Judge Samuel Alito should now be referred to as Justice Samuel Alito.

Samuel Anthony Alito Jr. became the nation’s 110th Supreme Court justice on Tuesday, confirmed with the most partisan victory in modern history after a fierce battle over the future direction of the high court.
The Senate voted 58-42 to confirm Alito, a former federal appellate judge, U.S. attorney, and conservative lawyer for the Reagan administration from New Jersey as the replacement for retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who has been a moderate swing vote on the court.
All but one of the Senate’s majority Republicans voted for his confirmation, while all but four of the Democrats voted against Alito.
That is the smallest number of senators in the president’s opposing party to support a Supreme Court justice in modern history. Chief Justice John Roberts got 22 Democratic votes last year, and Justice Clarence Thomas _ who was confirmed in 1991 on a 52-48 vote, got 11 Democratic votes.

From StoptheACLU,

Today’s vote is a victory for America. Today the Supreme Court has been taken out of the pocket of the ACLU and other liberal activist groups who cannot get their agenda advanced by way of the ballot box. And put the control of the nation and her laws back into the hands of the elected legislators. We should all be dancing in the streets.

Today is a bright morning for America, indeed, the conservative ideology has once again demonstrated that when it is properly presented to the American people, that America will embrace conservatism. The entire process was on display for America, and instead of sinking to the depths of blatant partisanship illustrated by the Democrats, and their willing cohorts, Republicans, and conservatives everywhere stood strong and rose to the challenge.

History will illustrate what type of Justice Samuel Alito will be, and if his history on the court of appeals is any barometer, he will make an indelible mark on the court.

Hat Tip -Michelle Malkin
Iowa Voice has the roll call.
bRight & Early has more.
Right Wing News has an interesting take on the matter.
The Moderate Voice looks at the ramifications and how they effect ‘all sides’ of the aisle.

Update #1
Chief Justice John Roberts has now sworn in Justice Samuel Alito making his ascension official.

Chief Justice John Roberts administered the judicial oath and constitutional oath, by which Alito pledged equal justice for the rich and the poor and to uphold the Constitution, respectively. It was the first time the nation’s newest chief justice has ever administered the oaths to an associate justice.

Don Surber,

Alito has been sworn in. Good. Now fetch me a beer, woman. You ain’t going to work from now on. Men are back in charge of the country. Women will go back to being barefoot in the kitchen and ready to pop out a baby every other year.
Just kidding.
You know I don’t drink beer.

Hat Tip - GOP Bloggers
All Things Beautiful - ‘Angels Over Washington’
Below the Beltway has more.

Senator John Kerry’s pandering seems to have elevated Judge Samuel Alito to the bench of our nation’s highest court. The threat of the‘Alpine’ filibuster has waned!

The Senate all but guaranteed Samuel Alito’s confirmation as the nation’s 110th Supreme Court justice Monday, shutting down a last-minute attempt by liberals to block the conservative judge’s nomination with a filibuster.
Republican and Democratic senators on a 72-25 vote agreed to end their debate, setting up a Tuesday morning vote on his confirmation to replace retiring moderate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

I am thankful that blatantly partisan manipulations of Senate rules did not thwart our Constituion and the process interwoven within that document. As enigmatic as ‘advice and consent’ truly is, the process does not give way to manipulating Senate rules to circumvent our process of nomination and confirmation. I applaud the Senators on the left side of aisle who stood up for the Constitution. Though they may disagree with the nomination, their realization of the true nature of the minority’s voice should be reciprocated.

StoptheACLU applauds the Gang of 14.
Iowa Voice - ‘All Together Now…..Awwwwwwwww’
Michelle Malkin ‘liveblogged the meltdown.’
Blogger Beer - ‘I am suprised he did not remove his shoes and bang them on the podium.’
Sister Toldjah reports on Kennedy’s shenanigans.
Oblogatory Anecdotes says ‘[t]his is indeed a huge blow to liberalis.’

The Best So Far, Blog Awards, January 2006
[STICKY Post]

Super Short Timetable
1. Nominations via email being accepted through Wed, February 1st.
2. Voting via email will take place February 1st through February 5th.
3. Winners announced (and all links posted) Sunday, February 5th.

As I have been nominated, I would really appreciate any support from my readers! It is a tremendous honor just for me to be nominated, and I thank everyone for their support and kindness.
-Publius

Only 5 Categories
1. January’s Best Pet Blogs
2. January’s Best Political Blogs
3. January’s Best LinkFest Blogs
4. January’s Best Religious Blogs
5. January’s Best Humor Blogs

3 Simple Rules
1. Send an email to BestSoFar@RightThinking.net with up to 5 nominations in each category (you may nominate yourself or others in more than one applicable category).
2. Post this announcement and/or link to this entry ( permalink ) on your blog and spread the word quickly (remember, nominations close Wed, Feb 1st).
3. Finalists will be notified on Wed, Feb 1st and listed here. You can then solicit votes at your own blog and have fans vote for their favorite blog in each category via email at BestSoFar@RightThinking.net by Sun, Feb 5th.

