Spoke with Specter's judiciary committee. Asked for clarification about the Rusher papers.

It was suggested that I Call Mr. Rusher and ask for his permission to make the CAP minutes available for public review.

Does anyone have his number? I'll be starting at Princeton...

Tags: alito, cap, library of congress, politics, rusher, senate, specter

For those of you interested, Mr. Kennedy has been trying to get access to the CAP records since November of 2005. Mr. Specter has been avoiding acknowledging his requests.

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/01/11/cap-timeline/

In my opinion, this is dishonest and untrustworthy behavior on the part of Mr. Specter. I would like to hear him explain his actions. His refusal to allow Mr. Kennedy, congress and the public to look at these documents is reason enough for me to feel very skeptical of the nomination of Mr. Alito.

If Mr. Alito has nothing to hide, there seems to be no reason that Mr. Specter should avoid discussing the documents with Mr. Kennedy.

Thoughts?

Tags: alito, kennedy, politics, senate, specter, supreme court

Here are the documents that Mr. Kennedy requested from the Library of Congress:

http://colliertech.org/~cjcollier/politics/alito/William_A_Rusher.txt

It seems that documents regarding the Concerned Alumni of Princeton are contained in BOX 46, BOX 72, and BOX 142.

Tags: alito, congress, kennedy, rusher, supreme court

From http://colliertech.org/~cjcollier/politics/alito/day3part2.html

KENNEDY: Well, Mr. Chairman, my time is running out.

I had wanted to just wind up on a few more brief questions on this.

But I have to say that Judge Alito -- that his explanations about the membership in this, sort of, radical group, and why you listed it on your job application, are extremely troubling. And, in fact, I don't think that they add up.

Last month, I sent a letter to Senator Specter asking a number of questions about your membership in CAP. And I asked Senator Specter make a formal committee request for the documents in the possession of the Library of Congress as part of the William Rusher papers. Mr. Rusher was the publisher of the National Review, was an active founder and leader of CAP.

Do you have any hesitancy or reason for us not to look at those documents?

ALITO: They're not my documents, Senator, and I have no opinion about it whatsoever.

KENNEDY: Do you think they'd be helpful?

ALITO: Senator, I don't believe I had any active involvement with this group.

I've wracked my memory and I can't recall anything. And if I had been involved actively in any way in the group, I'm sure that I would remember that.

KENNEDY: Well, Mr. Chairman, if I could have your attention, I think we ought to vote on issuing a subpoena to the custodian of those CAP records.

KENNEDY: And I want to do that at an appropriate time. I'd move that the committee go into executive session for the purpose of voting on the issuancing of -- the sole purpose for issuing the subpoena of those records.

Tags: alito, kennedy, subpoena

http://colliertech.org/~cjcollier/politics/alito/

Tags: alito, alito hearings, hearings, senate

Senator Cantwell,

There is a standing request from your constituent that the senate look more closely into CAPS before any progress can be properly made on the Alito decision.

http://cjcollier.livejournal.com/190124.html?mode=reply

If a decision is made prior to this request being fulfilled, I will personally be less than trusting of the senate's fitness for its task of making such a decision.

Thank you,

C.J.

Tags: alito, caps, politics, senator cantwell, supreme court

In the cut, you will find the boiler-plate response to my email to Senator Cantwell.

I had never considered that Senator Alito was not a woman before now. He seemed capable of answering the questions put before him, and he denied knowing anything about the atrocious "good old boy's club" that he used to belong to. He said that he knew nothing of its racial and gender prejudice and that the only reason he attended was because Princeton was considering removing the ROTC from campus, and he believed that it had a place at the school.

This sound fine to me, but it also seems unlikely that while attending meetings of said "good old boy's club," it would be difficult to miss the blatant prejudice being slung about and laughed at. I noticed a very strong attempt on the right side of the aisle during the hearings to avoid looking too deeply into the past of Alito's involvement with CAPS. I wrote about it here:

http://cjcollier.livejournal.com/190124.html?mode=reply

Senator Cantwell, there is a standing request from one of your constituents that the senate look more closely into CAPS before any progress can be properly made on the Alito decision.

Thank you,

C.J.



( From the Senator )

Tags: alito, cantwell, maria cantwell, politics, senate, senator cantwell, supreme court

Dear Maria,

I listened to two days of the Alito proceedings via KUOW's streaming coverage. There were some technical difficulties, and I am not a lawyer (IANAL), so I did not understand much of what was being discussed, but my opinion of Mr. Alito, after hearing him answer questions post by many senators, defend himself against accusations and pointed questions slung by others, and humbly accept boot licking by yet others is still up in the air.

Please do let me know what you personally think of the potential supreme court justice and what you think the court will look like with him as a member. You have background and experience that I lack that will likely illuminate the situation for myself and others.

I plan to post your response in my online journal.

Thank you,

C.J.

Tags: alito, cantwell, senator, supreme court