Volume 53, Number 3 · February 23, 2006
The Strange Case of Judge Alito
By Ronald Dworkin
The Senate hearings on Supreme Court nominations are designed to give the American public an opportunity—its last opportunity—to pass judgment on an official who for the rest of his life will have enormous and unchecked power to define their most fundamental political rights. But since Judge Robert Bork was rejected by the Senate in 1987, several nominees have reduced the hearings to a pointless recital of an established script. They declare their firm intention to decide cases 'according to the rule of law' and they promise to enforce the Constitution as it actually is rather than revise it to suit their own personal 'bias.'
Feature, 4105 words
To read the full text of this piece, please choose one of the following options:
|
If you are already a subscriber to the Review's electronic edition, please sign in: |
To subscribe to the electronic edition, please press the button below. |
To purchase access to this article for $3, please press the button below. |