Additional Thoughts
1. All nominations will receive link recognition.
2. Winners will get special recognition (I just haven’t thought of it yet).
3. Probably mid-stream adjustments. Comments and suggestions welcome.

We all knew our esteemed politicians live in fantasy worlds, but now their dreams can be made a reality.

WASHINGTON — The staff of U.S. Rep Marty Meehan wiped out references to his broken term-limits pledge as well as information about his huge campaign war chest in an independent biography of the Lowell Democrat on a Web site that bills itself as the “world’s largest encyclopedia,” The Sun has learned.
The Meehan alterations on Wikipedia.com represent just two of more than 1,000 changes made by congressional staffers at the U.S. House of Representatives in the past six month. Wikipedia is a global reference that relies on its Internet users to add credible information to entries on millions of topics.
Matt Vogel, Meehan’s chief of staff, said he authorized an intern in July to replace existing Wikipedia content with a staff-written biography of the lawmaker.
The change deleted a reference to Meehan’s campaign promise to surrender his seat after serving eight years, a pledge Meehan later eschewed. It also deleted a reference to the size of Meehan’s campaign account, the largest of any House member at $4.8 million, according to the latest data available from the Federal Election Commission.
“Meehan first ran for Congress in 1992 on a platform of reform,” the pre-edited entry said. “As part of that platform Meehan made a pledge to not serve more than four terms, a central part of his campaign. This breaking of the pledge has been a controversial issue in the 5th Congressional District of Massachusetts.”
The new entry reads in part: “Meehan was elected to Congress in 1992 on a plan to eliminate the deficit. His fiscally responsible voting record since then has earned him praise from citizen watchdog groups. He was re-elected by a large margin in 2004.”
Vogel said, “It makes sense to me the biography we submit would be the biography we write.”
The change doubled the length of the entry on Meehan, corrected errors and replaced “sloppy” writing, Vogel said. “Let the outside world edit it. It seemed right to start with greater depth than a paragraph with incorrect data from the ’80s.”
Wikipedia’s online honor system has made it ripe for abuse by vandals. Recently, a user wrote in a Wikipedia bio that Virginia Congressman Eric Cantor “smells of cow dung.” Another wrote that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is “ineffective.” These statements were traced to the House Internet-protocol (IP) address.
In November and December, The Sun has learned, users of the House’s IP address were temporarily blocked from changing content because of violations described by the site as a “deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of the encyclopedia.”
“I’m not denying it,” Jon Brandt, a spokesman for the Committee on House Administration, which oversees the House computer network, said when asked to confirm House ownership of the address.
For security reasons, Brandt declined to say to whom the address is assigned.
While vandalism is a problem, deleting factual information raises ethical concerns, said Geoffrey Bowker, director of the Center for Science, Technology, and Society at Santa Clara University.
“The vandalism is just plain childish,” Bowker said. “The term-limit pledge (that was changed by Meehan’s staff) is a much more serious case. That’s someone trying to alter the public record.
“To knowingly remove a truthful statement is just wrong,” he added. “It’s not the place of any special-interest group to tamper with the facts available to the public.”
Most of the 1,000 House changes were meant to enhance various encyclopedia entries. Slurs against Cantor and Frist, which have been removed, are the first examples of abuse that Wikipedia’s founder Jimmy Wales has seen derived directly from the legislative branch of the U.S. government.
Wikipedia records every change to its site and who made it. The encyclopedia prefers that editors log in with a user name, but it’s not necessary. Many editors make changes anonymously; Wikipedia identifies these users by tracking the number assigned to their Internet entry point, called an IP address.
But Wales said the deletion of factual information goes against the principles of Wikipedia, which promotes a “neutral point of view” policy.
“You don’t delete it,” Wales said. “If they wanted to put in their side of things, that would seem ethically relevant, rather than just omitting it.”
Mistakes were inserted into the Meehan entry at different points of its evolution, according to an examination of the edits. One editor erroneously said Meehan attended Harvard College; another indicated it is likely that Meehan would run for Sen. Edward Kennedy’s seat.
Wikipedia reaches around the globe, having 3.1 million articles published in more than 200 languages. The English-language version is the largest category, with more than 910,000 articles and 856 million words. That’s more than six times larger than Encyclopedia Britannica — the largest reference printed in English.
And people read it.
Yesterday, Wikipedia was ranked the 19th- busiest site on the Internet, according to alexa.com, a subsidiary of Amazon.com that tracks Webtraffic.
A new reference to Meehan’s term-limit pledge was inserted in the Wikipedia entry in November by a person not using the House address.
On Dec. 27, someone using the House IP address reduced the reference to a single sentence: “(Meehan) also supported term limits, pledging to serve no more than four terms.”
Vogel said he did not authorize the change.
No reference to Meehan’s top-rated campaign account has been reintroduced.
The changes by Meehan’s staff are not as “reprehensible” as inserting derogatory comments in someone else’s entry, said Stephen Potts, former director of the federal Office of Government Ethics, which establishes conduct standards for the executive branch.
But the sheer breadth of changes emanating from the House reflects an abuse of public time and equipment, said Potter, now chairman of the Ethics Resource Center.
“That kind of usage, plus the fact that they’re changing one person’s material, is certainly wrong and ought to be at a minimum the focus of some disciplinary action,” he said.

