A couple of days ago, I wrote to both of my senators concerning their role in the filibuster of Judge Alito. Today, I received a response from Senator Obama's office. Ok, so I know that one of the staff people in his office really wrote the e-mailed response, but at least someone in his office read it, and as this is not the first time I've written to the senator, they probably have a little file with "Laura in Bloomingdale, IL" on it - well, maybe...
Has anyone else heard from any of the senators they have written?
Read Senator Obama's response below the fold.
Dear Laura:
Thank you for advising me of your view of the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court. As you know, Judge Alito was confirmed by the Senate on January 31 by a vote of 58 to 42. I voted to reject his nomination.
Any Supreme Court nomination has profound implications for the future direction of our country, but the significance of this particular nomination was further heightened because Judge Alito was selected by the President to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who was often the fifth and deciding vote on court rulings with broad impact on all Americans. That fact was never lost on me as I reviewed Judge Alito's record and testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
As I learned more about Justice Alito's judicial philosophy and record on the Circuit Court of Appeals, I was deeply troubled by the implications of his elevation to the Supreme Court for the future interpretation of fundamental constitutional values. My bottom line in evaluating any Supreme Court nomination is whether I have confidence that the candidate will respect the constitutionally protected rights of individuals and resist the temptation to substitute personal ideology for legal reasoning. For me, Judge Alito's record and Committee testimony fails to meet that test.
When the debate was finished, I came to see Judge Alito as having an extraordinarily consistent attitude that does not square with the traditional role of the Supreme Court as an arbiter of equality and justice for all United States citizens. Thus, on January 30, I joined 24 of my colleagues in voting to block a vote on Judge Alito's confirmation to the Supreme Court. That motion was defeated, and Justice Alito was confirmed the next day.
Again, thank you for contacting me. While I am disappointed by the final result of this process, I hope that Justice Alito proves me wrong and demonstrates the independence and judgment that I believe is absolutely necessary to preserve our liberties and protect our citizens.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
United States Senator