Northwest politicians’ reaction to Alito mixed

The nomination of federal appellate judge Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court brought measured responses Monday from Northwest senators who wanted to study his record, but more spirited reaction from political party leaders.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said she wanted to “have all the facts” before deciding how she’d vote on the nomination, saying she’d apply the same standards that led her to support John Roberts last month as chief justice. She also used the nomination to take a jab at President Bush over his previous nominee, Harriet Miers, who withdrew, she said, “to placate the radical right.”

“While the president’s standards for a Supreme Court nominee may shift with the political winds, mine do not,” Murray said. “Will they be evenhanded, fair, independent, and will they uphold our rights and liberties?”

She was also “disappointed” that Alito does not maintain the diversity on the court. With Sandra Day O’Connor retiring, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be the only woman on the court if Alito is confirmed.

Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, said he also wanted to learn more about Alito and his judicial philosophy. But Craig called the nomination “another strong selection” by Bush, noting that as a federal judge Alito had already been through the confirmation process twice.

Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, praised Alito in slightly stronger terms than he had Miers a few weeks earlier. While Crapo had called Miers “a good nomination,” he cited Alito’s “distinguished background of experience and knowledge.”

“While I am disappointed that Harriet Miers withdrew her nomination, I hope that Judge Alito is given fair consideration by all members of the Senate,” he said.

Both Craig and Crapo called for Democrats to avoid a filibuster and give Alito an up or down vote on the Senate floor.

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., the only one of the four who voted against Roberts last month, declined to make a significant comment on the nomination, saying only that she’d make her decision after the hearing process.

Washington state Democratic Chairman Paul Berendt had no such reticence, accusing Bush of rushing the nomination “to distract voters from the scandal swirling around his administration.”

“Instead of caving to the right wing of his party, President Bush should have shown real leadership by picking a nominee who all Americans can trust to protect their individual rights and freedoms,” Berendt said.

Washington state Republican Chairman Chris Vance, however, called Alito “an excellent choice,” and called on Cantwell and Murray to put aside politics and support him.

“Judge Alito has the keen intellect, impartiality, temperament, sound legal judgment and the highest integrity necessary for a U.S. Supreme Court justice,” Vance said.

One person who actually does know Alito – a University of Washington law professor who clerked for him in 1999 and 2000 – praised the federal appeals court judge for his “extreme intellectual ability and remarkable breadth of experience.”

“He has an extreme command of the issues and is very familiar with constitutional law,” said Clark Lombardi, who teaches courses on constitutional law, comparative law and federal courts. “He’s very reserved, but he has a great sense of humor.”

Alito has been on so many “short lists” for a Supreme Court opening that Lombardi said he didn’t get too excited when his former boss’s name was mentioned as a possible nominee over the weekend.