Alito's Wife Leaves Hearing Room in Tears

[leftchick]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060111/ap_on_go_su_co/alito_wife_2

WASHINGTON - The wife of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito left his confirmation hearings in tears Wednesday.

Martha-Ann Bomgardner, who had sat behind her husband for hours of questioning over several days, left as her husband was being questioned by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (news, bio, voting record) of South Carolina.

"Judge Alito, I am sorry that you've had to go through this. I am sorry that your family has had to sit here and listen to this," said Graham.

Moments earlier, the senator had asked Alito, "Are you really a closet bigot?" The nominee said no, and Graham said, "No sir, you're not."

Graham's exchange with the nominee came after withering questions from several Judiciary Committee Democrats.

[WI_DEM]

1. It's all orchestrated

You think this was bad? What about the Thomas hearings? His wife sat there while he was being questioned about "Long Dong Silver" and pubic hair. Get real.

[leftchick]

3. no shit!

pubic hair on a coke can! God I would have cried. And divorced his ass. :cry:

[Zhade]

7. And let's not forget to thank Biden for helping Thomas get to the bench.

NT!

[Hardrada]

92. We all owe Biden oh so very much!

[AX10]

25. Orchestrated indeed.

and of course, the "liberal media" will paint the Democrats as being bad, bad, bad. :puke:

[katty]

32. All the ReThug fakery, now sympathy for the wife&family

[rodeodance]

56. makes me so angry!

[Rockholm]

60. Totally Planned. Give her an Oscar.

[MADem]

67. Yep, there's NO CRYING IN SUPREME COURT NOMINATIONS!!!

What, so we should let the racist, sexist asshole get the nod so Dumpy McNitwit can FEEEEEL better??? Give me a break!

[Carla in Ca]

94. Not buying the sob story

courtesy of Hoffmania <http://www.hoffmania.com/blog/2006/01/not_buying_the_.html>

snip...

In other words, right out of the GOP playbook.

It's horseshit, it's horseshit, it is HORSE SHIT. Graham has absolutely no reason to apologize to Alito, other than to curry sympathy. And yet the Democrats are being painted as the ones showing no impartiality and have their minds made up going into this whole thing.

The GOP Playbook. Pages 15-22, 47, 102, 171-175 and Appendix XXVI. There's your slam dunk.

It's theater. Really awful theater at that. And the media are thoroughly enraptured by it.

Lowbrows.


MORE.
---------------------------------------------------------

Now she knows how we have felt for the last 5 years!

[No Exit]

106. Here's an excellent summary of what really went on:

"Unapologetically, I say this is all a big fat steaming pile of fly-infested horseshit. Alito knew the hearings were going to be an uphill battle. He knew it wasn't a slam dunk. And if you believe for one second that his own damned wife didn't know that, you're stupider than the coverage of this really bad drama.

What pisses us off is how many people ARE buying it, and how many will become sympathetic to Alito - and in turn, have disdain and disgust toward the Democratic Meanies who are ganging up on these poor sensitive people.

In other words, right out of the GOP playbook.

It's horseshit, it's horseshit, it is HORSE SHIT. Graham has absolutely no reason to apologize to Alito, other than to curry sympathy. And yet the Democrats are being painted as the ones showing no impartiality and have their minds made up going into this whole thing."

http://www.hoffmania.com/blog/2006/01/not_buying_the_.html

[No Exit]

109. Chris Matthews: "She's a wonderful woman"

Heard it with my own ears, yesterday on his show, Slimeball.

[pinerow]

2. Methinks the lady protests too much...

I've watched her since the beginning of this three-ring circus...strikes me as one sanctimonious woman...

[rusty_parts2001]

9. Its a lifetieme appointment for crying out loud--Grow up sister!!

[TheGunslinger]

20. Welcome to DU, rusty_parts2001!

:hi:

[Sparkman]

10. These people live in the rarefied stratosphere, money-power-fame...

can you imagine her walking down a street in Los Angeles, on her way to a protest against the U.S. military occupation of Iraq, middle of the day with tiny shops and food stands and urine stained sidewalks? Cry for your house getting sold out from under you, or loosing EVERYTHING in a HURRICANE
but your in the big league and society needs a bit more stamina and a bit thicker hide. imo

[Zorro-3]

17. Not fair

Just because she shed tears, doesn't mean she needs to get a thicker hide. There is nothing wrong, per se, with such an emotional expression. (Aren't we all Spock babies?)

Would you have been one of the people saying, when Pat Schroeder wept while withdrawing from the presidential race, that her tears proved her unfit for the job? Later, Clinton cried, and no one cared anymore. Do we now go back in time on public crying because it's convenient?

[NVMojo]

18. have you cried for the innocents who have died in Iraq? Get on board!

[Zorro-3]

30. Every day...

...that is my point. My tears (over whatever), are not, in themselves, weaknesses.

Mentioning Iraqi victims in this context sounds like what death penalty advocates tell me. That I shouldn't worry about the killer and that I don't seem too concerned about the innocent victim...

