Alito Wins Cloture

From the Associated Press: By a vote of 72 to 25, with three abstentions (or absences--I'm not sure which), the Senate has invoked cloture on the nomination of Mr. Justice Samuel J. Alito of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Even "Missing Link" Chafee voted for cloture, though he announced his intent to vote against confirmation. With fifty-three Republicans announcing their intent to vote for confirmation, and with four Democrats (Ben Nelson, D-NB; Robert C. Byrd, D-WV; Kent Conrad, D-ND, and Tim Johnson, D-SD) also announcing for confirmation, Mr. Justice Alito will be moving to the Supreme Court very soon, barring the unforeseen.

This was a test of the Deal of the Gang of Fourteen, of which Senators Nelson and Byrd are members. As far as I know, none of the seven Democratic members of the Gang broke ranks. (I'll have updates later.)

In the post mortem department, you might want to consider this article from Jerry Zeifman, a Democrat himself and a former Chief Counsel to the House Judiciary Committee. He says that Senator Kennedy has behaved disgracefully, hypocritically, and selfishly--in the most negative possible sense of that word. Zeifman goes so far as to trace Kennedy's current acts clear back to the sad death of Mary Jo Kopechne in his automobile on Chappaquiddick Island in 1969. He pandered to feminists so that they would overlook his leaving a woman to die. Sadly, it has worked--for him. Whether it has worked out so well for the other parties to his understandings is debatable. It has definitely not worked for the country or the State he is supposed to serve.

I pray that conservatives everywhere will settle Ted Kennedy's hash someday. In the meantime, go for the goal, Sam! One more hurdle to go. Please don't stumble now.