It seems as though the Palestinians did not adequately think through the consequences of their vote.

It should be stated up front that the Palestinians made their decision, but in making this decision, it does not mean that we to support this decision in any particular way. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is taking a bold stand (Hat Tip - NIF)against the newly elected leaders of ‘Hamasistan.’

“The United States is not prepared to fund an organization that advocates the destruction of Israel, that advocates violence and that refuses its obligations,” under an international framework for eventual Mideast peace, Rice said.

As Captain Ed stated this morning,

Unfortunately for Haniyeh, cutting off aid comes from a recognition of the Palestinian election, not a rejection of it. The Palestinians made their choice at the polls — and we accept the results as a measure of the desire of the electorate. It does not mean that we will send our money into the hands of bloodthirsty terrorists, no matter how many votes they get from the Palestinians. That result should have been obvious to those who voted for a Hamas victory in last week’s elections. Instead, the voters made their choice, and now they have to live with the consequences of that choice.

One would think this is illustrative of what the double standard that has been commonplace for Israel for quite some time. Hamas, and their ilk, have the mindset that they are the moral authority and that they should dictate how things should be played out. Israel has been, for quite some time, approaching this conflict with a good faith effort of incredible sacrifice, but their counterpart on the other side of the table incessantly wants ‘to have their cake and eat it to.’

If the junior senator from the Empire State is to triangulate her way into the White House in 2008, how does taking this position effect her chances? Senator Clinton is caught in a most precarious position, for no Democrat will win the White House with these antics. And, no Democrat will emerge victorious pandering as much to a base such as the one that has developed within the core of the Democratic Party.

Senator Clinton is attempting to implement the same stratagem as her husband in 1991 by being the ‘forever moderate,’ but she has faced increased criticism from the fringe left because of her positions regarding National Security and Iraq. Surprisingly, Senator Clinton has become quite ‘hawkish’ in some of her statements pertaining to Iraq and, here lately, Iran. However, joining the ranks of the filibuster crowd demonstrates what many conservatives already know, Senator Clinton is nothing but a liberal in moderate’s clothing.

It will be interesting to see just how much this move will effect her image, especially if this move is successful or succumbs to a quagmire in the Senate. She is dancing on thin ice for this move takes her dangerously close to the fringe, which Senator Kerry has lovingly embraced.

How much further askew will Senator Clinton be forced to go?

WASHINGTON — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday announced she’ll join potential 2008 presidential rival John Kerry in voting to filibuster against Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, just as top Democratic leaders predicted the effort is likely doomed.
With three Democratic senators pledging support for Alito, the New Jersey conservative seems virtually assured of being confirmed by the full Senate Monday or Tuesday, party leaders predicted Friday. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters in Washington that “everyone knows” Senate Democrats couldn’t muster the 40 votes needed to support a last-ditch filibuster.

Blogs for Bush has the scoop on the liberal side of the blogosphere.
StoptheACLU with a round-up.
TMH’s Bacon Bits - ‘Please Democrats, Please Filibuster!’
Sister Toldjah with more.
All Things Beautiful keeps it in perspective.

All of my readers should know the rules to the “Caption of the Week,” but in case you do not, fear not, they are quite simple. With this photograph, you simply provide a “caption” in the comments section and I will scrape together the best at the end of the weekend to caption the actual photograph.

Also, if you have any posts or stories you feel warrant a larger audience, please feel free to ‘trackback’ to this post. Consider this an open forum for any of your posts that you feel has not gotten the attention it deserves over the last week. If you would like, please utilize the ‘trackback’ function, or if you prefer, you could always do it the old-fashioned way via the ‘comments’ section, and I will be link back to your post.

Well, since Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) decided to announce that Judge Samuel Alito’s nomination should be filibustered from Switzerland, I could not find a better candidate for this week’s COTW. Be sure to check out last week’s participants, and congratulations to Adam Graham for providing us with the ‘winning’ caption. Thanks to all, and happy caption-ing!

