Bush Declares War

I called it on Saturday! Why, oh why, didn't I blog it?! Bush has nominated Judge Samuel Alito to replace retiring justice Sandra Day-O'Connor on the U.S. Supreme Court. All signs indicate that the Democrats will vigorously oppose this nominee. Unlike with his last nomination, Bush has chosen to fight. Maybe he will prove me wrong after all.

Alito's credentials on abortion seem encouraging, especially his dissenting opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey in which he voted to uphold a Pennsylvania law that required married women to notify their husbands if planning to have an abortion. However, he did vote with the majority in a decision that struck down a New Jersey law banning partial birth abortion.

The buzz in the blogosphere and other places on the internet seems to be that Alito would be one to vote to overturn Roe v. Wade. I am still unsure if Chief Justice Roberts would do this, though. Some Democrats indicated that they didn't think Roberts would. He also made some statements suggesting he considers Roe to the settled law of the land. However, those statements could have been political maneuvers and nothing more. Thus, I think there is cause for hope.

According to Infoplease Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, and Roberts are all Catholics. Alito would make 5 Catholics on the Supreme Court. I say: Thanks be to God.

As far as the religion of the other justices goes, O'Connor (retiring) and Souter are Episcopalians, Stevens is a nondescript Protestant, and Ginsburg and Breyer are Jews.

One last note. Alito's nickname is "Scalito".

More coverage on the nomination and the man over at Project Nothing!