Alito Confirmed 58-42

As AJ Strata, Mark Coffey, and others have noted, Alito’s confirmation supports the wisdom of the Gang of 14 agreement.

The Strata-Sphere » Carnival Of The Chillin’ - Alito

On the eve of Alito’s confirmation to the US Supreme Court we wanted to hear from members of the Coalition of the Chillin’ on what the Gang of 14 Agreement meant as we look back to all that has transpired since. I think it is fair to say the filibuster-nuclear option debate has subsided significantly by the fact this will be the shortest Carnival for the Coalition to date. It is hard to find the same intensity as those days when no judges where getting through. Before Rodgers-Brown, Owens, Prior and Roberts.

ProfessorBainbridge puts it well

Alito’s confirmed. … I point out to the doubters, that the Gang of 14 deal - which I supported despite taking considerable flak from my fellow conservatives - worked. There were 14 more votes for cloture than for confirmation, proving that the deal was able to prevent a filibuster of a qualified but controversial candidate.

And so I have but one thing to say to the critics:

Thppft

Decision ‘08 » The Biggest Republican Victory of 2005

Samuel Alito will be confirmed. Clearly, there is no stomach for a filibuster, despite all the fuss aimed at appeasing the radical base, and the votes are there to override in any event. We now can look back at the judicial compromise of last May and ponder what it wrought.The Gang of 14 suffered from the typical Senatorial affliction of deadly pomposity, but they crafted an agreement that could not have worked better for the Republicans. The immediate consequence was the quick confirmation of several judges previously deemed unacceptable by the Democrats. The more important consequence, as we have seen, was the agreement to a new standard for filibusters, that of ‘extraordinary circumstances’. Though nebelous, to be sure, the term gave cover to Republicans while placing a new burden on Democrats. It was a masterful stroke, and huge victory that was widely overlooked at the time.

Comments

  1. Pixy Misa wrote:

    And so I have but one thing to say to the critics:

    Thppft

    I criticised this deal, and it seems to be working. So I will take my thppft like a man.

    Posted 31 Jan 2006 at 7:46 pm

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