Et tu, NewsMax?

Et tu, NewsMax? One expects left-wing spin from left wing media; but, we hope for more accuracy from NewsMax, "White House: Al Gore is a Hypocrite:"

"'If Al Gore is going to be the voice of the Democrats on national security matters, we welcome it,' White House press secretary Scott McClellan said in a swipe at the Democrat, who lost the 2000 election to Bush only after the Supreme Court intervened."

President Bush won the count, the re-count, and the second re-count. The Supreme Court of the United States referred the case back to the Florida Supreme Court for reconsideration, only after the Florida Court ruled for Al Gore's plea, to allow an extension of time to re-re-count in violation of explicit state law. Although Palm Beach County's second re-count was not completed in time for the certification, they continued to count, with the result that Al Gore would have lost in any event. Subsequent independent audited counts failed to find enough votes for Gore to win.

The only thing accomplished by the unwarranted re-counts, was to delay the initiation of hiring and organizing of President Bush's cabinet and advisors. Therefore, it had to be largely accomplished while he performed the duties of president, rather than in advance, as is the usual case.

It could be argued that, in conjunction with the deterioration of intelligence gathering and security operations in the Clinton administration, this delay in organization may have contributed to the inability to prevent the 9/11 attack.

.

Note that both the ABC News and the CBS News websites ran the same piece, without the appended misleading comment, "only after the Supreme Court intervened." The additional comment, reinforcing a common misconception, was apparently included in the original Associated Press dispatch.

Return of the Senate Judiciary

****** out of *****

Well, if you have not watched any of the Alito hearings, you have missed a great treat. Since it is run and re-run on C-SPAN, and will be run again, don't miss it! Or, go to C-SPAN, and play it back from their archives, on your computer. (Are not computers the greatest instrument of democracy since parchment?)

Re Judge Alito, "Where do we get such men?" And why are we unable to get more? Although quite different in personality, there is a great correspondence between Alito and Secretary Rumsfeld. That is, they are both able to suffer the fools with grace and wit, and high intelligence. I believe we may see a Democrat "leader' suffer a stroke in the next few days. The rise in blood pressure is so obvious that a sphygmomanometer is completely superfluous. Even the ever civil and charming Senator Feinstein visibly changed color, and had to determinedly restrain her impulse to scream and curse the judge, in the manner of her less civilized colleagues.

It is difficult to deal with a person so soft spoken, calm, and polite as Judge Alito, who insists on gently using facts and logic to quietly dismantle the straw men, tar babies, and Trojan Horses of the tense, perspiring inquisitors. Just infuriating!

Just imagine, Thomas, Scalia, Roberts, and Alito. Should an intervention bring Associate Justice Kennedy back into the fold, we may have an orchestra here. If Associate Justice O'Connor retires, can Ginsberg-Stevens-Breyer be far behind? (Souter will continue to pop-up, as does a bad penny.)

While no one can accurately predict the future rulings of SCOTUS, it is a pleasure to note that some of the members consider the founding principles to be the mold that shapes their opinions.

Finally, I note with great enthusiasm, Judge Alito's testimony that he was greatly affected by the improper behavior of privileged people in the 1960's and 1970's; and, he developed an interest in Constitutional Law as a reaction to the activism of the Warren Court!

It is a fine day in January for our Republic. And, it is not so bad for conservatives.

Rated G.