And I certainly shed no tears over Ms. Alito's distress, I am only objecting to our gloating over it. It's petty.

[TheGunslinger]

19. Welcome to DU, Zorro-3!

:hi:

[Zorro-3]

31. Thank you....

I think I am going to enjoy it here.

[Sparkman]

42. If your new to DU...are you? You can't do any better. DIVERSITY and intel

intellect, dispite a few rants like mine here. PEACE in the MIDDLE EAST!

[Goblinmonger]

62. Anybody who uses a Clockwork

avatar will be on my "cool" list. Welcome.

[Sparkman]

40. but why WAS she crying...rich, famous, hubby loved by RW power structure..

It is fair, to laugh and riducule a BABY, CODDLED, SPOILED WASP in the public limelight, crying for no reason? just a thought.

[rodeodance]

57. the sympathy factor is is play now!! damn damn.

[saigon68]

93. Ask Ed Muskie

What crying did for him

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

118. "We" who, paleface?

[Critters2]

120. I agree

This is the kind of crap I expect from Freepers. We have to be better than that!

I cry at the drop of a hat, especially when I'm tired (surely she is!). I'll be careful not to do it when my dem peers are around!

[MADem]

68. Maybe her tears have something to do with her sartorial selection for the

day--she maybe forgot to check the mirror in the morning, realized how she looked at the break, and it started eating at her.

I'm not especially fond of criticizing people for their clothing, but damn, she looks like she is wearing a COUCH or a family room Barcolounger!!!!

[NashVegas]

69. My Experience with Hard-RW Women

Is that they tend to go freaky when you call them on their shit.

[MaryRN]

74. Sanctimonious, yes..

And obviously, emotionally unstable as well.

[Daphne08]

4. This should be a non news story! It's ridiculous. n/t

[Puzzler]

110. But...

... unfortunately, it was not a non-news story. It was repeated in the news headlines over and over last night. I wonder why? (Yeah, yeah... I know why)


-P

[Zorro-3]

5. Specter can't say nuclear...

That really scares me.

[liberal N proud]

6. So they managed to get that painted smirk off her face?

That was sickening enough.
So now it is tears so we can get the sympathy of the sheep and prop up support for the creep.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Carefully scripted melodrama.Bush laid the groundwork in his speech

by implying Democratic senators are less than civilized, and surely fall sort of "dignified" (himself apparently the living image of dignity), leaving them to realize if they dared get too serious or intense in their questioning, they would run the risk of wearing his insult publically.

Hell, why didn't he pull out all the stops and claim if they question Alito at all, they were "aiding the enemy?" Why not call them communists, and get it over with? Why not just send them to Guantanamo?

She ran out because it helps their cause. The man was not savaged by Democratic senators. It's an outrageous bit of clumsy grandstanding to make sure they get what they want. They have no standards whatsoever. We all know that.

[katsy]

11. Knowing my husband...

if someone asked me if my husband was a closet bigot, I'd be ROFL!

The world is your stage ms. alito. Cry us a river.

[arcane1]

12. PLEASE click the link and vote this story down

for the non-news that it is!

[PDJane]

13. Why waste time, energy and ink.........

on this woman? She's got smug, sheltered, elitist twit written all over her........and I wanna know who dresses her funny.

However, that's not the main thing.......her husband and his policies and attitudes are the main thing. It's turning into the usual three ring circus.

[HuffleClaw]

14. *puke*

thats one seriously lame stunt even for them. did she swoon?

[DoYouEverWonder]

15. Since it was Lindsey Graham who brought her to tears

I would assume this little drama was practiced during those coaching sessions at the WH.

[Judi Lynn]

16. Exactly! n/t

[leftchick]

28. I am glad we are all on the same page here...

some folks in GD are making me shine my tinfoil!

[Judi Lynn]

49. Ha! I went back to G.D. to look for the people you mentioned.

Now I've seen everything!

A quick look at the names connected reinforced the views which had accumulated already. Unbelievable.

Some things are simply too obvious. That woman was hamming it up. She had been carefully coached. Republicans have been doing this for ages. Nothing is by chance. "Spontaneous" is a word which frightens and infuriates them. "Natural" is confusing, as well. They are control freaks.

I make an exception. That young Republican guy at the convention probably did something "spontaneous" when he started kicking the Democratic female who had been knocked to the floor back in 2004.

Thanks for the laugh.

[txindy]

87. Shine away

I need some fresh air. GD is making me dizzy.

[Binka]

96. 75% Of Posters On That GD Thread Are On My Ignore

Thank Gawd to hear that I am not alone in my assessment of those fucking 1000+ post trolls. Why are they still allowed to post? Any sympathy for Lady Macbeth Alito just confirms my feelings that DU has been seriously astro turfed. SHE IS SCUM! FUCK HER TEARS!

And I will criticize her nasty vile clothing, some poor Winnebago in Fresno is missing its couch.

[MADem]

70. Yeah, and "Coach" Ed Gillespie was in the room at the time

Did he throw them a few hand signals???

