to confirm his choice by the end of the year.
The choice was likely to spark a political brawl. Unlike the nomination of Harriet Miers, which was derailed Thursday by Bush's conservative allies, Alito faces opposition from Democrats.
''The Senate needs to find out if the man replacing Miers is too radical for the American people,'' said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada.
In contrast to Miers, Alito ''has more prior judicial experience than any Supreme Court nominee in 70 years,'' the president said.
So consistently conservative, Alito has been dubbed ``Scalito'' or ``Scalia-lite'' by some lawyers because his judicial philosophy invites comparisons to conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. But while Scalia is outspoken and is known to badger lawyers, Alito is polite, reserved and even-tempered.
Related:
• Wikipedia - Samuel A. Alito
• New York Times - special coverage
• Washington Post - special coverage
• Google News - Samuel Alito
• NRO - Bench Memos