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Senators Grill Alito on Membership and Involvement in Discriminatory
Group
Alito Refuses to State Whether Roe v. Wade is Settled Law
Alito Dismisses Foreign Law as Not "Appropriate or Useful"
Feinstein Grills Alito on Rulings in Key Environmental Cases
Senators Grill Alito on Membership and Involvement
in Discriminatory Group
Senators fought over Alito's membership in the Concerned
Alumni of Princeton and whether the panel should subpoena
records from the group that opposed the acceptance of blacks
or women at Princeton. [includes rush
transcript]
We focus on the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee
Samuel Alito. On Wednesday -- during the third day of hearings
- Alito's view on abortion remained a key point of debate.
Democrats criticized Alito for not doing something that Chief
Justice John Roberts did just four months ago during his confirmation
hearings -- state that Roe v. Wade was the settled law of
the land.
Alito's membership in the Concerned Alumni of Princeton,
or CAP, also drew criticism. In 1985, in a job application
to become an assistant attorney general, Alito noted that
he was a member of the group along with the Federalist Society.
By 1985 the Concerned Alumni of Princeton was already a highly
controversial group because it opposed equal educational opportunities
for women, minorities and the disabled.
On Tuesday, Alito claimed he had no memory of being involved
in the organization even though he mentioned the group on
the job application.
On Wednesday, Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy asked Alito
more questions about his connection to the group.
- Sen. Edward Kennedy (D - MA), questioning supreme court
nominee Samuel Alito.
Kennedy later criticized Alito, telling reporters outside
"He can remember all 67 dissents...in great detail...But
he can't remember anything about this organization."
Later during the hearing, Kennedy got into a heated argument
with Senate Judiciary Chair Arlen Specter, the Pennsylvanian
Republican, after Kennedy claimed that the chairman had failed
to honor his request to subpoena records regarding the Concerned
Alumni of Princeton.
- Sen Arlen Specter (R - PA) and Sen. Edward Kennedy (D
- MA)
To discuss the significance of Alito's connection with the
Concerned Alumni of Princeton as well as other issues raised
during the hearings we are joined by two guests:
- Jamin Raskin, Professor of Constitutional Law at American
University's School of Law and author of "Overruling
Democracy: The Supreme Court vs. the American People."
Download
the NAACP Legal Defense Fund's Report on Samuel Alito
(pdf)
Alito Refuses to State Whether Roe v. Wade is Settled
Law
Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito refuses to state that
Roe v. Wade was the settled law of the land -- a statement
made by John Roberts four months ago during his confirmation
hearings to become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
In 1985, Samuel Alito wrote in a federal job application
that he personally believes "the Constitution does not
protect a right to an abortion."
On Tuesday, during the first day of questioning, he declined
to say whether he still believes this but he vowed to go into
any case involving abortion with a "open mind."
On Wednesday, however, Alito refused to state that Roe v.
Wade was the settled law of the land -- a statement made by
John Roberts four months ago during his confirmation hearings
to become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
- Sen. Dick Durbin (D - IL), questioning supreme court
nominee Samuel Alito.
- Jamin Raskin, Professor of Constitutional Law at American
University's School of Law and author of "Overruling
Democracy: The Supreme Court vs. the American People."
Alito Dismisses Foreign Law as Not "Appropriate
or Useful"
When questioned by Sen. Tom Coburn (R - OK) about the citation
of foreign law, Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito said, "I
don't think it's appropriate or useful to look to foreign
law in interpreting the provisions of our Constitution."
[includes rush transcript - partial]
One of the other issues discussed on Day Three of the hearings
was the citation of foreign law. When questioned by Sen. Tom
Coburn (R - OK) about the issue, Alito said, "I don't
think it's appropriate or useful to look to foreign law in
interpreting the provisions of our Constitution."
- Sen. Tom Coburn (R - OK), questioning supreme court nominee
Samuel Alito.
The New York Times reports, "The nominee was, at least
implicitly, finding fault with the Supreme Court's ruling
on March 1 that outlawed the execution of killers who were
under 18 at the time of their crimes. That opinion, decided
by a 5-4 majority, relied in part on the trend of international
opinion against the death penalty, especially for youthful
offenders."
Download
the NAACP Legal Defense Fund's Report on Samuel Alito
(pdf)
Feinstein Grills Alito on Rulings in Key Environmental
Cases
Judge Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court has
also raised concerns among environmentalists. Greenpeace,
the National Environmental Trust, Earthjustice, Friends of
the Earth and the Sierra Club have all publicly opposed Alito's
confirmation. [includes rush
transcript - partial]
Judge Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court has
also raised concerns among environmentalists. Greenpeace,
the National Environmental Trust, Earthjustice, Friends of
the Earth and the Sierra Club have all publicly opposed Alito's
confirmation
On Wednesday, Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein of California
asked Alito about his rulings in key environmental cases.
- Sen. Diane Feinstein (D - CA), questioning supreme court
nominee Samuel Alito.
For more on Alito and the environment we are joined by:
- Glen Sugameli, Senior Legislative Counsel in Earthjustice's
Policy and Legislative program.
Read Earthjustice's
statement on Alito
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
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