The sliding standard

Echoing a similar point I made, here’s “Why the Senate should confirm Judge Alito: the Democrats liked him before, and they don’t need to love him now”:

Judge Alito easily satisfies every merit-based consideration ... Indeed, the Senate concluded as much with respect to Judge Alito when it unanimously confirmed him to the U.S. Court of Appeals in 1990 and as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey in 1987. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, D-MA, went so far during Alito's court of appeals confirmation process as to commend the nominee for his "very distinguished record" and "long service in the public interest," while Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, D-NJ, praised Alito's "impressive credentials" during Alito's confirmation process for U.S. Attorney.

ACLU lawyer Ruth Bader Ginsberg was confirmed with only three dissenting votes. It’s a discredit to the confirmation process that somebody as accomplished as Judge Alito will easily face more than three “no” votes in just the judiciary committee. (No need to guess how Kennedy and Lautenberg will vote now.)