Then... and Now

Macsmind has uncovered some curious comments by one Joseph Wilson, who happened to be the Ambassador sent to Niger to check on whether Iraq has sought to procure nuclear materials (specifically yellowcake - a form of uranium that can be converted into weapons' grade material). Wilson said the following way back in April 3, 2002, before the Kristof article:

"Boston, Mass.: Mr. Wilson

Thank you for taking our questions. What happens if we do not find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?

Joseph C. Wilson: Whether we find them or not is now immaterial. The liberation is now the rationale. If we don't find them, discussion about them will cease and we will focus on the other reasons the administration has articulated. If we do find them, world public opinion will only change on the margins."

So, we're now engaging in fighting this particular war on the margins by Wilson's own accounting. Of course, he's talking a much different tune these days. But then again, so are a bunch of other people.

Take the Alito nomination. Sam Alito was confirmed to the Third Circuit in 1990 by the Senate, some of whose members are still around and yapping away. They include Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.):

SEN. TED KENNEDY (D-MA): "You Have Obviously Had A Very Distinguished Record, And I Certainly Commend You For Long Service In The Public Interest. I Think It Is A Very Commendable Career And I Am Sure You Will Have A Successful One As A Judge." (Sen. Ted Kennedy, Committee On The Judiciary, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 4/5/90)

SEN. FRANK LAUTENBERG (D-NJ): "I Believe Mr. Alito Has The Experience And The Skills To Be The Kind Of Judge The Public Deserves – One Who Is Impartial, Thoughtful, And Fair. I Urge The Senate To Confirm His Nomination." (Sen. Frank Lautenberg, Congressional Record, 4/27/90, p. S5281)

Here's what they're saying now. The Star Ledger notes that Sen. Lautenberg and Sen. Kennedy doesn't have the welcome mat out this time:

"Fifteen years ago, I supported Samuel Alito to be a judge based on his record as the United States attorney for New Jersey," Lautenberg said. "But his tenure on the appeals court has been marked by troubling decisions."

"Judge Alito has demonstrated a hostility to fundamental civil rights, and his record on the bench must be closely scrutinized by the Senate," he said.

I would hope that his record is closely scrutinized. However, I think that this is simply posturing because Alito's record on the bench is pretty impressive. There's over 300 cases to review, and he's rarely been overturned. That's the hallmark of someone who follows the law closely and doesn't impose his views on the law. You know - it's about following precedent and the law. I'd also like to see Lautenberg name a single case that he finds troubling. No doubt that he'll probably point to Planned Parenthood v. Casey, but I also figure that Lautenberg will screw up the analysis on the case and get a lesson much as Roberts' did in the earlier confirmation hearings.

Then, there's Ted Kennedy:

Kennedy, too, has changed his tune: "Rather than selecting a nominee for the good of the nation and the court, President Bush has picked a nominee whom he hopes will stop the massive hemorrhaging of support on his right wing."

"The far right has now forced the president to choose a nominee that they think has views as extreme as their own," Kennedy added.

Anyone who isn't in the far left of the Democratic party is considered the far right. There's nothing in Alito's record revealed thus far that would indicate anything other than a consistent administration of the law. Again, we're seeing the blovations of the Democratic Party who knows that they have to pick this fight because their own base of rabid lefties would throw a hissy fit if they don't fight over a nomination - any nomination at this point.

And sadly for Democrats, they will lose this battle too, if they even engage in it because most Americans don't follow the far Left agenda and they'll see a well-qualified and well-respected jurist being smeared for no good reason. In fact, we're already seeing the DNC become unhinged.