It’s Alito!

Damn, George Bush didn’t take my advice to nominate Pat Fitzgerald to the Court! It would’ve been a perfect choice and sure to avoid the nuclear winter which Alito’s going to cause with his nomination.

Alito…rhymes with “Scalito”

But seriously, the National Jewish Democratic Council is reporting these first salvos from the far religious-right in the Samuel Alito SCOTUS war:

The Reverend Rob Schenck — self-described “missionary to Capitol Hill,” and president of Faith and Action— said this morning, “From what we know, Judge Alito has a proven track record of respect for the original intent of the framers of the constitution when it comes to the sanctity of life, the sanctity of marriage, and the public acknowledgment of God. We are calling on Christian people of every tradition to pray for Judge Alito and the members of the US Senate as the confirmation process begins, and for the future of the Supreme Court.”

** Priests for Life released a statement this morning in which National Director Fr. Frank Pavone commented, “We also welcome the debate over ‘conservative values.’ The nation is in a culture war, and there’s no need to hide that fact. Some Senators will oppose any change on the Court that would threaten so-called ‘abortion rights.’ But the American people are already deciding that their Constitution does not permit dismembering children. It is inevitable that the Court will catch up.”

What shocks about these statements is how bald-facedly they acknowledge that this nomination, for the Christian Right, is about making the U.S. a “Christian nation.” Which means that as Jews we owe every ounce of our political strength to opposing this nomination. As the Shma says: v-chol m’odecha (with all your might).

Then there was this over the top ululation from an obviously drunk (on power, God?) Christian-rightist:

“The difference from after the Miers nomination was like being at a morgue verses being at a combination of a wedding reception, Super Bowl party and bar mitzvah,” said Jordan Lorence, a lawyer for the Christian conservative Alliance Defense Fund, in a conference call with conservative groups.

A bar mitzvah? Really? I’m hoping that by the time this Senate review process is over it feels more like a train wreck for the good Christian fellow.

It is clear that with his confirmation Alito will once more not only criminalize abortion (something we haven’t seen for over 30 years in this country), but we are likely to have a Court which shows even more obsequious deference toward presidential power, which allows torture of terror suspects and indeterminate imprisonment of U.S. citizens, just to mention a few of the many human rights issues which will be snuffed out by an Alito court.

With Sandra Day O’Connor’s retirement there will no longer be a swing vote on the Court. The results of most decisions which involve an ideological or political component will be a foregone conclusion. We will now essentially have TWO Antonin Scalia’s on the court like legal Bobsy twins.

I feel a little like the widow in Jeremiah’s Book of Lamentations who sits weeping in the dust for the destruction of her beloved Jerusalem. Except I will be distraught over the wholesale passing of the Supreme Court into the ideological hands of American judicial extremists.