At this point, I have no issues-specific objections to Judge Alito as the current nominee to the Supreme Court. I think it makes good sense to step back and allow the vetting process and hearings do what they are intended to do. But even today, there is one overwhelming reason to vote against the Alito nomination, absent any additional information. See below the fold.
If I were sitting in the US Senate today, I would vote against the Alito nomination for one very important and apparent reason: The Supreme Court must be representative of all Americans, and adding Alito to the Court will make SCOTUS LESS REPRESENTATIVE of who America is today, not more.
With all due respect to the learned upper classes of our fair nation, THE LAST THING WE NEED IS ANOTHER WHITE, IVY-LEAGUE, CATHOLIC, MIDDLE-AGED MALE ON THE SUPREME COURT. And I say that as a white, ivy-league, catholic, middle-aged male. We are a nation of 50% woman, yet Bush thinks its Ok to have only a single woman on the Supreme Court? Latinos are the largest, growing minority group in America, yet in 230 years, there is still not a single American of Latino heritage on the Supreme Court? There s no excuse at this place and time in our Nation's history that the SCOTUS becomes again an old boy's club. (Apologies to Justice Ginsburg)
I argue that Bush is, either on purpose or perhaps inadvertantly, turning back the hands of time some 50 years to a day when women and minorities were mostly invisible in this society. Replacing a woman of main-stream political leanings with Alito undermines the many years of hard-fought progress made to make America a fairer and diverse place of opportunity for all.
Mr. and Mrs. Senator, I expect you will find Judge Alito a decent and competent nominee. But that does not mean he is the RIGHT person, or the BEST person to join the current court. Vote No on Alito and send a strong message to this President: Third times a charm!