Quote(s) of the Day: Alito

Oregonian Columnist David Reinhard, in the Sunday edition, wrote about an unusual pair of Samuel Alito supporters: San Francisco attorney Jim Goniea and his wife, Susan Sullivan -- both liberal Democrats who wouldn't vote for George W. Bush even if you offered Jack Abramoff's bank account. You see, Goniea and Sullivan worked as clerks for Alito in the early 1990s.

Here are a few excerpts from Reinhard's column:

Jim: "I'm a Democrat. I voted for Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein. I did not vote for George W. Bush, and I'm not supportive of his administration. Personally, I think it's a disaster for this country. The one thing I can say is that a decision . . . by George W. Bush that I agree with is the decision to nominate Judge Alito to the Supreme Court."

Susan: "If I didn't know [Alito], if I hadn't worked closely with him, I probably would have the same reaction of suspicion and distrust that these liberal groups have, that I have of the administration that picked him. Based on working with him, I know he's not intent on advancing a political agenda."

Jim: "I would not be supportive of any Supreme Court justice . . . who came to the bench with a political predisposition towards deciding a case . . . I know [Alito] is process-driven. I know that even on cases that have tremendous political importance . . . he views his role as a judge to be interpreting the law."

Susan: "What I have observed, is opponents cherry-picking the cases to illustrate particular results without balancing that analysis by discussing the cases with liberal outcomes."

More Susan: "I think the risk of this administration appointing a real conservative ideologue, as opposed to someone like Judge Alito who is not inclined to advance any political agenda, is greater if Alito isn't confirmed. If Democrats succeed in filibustering Sam Alito, this administration will turn around and appoint a real conservative ideologue, and Democrats won't be able to filibuster because Republicans who may have been reluctant to change the rules on the first go-round will then feel justified in changing them. The consequence of that is that we'll end up with . . . a real conservative ideologue on the court."

Democrats: are you listening? Or are you too wrapped up in the crap that Charles Schumer makes up?