South Carolina’s U.S. senators had nothing but praise for
President Bush’s nomination Monday of Samuel Alito to fill the seat
of retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, the Seneca Republican, served notice on
Democrats that any effort to filibuster Bush’s latest U.S. Supreme
Court nominee likely will fail.
In May, Graham was one of 14 senators — half Democrats, half
Republicans — to agree on a compromise that said future nominees to
the Supreme Court should “only be filibustered under extraordinary
circumstances.”
The nomination of Alito, a judge on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals, should not be filibustered, said Graham, who was ripped by
some Republicans for his role in the bipartisan May compromise.
Alito is entitled to a vigorous hearing before the Senate
Judiciary Committee and an up-or-down vote in the Senate, said
Graham.
“To do any less would result in long-term damage to the
presidency and the Senate,” Graham warned. “Filibusters based on
ideology or judicial philosophy, if utilized by both parties, will
create a ‘Middle East style’ of politics in the Senate.”
Graham called Alito “one of the most distinguished individuals”
ever to be nominated to the high court.
Graham’s Republican cohort, U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint of Greenville,
said Alito’s constitutional credentials are “unquestionable” and his
judiciary philosophy “verifiable.”
Graham predicted Alito will get high marks from the legal
community and will be viewed in the same favorable terms as John
Roberts, recently confirmed as chief justice.
In exchange for the compromise, seven Republicans, including
Graham, said they would vote against an effort to do away with the
filibuster on judicial nominations, the so-called “nuclear option”
that some Senate Republicans had threatened.
“I do not believe a filibuster attempt (against Alito) based on
ideology will be successful,” said Graham.
If the seven Democrats in the “Gang of 14” violate that
agreement, Graham hinted he might support the nuclear option, which
would allow a simple majority to cut off filibusters on judicial
nominees.
It takes 60 votes to cut off extended debate.
Reach Bandy at (803) 771-8648 or lbandy@thestate.com.