Also offer open trackbacks -
Cao’s Blog Right Wing Nation Third World County Stuck on Stupid The Real Ugly American TMH’s Bacon Bits The Uncooperative Blogger Linkfest Haven Adam’s Blog Wizbang! The Florida Masochist Don Surber StoptheACLU

A post over at the Vodkapundit piqued my interest for it is a topic that I have contemplated myself. It addresses what many have been pondering in the last few years of what the future of the Democratic Party will be.

The Democratic Party has been in a seeming tailspin for quite sometime, having lost many of the major federal elections since 1994, and only winning the presidency twice since 1980 because of a split in the conservative base. It seems to be falling askew faster since September 11, 2001, when the world observed the weaknesses of the Democratic Party and how their own Commander-in-Chief played a substantive role in negligence and ineptitude to fulfill the COC’s most fundamental responsibility.

Instead of embracing the learning that all of us learned from that day, Democrats have steadily moved further and further from the mainstream of America. Republicans played a role in what transpired that day, but they have seemingly learned from their mistakes, moving forward with ways to battle the animals that are bent on relegating the world to the dark ages. In no ways are these measures always perfect, and their may be a time when they fail, but the Republicans are enacting measures and are consistently engaging in activities that they hope will protect America. Meanwhile, Democrats play the role of being a roadblock for any progress. I beg any of my readers to bring to my attention any string of measures that the Democrats have brought to the table. All America is left with is an opposition party who incessantly whines and gnashes their teeth at any measure proposed and promulgated by those in power.

This will soon spell disaster. Any entity that cannot adapt and evolve with time will surely spell their own demise. It may exist, but the Democrats cannot contimue to exist in their present form. And, this only focuses on their views towards National Security…

America deserves better.

INDC Journal agrees with Vodkapundit.

And, individuals still wonder how Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) lost the 2004 election? Republicans could not have scripted this any better for themselves.

Sen. John Kerry has decided to support a filibuster to block the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court, CNN’s Congressional Correspondent Ed Henry reported Thursday.
Kerry, in Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum, was marshaling support in phone calls during the day, Henry said.
He announced his decision Wednesday to a group of Democratic senators, urging they join him, Henry said. Kerry also has the support of his fellow Massachusetts senator, Democrat Edward Kennedy.

Hat Tip - StoptheACLU
PoliPundit & Michelle Malkin report there are enough votes for cloture.
Iowa Voice calls for the ‘nuclear option.’
Public Figures…Bewaare! is “amazed at the sheer stupidity of this move.”
Warbly says Hell Yes!
Blogs for Bush calls it ’sore loser syndrome.’

“There are weapons of mass destruction gone out from Iraq to Syria, and they must be found and returned to safe hands,” Mr. Sada said. “I am confident they were taken over.”

Every Democratic talking point, and the thesis bolstering the opposition to Gulf War II could be slipping through the fingers of the liberals who have berated President Bush since the development of one of the most telegraphed operations in the history of war. It seems that Saddam’s #2 man in his Air Force confirmed what many (including your humble pundit) have speculated all along, that the “missing” WMDs [that everyone in the world knew existed] were transported to Syria before the war began.

Does it take an enormous stretch of the imagination to see the enactment of this assertion? Are any mental gymnastics needed to piece together that Saddam had all the time he needed to transport or hide the WMDs? In the transparency of their position, the Democrats and liberals failed to give any credence whatsoever to the fact that in a country the size of California, and with the time actually spent galvanizing a coalition, that Saddam had ample time to cover his tracks in whatever solution he chose to implement.

As the New York Sun is reporting,

The man who served as the no. 2 official in Saddam Hussein’s air force says Iraq moved weapons of mass destruction into Syria before the war by loading the weapons into civilian aircraft in which the passenger seats were removed.
The Iraqi general, Georges Sada, makes the charges in a new book, “Saddam’s Secrets,” released this week. He detailed the transfers in an interview yesterday with The New York Sun.
“There are weapons of mass destruction gone out from Iraq to Syria, and they must be found and returned to safe hands,” Mr. Sada said. “I am confident they were taken over.”
Mr. Sada’s comments come just more than a month after Israel’s top general during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Moshe Yaalon, told the Sun that Saddam “transferred the chemical agents from Iraq to Syria.”
Democrats have made the absence of stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq a theme in their criticism of the Bush administration’s decision to go to war in 2003. And President Bush himself has conceded much of the point; in a televised prime-time address to Americans last month, he said, “It is true that many nations believed that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. But much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong.”
Said Mr. Bush, “We did not find those weapons.”

Hat Tip - Atlas Shrugs