RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman on Judge Alito:
“It’s troubling that before President Bush even announced Judge Alito’s nomination, Democrat campaign chief Chuck Schumer attacked the nominee. The Supreme Court selection process should be about American jurisprudence, not litmus tests for campaign fundraising. It is my hope that Democrat Senators fully consider Judge Alito’s qualifications and resist the calls for ideological litmus tests from Chuck Schumer and the far-left.
“President Bush’s decision to nominate Judge Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court is a tremendous victory for the future of the court and American jurisprudence. Judge Alito has proven to be one of the finest legal minds in the country and has a long, demonstrated record of excellence on the federal bench.
“After serving as deputy assistant to the Attorney General in President Reagan’s administration, President George H.W. Bush nominated Samuel Alito to the U.S Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in 1990. Since then, Judge Alito has served as one of the fairest, most impartial jurists in the country who has always faithfully interpreted the Constitution and will not legislate from the bench.”
Chuckie Schumer went on CBS’s Face the Nation yesterday and told host Bob Schieffer that he wanted a nominee “in the mold of Sandra Day O’Connor,” whom he described as a “mainstream conservative.” Lindsey Graham told him that “mainstream conservatism” was not according to Chuckie Schumer and where he could stuff his demands for a type of nominee.
The third circuit is out of Philadelphia, so one would expect his sponsoring Senators to be Rick Santorum and Arlen Specter. Will Specter recuse himself?
