Revisiting Samuel Alito's Path to Confirmation

Harriet Miers, Arlen Specter, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, and more

Following my inside work for Senator Orrin Hatch on the Supreme Court nominations of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer more than three decades ago, I’ve worked intensively from the outside on all of the subsequent Supreme Court confirmation battles.

The nomination on which I wrote most extensively, and on which I believe that I had the most impact on the public debate, was Samuel Alito’s.

Orrin Hatch greets Samuel Alito

I hope that you find these Confirmation Tales posts of interest:

• Pro-Lifers Try to Block Alito Nomination: And I thwart the foolish effort

• Samuel Alito Gets Big Boost from Harriet Miers Fiasco: George W. Bush’s third pick for O’Connor seat unifies Republicans

• Filibuster Politics Shape Strategies on Alito Nomination: Democrats' excesses put them at severe disadvantage

• Alito Benefits from Colleague’s 50-Year Friendship: Judge Edward Becker secures Arlen Specter’s support

• Alito’s 1985 Job Application Declares His Principles: ‘I am and always have been a conservative’

• Ted Kennedy’s CAP Attack on Alito Backfires: Senate Democrat’s bombast collapses into farce

• John Kerry Yodels for Alito Filibuster: His fellow Democrats cringe at his Davos folly

• 58-42!: Alito’s successful confirmation vote is exact converse of Bork’s defeat

If you’re up for yet more, here are some of the essays that I published during Alito’s confirmation process (on top of lots and lots of blog posts):

• Alito vs. Ginsburg

• The Right Justice

• Justice Precedent

• Spin Paper

• Blank Slate

• Deserving Derision

• Teddy Kennedy’s Incredible Attack on Alito