October 31, 2005

Kennedy's Pendulum

The GOP has a side-by-side comparison of Sen. Kennedy's evolving (dare one say "growing"?) opinion of Judge Alito. In the press release Kennedy went on to say:

After insisting that Harriet Miers shouldn't even get a hearing because she couldn't prove she was extreme enough, the far right has now forced the President to choose a nominee that they think has views as extreme as their own.

This only makes sense only if Alito was ideologically in synch with Kennedy when the Senate confirmed him. In 1990 President George H.W. Bush nominated Alito. He certainly wasn't a Kennedy-liberal. So it wouldn't be a surprise that Alito wasn't a liberal on the court.

Kennedy goes on saying:

After stating that he believed in a diverse bench, President Bush took the nation a step backwards today. Apparently, he couldn't find a woman or minority or a mainstream nominee that meets the litmus tests of the right wing, and instead put forth a nominee with a troubling record on the rights and freedoms important to America's families.

Without saying it, Kennedy demands quotas on the court. And he has the gall to talk about "litmus test of the right wing."