Did you hear what Hatch just did?

[corky44]

He rattles off "honest", "ethical" "honest", "competent", "honest"
"experienced", "honest" in about 30 seconds.
Meanwhile it takes Leahy 10 minutes to form a question that has
little chance of tripping Alito up in any way because it's framed more like Leahy's opinion.
That in a nutshell tells you why we are in such fuct up shape.
GOD HELP US!
Put Leahy out to pasture...

[Loonman]

1. Leaky Leahy is not good for this sort of thing

I wonder why the Dems put him on the panel.

[babylonsister]

2. No, put Hatch out to pasture for consistently

bloviating.

[kentuck]

3. That's a stretch.

What should Leahy have said? What words?

[TheBaldyMan]

11. how about

• What are your views on abortion?
• In your view, has the President acted unlawfully in authorising warrantless NSA surveillance of US citizens?
• Have you ever been duck-hunting with senior members of the administration?
• Under what circumstances would you consider anal violation of a detainee to be unlawful?
• If President Bush got a blow job in the Oval Office, then lied about it under oath, would you support moves to impeach him?

I could go on, it's not so difficult about coming up with questions that will really show how he feels about his bid for office.

[corky44]

17. for one thing Leahy should stop talking about his family for christ's sake

[quiet.american]

4. Also, Hatch answered for Alito, too!

--When he asked him if he thought it was ethical for him to have sat on the Vanguard case -- Alito stumbled badly, and Hatch answered the question for him, essentially giving the answer "yes" for Alito.

[Cocoa]

5. I'd rather Leahy be Leahy

the last thing I want is for him to emulate Orrin Hatch.

[corky44]

18. Hatch is using subliminal influence tactics and he is very good at it.

[Neil Lisst]

6. I disagree.

Hatch is doing nothing but testifying himself, and playing "dad's pitch" with Alito.

"Judge Alito, you're a wonderful guy, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am."

That is not compelling testimony. It's lame. It's useless. It doesn't address any material point with any substance.

Leahy has a tougher job. He must give the facts that lay the predicate for his questions, and he must incorporate some of his own experience so that he doesn't seem demeaning to the minority groups to which he alludes.

I acknowledge that Leahy and other Dems are sometimes TERRIBLE about the way they question Alito and such witnesses. But part of that is the time constraint and the problem with the witness' ability to filibuster the Dem Senator's time with long answers.

Both sides are trying to expose the issues they find important. That is not a time efficient process, particularly when everyone gets the same amount of time, and each person is playing to a slightly different constituency.

My call so far is that Alito is no Roberts, and he's not doing well. He's doing adequately so far, but he's not going to be impressive.

[rodeodance]

7. there is an official thread here if you care to join.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x97051

[Neil Lisst]

15. Thanks, rodeodance. I'll stop by there.

I wanted to address this thread because I'm dubious of the original post and felt it needed to be hammered appropriately.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

12. his dance about CAP on the head of the pin had the pin upside down.

[Neil Lisst]

16. Agreed! Alito can't remember a group he belonged to 20 years ago?

He can't remember anything about a group he put on his resume to get a job with Reagan, et al.?

If that is so, his mind must be going, and he's unqualified on that basis.

[Little Star]

14. Hey Neil List, I love the way

your mind works and the way you frame debates! I also love your toons. Guess that I just wanted to say I admire your talents mister young enough to be my grandson!

[Neil Lisst]

20. Thanks for your kind words, Little Star.

But I'm not young. The character I created is young, but not me.

I have grown children about the same age as Neil Lisst, the cartoon character. I draw upon them, particularly on social issues, like the Vegan Bear cartoon. In that cartoon, I'm Papa Bear in real life!

Having vegan kids takes some getting used to. It impacts every meal, at home, or in restaurants, or the homes of friends. I'm cool with it now, but the Vegan Bear cartoon was sort of an allusion to my early response to having vegan kids. I wrote it for my kids and ran it for the Thanksgiving weekend, because I know that vegans suffered from relatives over that holiday.

Just my way of giving them an old dad hug.

[Little Star]

22. I admit to

59. You do not need to admit to any age. I still like the way you get ideas across. Thanks for expressing your thoughts in a common sense manner.

[Neil Lisst]

23. Then you're old enough ..

to be my sister!

Thanks again. I am enjoying this time of my life. Like today. I pretty much cleared my schedule just to watch this hearing and comment when I can.

Roberts slipped past, but he's no worse than Rehnquist, so we didn't lose ground there. If Alito replaces O'Connor, the fundamental balance that has kept the wingers at bay is gone.

He MUST be filibustered.

[Little Star]

24. I'm with you once again! n/t

[corky44]

19. It's more then lame- it's Brilliant. Simplify everything. Force feed

[Neil Lisst]

21. It's ineffective, except to reinforce those who already like Alito.

Who isn't going to acknowledge when asked "are you honest?"

When the sound bites are cut of TV news, they won't include Hatch's material, but they might include ten seconds or so of Leahy's questions about strip searching a ten year old girl.

[wisteria]

8. Perhaps, no one really cares what Hatch has to say. Leahy may

have been actually asking a question that needed to be asked and answered.

[liberalhistorian]

13. Indeed, the senate

and journalists have even come up with a term to describe Hatch's special form of "questioning" in these circumstances. They call it "orinning" and it started with the whole Clarence Thomas-Anita Hill hearings mess. It describes his tendency to monopolize and dominate hearings and meetings, usually with useless drivel that just goes on and on and accomplishes nothing.

[xchrom]

9. the problem is -- supreme court candidates do not have to

answer truly candid questions.

senators have constraint after constraint piled on them -- in order to ask any question at all.

the process itself is inauthentic.

and that's the problem -- authenticity in the process.

[karynnj]

10. Leahy did a very good job making clear what the spying issue

was. His comments about the fact that they spied on Vermont Quakers - some of whom Leahy knew- was well taken. These people are totally non-violent and are no threat. He said the quakers have protested wars throughout history. This is a very clear description of Bush stepping over the line.

Vt has the right to choose its Senator - and they like Leahy.