So there you have it, folks. President Bush – incredibly – decided to nominate a fellow conservative to a spot on the Supreme Court of these United States of America. So why the big fuss?
We go through this every time. You’d think it would stop making such stupid headlines as The New York Times’ very own, “Nomination Likely to Please G.O.P., but Not Some Democrats.” You would think we wouldn’t have the Democrats doing the same run-of-the-mill complaining that the guy is anti-abortion and therefore he is an “extremist,” or worse – a “radical.”
Would not the opposite liberal pro-choice version be an “extremist” or a “radical” too? When the Democrats pumped the Supreme Court with fellow Democrats, did the GOP have the right to complain? No. And so neither do the Democrats now. I’m sorry folks, but this is the American system. This is politics. Get used to it.
We all play the game of politics. We should start to abide by the rules and stop whining like little third graders in a blacktop game of kickball. We’re all adults here, and in Congress, we should be all mature and intelligent adults, so there should be even less pouting and whining.
Why not accept the fact that Republicans will naturally try to spread the Republican agenda and Democrats will spread theirs? Samuel Alito is not an “extremist” or a “radical” – he’s a freakin’ conservative. And conservatives are allowed to have their conservative ideology and the liberals are allowed to have their liberal ideology. One would think that with all the years the elephants and donkeys have been battling it out for the steering wheel of this fine nation, they’d have this one down. But they don’t.
Instead we go through this same old routine. A Republican does something Republican-ish and is blasted by the media and the Democrats, getting called a “right winger” or a “radical.” Usually the abortion issue is the culprit. Alito, strangely, is a conservative who is also a pro-lifer, a friend of a Republican president, and even a fellow Catholic like yours truly. So, for his legitimate personal beliefs, he is branded as an extremist and will have to go through the same ordeal and gauntlet of interrogation that Roberts before him endured.
For now, we’ve got immature Democrats like Harry Reid of Nevada saying stupid things and making himself look like a childish sore loser throwing a temper tantrum. Reid even complained that Bush had the nerve not to consult Democrats before nominating the guy. Now let’s all think about the logistics behind that one…Why the hell would Bush consult the other team over his team’s moves? Does Joe Torre from the Yankees ask the Boston Red Sox’s manager if it’s okay if he starts Jeter this time around? No he doesn’t. So why should Bush run things by the Democrats first?
Not only that, this Harry Reid fella even said that he thought the nomination was “lacking diversity and perspective” because the nominee is neither a woman nor a Hispanic. Reid explained, “President Bush would leave the Supreme Court looking less like America and more like an old boys’ club.”
Let’s consider this attack for a moment. We should all remember freshly the attacks on Harriet Miers for not being qualified enough. Well, clearly Samuel Alito is more than qualified, with all his bench experience in New Jersey and his time in the 3rd District U.S. Court of Appeals, and before all that as a deputy solicitor general, and his fabulous prosecuting of Philly mobsters, drug traffickers, white collar crooks, etc. But now they complain that Alito is not a member of one of the protected classes of Americans, that Affirmative Action is more important than picking the best man for the job.
Ladies and gentlemen, you have to pick one. Looks like Bush was damned if he did damned if he didn’t. He couldn’t pick an unqualified woman, but he sure as hell can’t choose a highly qualified white male.
Not to mention, Alito does indeed represent the melting pot of America. Alito is the son of Italian immigrants, two extraordinary individuals who were part of those tired and hungry masses that fled the Old World not too long ago to search for the Promised Land and raise their sons and daughters in this Land of Opportunity.
At that time, these poor, mostly illiterate laborers were not given protective status; instead it was American custom to greet the “minorities” of yesteryear with racial slurs like “wop,” “dago,” “guinea,” “polack,” “mick,” “kraut,” etc. Somehow Alito made it through this tough world (without any governmental assistance) and all the way to the top, finally nominated to the most powerful court in the world. It’s so beautiful the tears almost come to my eyes. During his acceptance speech, Alito lamented that his immigrant father is not alive to see this great day when the American dream became reality. (He’s looking down at you, kid, don’t worry.)
I’m afraid that Alito is actually being mocked for his Latin heritage. I’ve already heard of the nickname he has garnered himself merely by having that “vowely” surname. “Scalito” they call him. Why? Because of Antonin Scalia, that other Italian on the Supreme Court? So they must be the same right? Fact is Scalia and Alito are as different from one another as any other two guys, regardless of ethnicity. Scalia is quite outspoken and alpha male-ish, while Alito is quiet and more passive. But, they are both wops, so let’s look at them as one.
Then we have Associated Press articles talking of the man’s “New Jersey ties” when referring merely to his birthplace, that notorious Italian Disneyland of a state. Tell me, could the author have been any more subtle when elbowing his editor and smirking while coming up with that clever allusion to the other ties Italians are always accused of having – mob ties? Alito is just getting bombarded from all angles. Poor guy.
So, in conclusion, it has now been established that Samuel Alito is not an Anglo-Saxon Protestant and thus represents America’s diversity. It has also been established that the man is more than well qualified and that, yes, sorry folks, he is a conservative who dislikes abortion and all its gory aspects.
Now my advice to the good old folks on the other side of the aisle: save your time and energy. Let it go. Play fair and let the poor man get on the bench without having to answer a million and one pointless questions that all aim to portray him as some crazy unborn baby lover. After all, one day – surprise! – a Democrat will be back in the White House, and – surprise! – he will want to put a Democrat on the Supreme Court. Now you wouldn’t want the Republicans to yell “radical” or “extremist,” would you?
Alex Marra may be reached at chemarrini@yahoo.com