Olympia Snowe Votes FOR Alito

Contrast Maine "RINO" Sen. Olympia Snowe's reasoning for supporting the nomination of Judge Alito to that put forth by Senator Chafee for opposing Judge Alito (via Bench Memos).

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME) today announced that she will vote to confirm the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to be the next Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Snowe released the following statement:

"This nomination presented me with a close and difficult decision. It was only after a careful, full, and fair review of Judge Alito’s judicial record, as well as the role of the Senate and the founding fathers’ intent for the confirmation process, that I have concluded I will vote to confirm him to the Supreme Court.

“While I have several concerns with this nomination, history has consistently demonstrated that predicting how a justice will rule on a particular case is inherently unreliable. Therefore, I believe the most appropriate standard of review should include a comprehensive evaluation that measures intellectual ability, diversity of professional experience, and reputation for integrity and fairness. A nominee must also demonstrate a commitment to judging individual cases on their own merits and with an open mind, a mainstream judicial methodology and philosophy, and a respect for court precedents.

"Based on the totality of his qualifications, Judge Alito appears to meet these standards, as evidenced by the American Bar Association’s highest rating of “well-qualified,” as well as his judicial record and Senate testimony. The unprecedented statements of support from well-respected Circuit Court judges who have served with him — judges who were appointed by both Democrat and Republican presidents – also proved compelling.

“What we do here today will have a profound impact on preserving the integrity of the confirmation process – and I think each of us individually and collectively should take this responsibility seriously to achieve this goal.” {emphasis added}

[Full disclosure: While in the House of Representatives, then-Congresswoman Snowe nominated me to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, which I accepted.)