Comfy Chair or Spanish Inquisition - You Decide

Yesterday's puffery by the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee in opening statements gives way to actual questioning of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. Don't expect any enlightening responses to questions on abortion or issues that are expected to come before the court. That doesn't mean that the Senators wont try to spin or cajole a response out of Alito, but it isn't likely to be successful. Alito knows more about the law than the guys questioning him and it will likely show in the responses.

SCOTUSblog is liveblogging the hearings, which is set to start at 9:30AM EST.

Confirm Them has more details. Hugh Hewitt has an interesting fact-check of an statement made by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) on Alito's judicial record. The statement

Judge Alito has not written one single opinion on the merits in favor of a person of color alleging race discrimination on the job. In fifteen years on the bench, not one."

is completely unsubstantiated on the record. The fact is that Kennedy lied about Alito's record. Go figure.

Let the smearing begin.