US Democrats hoping that Samuel Alito will derail his own nomination are so far finding little ammunition in his comments. As President George W. Bush's pick for the Supreme Court entered his third day of the hearings yesterday, Alito was showing that he has mastered the language of politics: Say nothing -- at least nothing controversial.
The conservative Alito's by-the-book responses to the grilling by Democrats in the Senate Judiciary Committee has earned him nods of approval from Republican supporters.
But a leading Democratic opponent, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the second day of the hearings, complained that Alito was speaking in generalities to avoid answering questions.
"We are not asking him to take a certain position. We are asking him to take a position. It's that simple," New York Senator Charles Schumer said. "So far he has not."
Democrats are particularly worried because Alito, in replacing Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, a moderate, could throw the balance of the nine-member court to the right. That potentially could undercut US women's right to abortion, first read into the Constitution in 1973, and broadly expand executive powers that many critics of the Bush administration believe the president has unconstitutionally usurped.
Alito has been careful to avoid fueling such fears.
Typical of his testimony: "There is nothing that is more important for our republic than the rule of law. No person in this country, no matter how high or powerful, is above the law, and no person in this country is beneath the law."
That was his response to a question from the committee's top Democrat, Senator Patrick Leahy, who asked whether the president could "override the laws and immunize illegal conduct."
Such responses did not sit well with Democrats.
"Americans have no better answers than they did at the outset of the hearings," said Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy.
And when he does answer, it is "vague, inconsistent, and at times, contradictory testimony to what his record shows," Leahy added.
Many Democrats fear Alito would give the nine-justice Supreme Court the fifth and deciding vote to approve Bush's admitted use of warrantless electronic snooping within the US.
O'Connor, retiring after 25 years on the nation's highest court, has provided the fifth and deciding vote in 148 cases. Many of those involved contentious issues such as abortion and affirmative action, or preferences given to nonwhites to promote racial diversity in schools or employment.
Throughout hours of grilling by Democrats and less-stressful questioning by Republicans on Tuesday, the 55-year-old appellate judge repeatedly refused to speak in concrete terms on the ground that he should not air an opinion on a subject that might come before him.
Republicans complained that Democrats have already made up their minds about Alito.
"I do think that there are those who have already decided to vote against your nomination and are looking for some reason to do so," Republican Senator John Cornyn said. "And I think one of the reasons that they may claim is that you've been nonresponsive."
Despite the Democrats' frustration, Alito was to go into further hearings yesterday with a decreased likelihood that they may resort to the politically risky delaying technique of a filibuster to block his nomination.
In the US system, the Senate must approve presidential nominations to most federal courts. The hearing in the 18-member committee, expected to last at least until today, is the first step, supposedly laying groundwork on which the 100 senators can base their votes.
In his testimony, Alito seemed polished and well-prepared to face the Democrats' hostility. He was pressed repeatedly for his views on abortion, one of touchiest questions in US politics.
"I would approach the question with an open mind, and I would listen to the arguments that were made," he told one senator.
SEEKING CHANGE: A hospital worker said she did not vote in previous elections, but ‘now I can see that maybe my vote can change the system and the country’ Voting closed yesterday across the Solomon Islands in the south Pacific nation’s first general election since the government switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing and struck a secret security pact that has raised fears of the Chinese navy gaining a foothold in the region. The Solomon Islands’ closer relationship with China and a troubled domestic economy weighed on voters’ minds as they cast their ballots. As many as 420,000 registered voters had their say across 50 national seats. For the first time, the national vote also coincided with elections for eight of the 10 local governments. Esther Maeluma cast her vote in the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
HYPOCRISY? The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday asked whether Biden was talking about China or the US when he used the word ‘xenophobic’ US President Joe Biden on Wednesday called for a hike in steel tariffs on China, accusing Beijing of cheating as he spoke at a campaign event in Pennsylvania. Biden accused China of xenophobia, too, in a speech to union members in Pittsburgh. “They’re not competing, they’re cheating. They’re cheating and we’ve seen the damage here in America,” Biden said. Chinese steel companies “don’t need to worry about making a profit because the Chinese government is subsidizing them so heavily,” he said. Biden said he had called for the US Trade Representative to triple the tariff rates for Chinese steel and aluminum if Beijing was