As you've no doubt heard, President Bush nominated the arch-conservative Samuel Alito to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court.
The AP report is blunt about Bush's motives:
With the rebuke of Ms. Miers, the rising death toll in Iraq, his slow-footed response to hurricane Katrina and last Friday's indictment of top vice-presidential aide I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby, Mr. Bush's approval ratings are at the lowest ebb of his presidency.
Polls show Democrats and most independents do not approve of his job performance, leaving the conservative wing of his party the only thing keeping Mr. Bush afloat politically. [AP]
While Judge Alito is expected to win praise from Bush's allies on the right, Democrats have served notice they will fight it. Mr. Reid had warned Sunday that it would “create a lot of problems.” [AP]
Digby is even blunter:
[...] Alito is for Bush as Oxycontin is for Limbaugh. Alito is intended to ease the pain of Fitzgerald's indictments and continuing investigation by changing the subject. Bush, Cheney and Rove expect us to play along on their timetable, which requires that the country get distracted quickly from the brief glimpse Fitzgerald provided everyone, even Kristof, of the enormously fetid swamp of crimes and traitorous behavior behind the sealed gates of the Bush White House. No one, except Bush's base, can be anything but disgusted at what was revealed on Friday.
Of course Alito should be opposed vigorously, but let's not forget the oldest trick in the political book: When you're unpopular at home, start a war! Since Treasongate isn't going away, the Republicans have effectively opened a two-front war--a move that stinks of desperation.
Alito Resources
Scott Lemieux is aggregating Alito resources at Lawyers, Guns and Money.
Think Progress has a comprehensive summary of Alito's radical right wing paper trail. TP also notes that in 2002, Alito dismissed a case in favor of a company in which he'd invested half-a-million dollars.*
[Correction: Alito had investments that were managed by the firm in question, but he wasn't an investor in the company itself.]
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