A Rubber Door

More on Judge Samuel Alito from an article in Salon Magazine

Liberals, for their part, have a nominee with a documented record opposing some of the country’s most popular legal principles. In his 15-year career as a judge, Alito has argued unsuccessfully for a law that required women to notify their spouses before they had an abortion. He ruled that the federal government does not have the right to regulate the sale of machine guns. He tried to limit the application of a federal law requiring employers to offer maternity, paternity and sick leave for their workers. He showed little sympathy for death row inmates who are denied effective lawyers. “Liberals are quietly delighted by a nominee who has the ability to unite all of the groups in opposition,” said Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University. “Not since Bob Bork have you had a nominee who has the ability to coalesce all these groups.”