Questions for a potential member of the Supreme Court of the United States of America
Judge Samuel Alito begins Senate confirmation hearings next week for a seat on the Supreme Court of the United States of America (SCOTUS). By all accounts, it’s going to be a slobberknocker. The Democrats managed to get a month’s delay so they could dig up every piece of dirt they can find on this guy. I’m expecting their opposition to amount to “he was involved in a dwarf-tossing scandal in 1973″.
Because if anyone has any objections to this man based upon judicial philosophy, I haven’t heard a thing about it. Well, one thing. The media and the left-wing advocacy groups are obsessing over Roe v. Wade as though it is the only case that the Supreme Court ever decided. The right-wing advocacy groups are talking about how he might have a hair out of place. Neither of these things is meaningful in any way.
If we want to find out how this man thinks, and how he might decide on things, let us ask him some substantive questions about cases that actually matter.
For instance, if he could explain to us the logic underlying the majority decision in McConnell v. Federal Election Commission. Specifically, I’m interested in the manner in which a time-based restriction on the usage of particular phrases (such as candidate names) is compatible with the First Amendment requirement that Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press…?
Or how he would consider Grutter v. Bollinger to square with both the 14th Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Or how the majority decision in Kelo v. New London can be reconciled with the 5th Amendment: nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
These are all matters that are of far greater import to the health of the Republic than whether a federally protected right to abortion exists in some interpretation of the Constitution.