I pray to dear Lord that an "Impeach Alito" movement does not take root among Democrats outside of DailyKos.
Some of us may know about this; but you see, with this whole economic 'situation'--You know, where middle class families are out of work with their homes at risk and with scant access to affordable medical care--I have a feeling that "Impeaching Alito" might not make for the BEST topic of conversation around dinner tables in Middle America. You know, the America that we hope votes for us in November.
Cooler heads must prevail on this site. Jeffrey Toobin, an expert on the Supreme Court, just offered some background that we ought to consider. The transcript is reprinted below.
As a liberal, by the way, Toobin disagrees with Alito as much as we do... And this first paragraph here exposes Alito for the a***** he appeared to be last night.
TOOBIN: Senator Obama voted against the confirmation of Judge Alito to the Supreme Court. January 14, when Obama and Biden played a courtesy call at the Supreme Court, 8 justices attended. Alito didn't show, without explanation. The court did not disclose why he wasn't there. The first law that President Obama signed into law was the Lily Ledbetter Act, which overruled an opinion from the Supreme Court written by...Judge Alito. So they have a lot of history between them.
BROWN: So, let it go, huh?
Toobin: No, I thought what Alito did was fine. If Obama is going to attack you in front of everybody, why shouldn't you be able to respond?
He goes on to explain that this is GOOD for the country to see, because it reveals the Supreme Court for what it is: a group of actors who are NOT divorced from politics, who DO have opinions of their own.
Judges on both sides can be labeled 'Activist' by Democrats or Republicans who disagree with their decisions. Being an 'Activist' is never, and will never be, impeachable. Shaking your head mildly, too, is never and will never be impeachable.
I repeat: We can attack Alito all we want, but what he did was not impeachable. Moreover, for our purposes, a movement in favor of 'impeaching Alito' is the dumbest political proposal I've heard in a long while.
And couldn't we at least have not picked the worst timing in the world?