Cry Wolf Whilst Pointing To A Hamster

Senator Edward Kennedy in despair reading The Washington Post, who outright endorsed Judge Sam Alito's confirmation

Even the MSM seem to have abandoned the idea that there is a possibility of a filibuster, all that bully tactic strategy proved was that "Democrats had no clue about the role of a "loyal opposition" in American politics, and that their time in the wilderness had come none too soon. Not only did both parties use federal bench appointments in three successive election cycles -- each one won by the GOP -- but obstructionists such as Tom Daschle lost their seats on that issue alone.

Elections have consequences. So does the kind of McCarthyite smear jobs the Democrats attempted this week with Alito as part of its strategy to attack George Bush by ruining the reputation of his nominee, a longtime and exemplary member of the federal bench, through baseless allegations of bigotry and misogynism. The only way that the Democrats could possibly make themselves look worse on the dawn of the 2006 election cycle would be to delay or filibuster the obviously-qualified Alito's confirmation after a week of making idiots out of themselves."

[...] With Sam Alito the worst they come could up with was that he might have been around some other guy who might have used the word "amigo." Not back in the early '80s, but in the early '70s.

That's it? It's a tragedy to watch once-fearsome attack dogs spend a week chasing their tails because they're "concerned" about the "Concerned Alumni of Princeton" -- though, of course, these days one's heartened to find Sen. Kennedy still capable of chasing tail. Still, would it be too much to ask these guys to put in a little rehearsal time and practice grilling themselves in front of the bedroom mirror:

Sen. Leahy (D-Vt.): "I find it troubling that as a young man you joined an all-white club affiliated with a national institution that has a very troubling historical pattern when it comes to the treatment of minorities."

Sen. Leahy (D-Vt.): "Yes, it's true I joined the Vermont branch of the Democratic Party in the 1950s. But, I mean, I never met George Wallace or Robert C. Byrd or anyone . . ."
with Sam Alito the worst they come could up with was that he might have been around some other guy who might have used the word "amigo." Not back in the early '80s, but in the early '70s.

Sen. Kennedy (D-Mass.): "I find it, uh, troubling, uh, that as a, uh, grown man you were a, uh, member, uh, of an, uh, organization, uh, with, uh, a, uh, very troubling, uh, track record on, uh, the treatment of, uh, women."

Sen. Kennedy (D-Mass.): "Yes, it's, uh, true I was a member of the, uh, Kennedy family."

Sen. Kennedy (D-Mass.): "Please don't interrupt. And it's, uh, true, is it not, that you've, uh, made, uh, jokes that could be regarded as, uh, inappropriate and offensive to, uh, women, uh, you've, uh uh, known?"

Sen. Kennedy (D-Mass.): "Well, uh, I named my dog Splash, but, uh, other than, uh, that, uh uh..."
[...]
Even smear tactics require a certain plausibility. When you damn someone as a big scary mega-troubling racist misogynist homophobe and he seems to any rational observer perfectly non-scary and non-troubling, eventually you make yourself ridiculous. The boy who cried "Wolf!" at least took the precaution of doing so when there was no alleged predator in view. If he'd stood there crying "Wolf!" while pointing at a hamster, he'd have been led away for counseling. That's the stage the Senate Democrats are at.

After all what could they possibly find. Judge Sam Alito is superbly qualified. His record on the bench is that of a thoughtful conservative, not a raging ideologue. He pays careful attention to the record and doesn't reach for the political outcomes he desires. His colleagues of all stripes speak highly of him. His integrity, notwithstanding efforts to smear him, remains unimpeached.

"To go down that road is to believe that there exists a Democratic law and a Republican law — which is repugnant to the ideal of the rule of law," the newspaper said. "While we harbor some anxiety about the direction he may push the court, we would be more alarmed at the long-term implications of denying him a seat."

All 10 Republicans on the committee have announced their support for Alito, a 55-year-old former prosecutor and Reagan administration lawyer who is
President Bush's choice to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

Likewise, the Senate's 55 Republicans are expected to line up strongly behind Alito.

Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), the committee chairman who supports abortion rights, acknowledged that Alito gave himself latitude during the hearings to revisit the 1973
Roe v. Wade abortion decision by declining to call it "settled law."

But Specter, R-Pa., noted that other justices such as O'Connor and David H. Souter also were believed to be hostile to the Roe decision, only to surprise everyone later with an opposite view once they were confirmed.

"The rule seems to be that there is no rule," Specter said on ABC's "This Week."

Politics, not governance Senate Democrats emphasizing ethics, not Alito. Unable to keep Conservatives off the Court, leaders turn to issues that have more traction with voters. It was fairly obvious when Senator Leahy sent a long email to a large number of journalists,

From Ed Morrissey:

"Dianne Feinstein stuck a fork into Democratic plans to delay the Alito confirmation earlier today, officially running up a white flag in the Democrats' war on judicial nominations for the time being. The California Senator and one of the few Judiciary Democrats to not embarrass herself during the hearings disregarded the advice of her leadership and declared that Samuel Alito deserves his up-or-down vote from the full Senate.
[...]
Harry Reid wanted his caucus to keep their counsel quiet until Wednesday, but Feinstein sees the writing on the wall. Perhaps alone out of her entire caucus on Judiciary, Feinstein understands the damage the Democrats inflicted on themselves with their performance last week. It may not hurt right away, but the sheer impotence the Democrats displayed in their inability to rattle Alito or derail his performance -- indeed, in his ability to make the same three senior members of the Committee (Schumer, Kennedy and Biden) behave like idiots -- will resonate much as the same result did after the Roberts hearings. The Democrats have lost even the Exempt Media as apologists and have them demanding deference to electoral results."

Related on ATB: Alito's Justice Will Prevail, Alito 'The Untouchable', The Ship Of Fools

Other bloggs discussing: A Blog For All,  Instapundit ,   Ann  Althouse  Macsmind, TigerHawk,  ProfessorBainbridge, 

Joe @ The Heretik, Glenn Greenwald and Scott @ Lawyers, Guns and Money, with views from the left. Take that blood pressure medicine before you hit the url link!

Comments

[Paul of York]

Well, when he gets there, I hope he stays away from Judge Souter. Far away. He's a bad, bad influence.