[DemonFighterLives]

50. That should be our story

Lindsey made her ball, not the dems. She seemed quite happy during the Kennedy interrogation.
Graham you cold, classless puke, you made the poor lady cry and your question stink beside. Oops, I forgot, what was the question.
Closet Bigot?

[MADem]

72. Uh, BAWL

"Ball"--in that context--would refer to the sex act!!! A popular term during the swinging sixties, as I recall!!!

Shit, it would liven up the hearing, though, eh???

[GoddessOfGuinness]

80. Maybe he told her he'd

ball her if she didn't bawl.

[DemonFighterLives]

86. Thank you!

:cry:

[jazzjunkysue]

21. How many of her sons died for an illegal occupation? For oil?

Talk to Cindy Sheehan about crying. Now, that's crying.
:nopity:

[IndianaGreen]

22. What are her tears compared to tears of millions of women if Alito

joins SCOTUS and they all succeed in taking away our reproductive rights?

[Strawman]

44. my thoughts exactly

And I think the idea of having the family there is ridiculous. This is serious business, not a social event, not a coronation, or a picnic. If they want the photo op, that's their option, but if they thought that it would disarm our side, they're wrong. I'm sure Karl Rove was thrilled when she broke into tears. I'm not cynical enough to think she faked it. But the word orchestrated perfectly describes the whole put the dutiful wife right behind him in the shot strategy.

Personally, I hate to see almost anyone cry, and that includes Mrs. Alito here. I really do, but how about some perspective? Will she be crying for the girls who are maimed and killed from botched illegal abortions when a safe and legal alternative should exist? Somehow I doubt it, Mrs. Alito.

[Occulus]

23. Mrs. Scalito,

Grow the fuck up.

Love and kisses,

[Charlie Brown]

37. It disgusts me that these are the same people

who send our servicemen into foreign wars and want discontinue state aid to the poor.

Cry me a fricken' river, bitch.

[Mz Pip]

24. She doesn't have to sit there everyday

for her husband's job interview.

What does she expect? That everyone will just toss him softballs? THis is for a lifetime appointment on the SCOTUS. It's serious business and she should expect that he will have to field tough and sometimes embarrassing questions. He's got explaining to do. This isn't a church social or a PTA election.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[Sarah Ibarruri]

26. Oh? Another Republican frikkin' teary-eyed love fest?

She makes me vomit. She's married to a fascist racist ass and she weeps that anyone would name him by his rightful name.

[kskiska]

27. Martha-Ann Bomgardner?

Imagine that! A Repug wife who refuses to use her husband's name!

[Charlie Brown]

29. Talk about a manufactured controversey

Incidentally, anyone who would support overturning Roe v Wade and Lawrence v Texas in 2005 is indeed a closet bigot.

Alito's wife reminds me of Tammy Faye Baker.

[leftchick]

45. without the make up

:eyes:

[Pachamama]

33. Awww....Boo Hoo....Cry me a friggin River....

Give me a break! If she can't handle this, she might want to consult with her husband on whether he really wants the job or they really want the marriage! What the hell does she think her husband is up for?

I think this is a pathetic stunt and if she can't handle the heat, get the hell out of the kitchen and stay away from the hearings and don't listen in to the broadcast of them either.

:puke:

[llmart]

36. I was going to post the same thing......

if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen!

This is an act.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

119. If any thread warrants this image, it's this one.

[Pachamama]

124. LOL! Thx for providing the perfect image....

CRY - MIA- RIVER (What could we use for Friggin? 2 people or animals "mating"?)

:rofl:

[athena]

34. If it's so important to protect her feelings, Alito should withdraw

his nomination. If her feelings are so fragile, what's he doing applying for such a visible position? This is ridiculous. Which needs to be protected more: Bomgardner's feelings, or the future of the nation? :grr:

[Miss Chybil]

35. How many wives go with their husbands on a job interview? nt

[gr8dane_daddy]

38. Call out to googlesters

Gosh I think what we need here is a comparative shot of Tammy Faye crying next to this sobbing princess.

[area51]

66. Welcome to DU, gr8dane_daddy. (n/t)

[xxqqqzme]

39. considering graham was one of

the 'coaches' @ the WH - of course it was scripted! alito is a bigot because he is a RW rethug neo-con - you don't get 2 that level w/o being a bigot in this particular game.

[Cha]

41. And WTF did the repukes ask

Clinton's Judicial nominees? Hmmmm?

And isn't there history of alito being just that?

[alcibiades_mystery]

43. Gives a whole new meaning to "It's all over but the crying"

Alito's in. Game over.

[rodeodance]

108. yes, the sympathy card has been played (over and over.....)

[Catfight]

46. I'm sure she doesn't give a crap about the tears that will shed from

Alito's confirmation and his right wing agenda to destroy lives of women, minorities and gay families. I have no compassion, the guy is a liar and no one cares that a liar will sit on the highest court for life. O'Conner should be outraged her shoes will be filled with a crony. What a joke the whole thing is, he'll be confirmed, they'd confirm Nixon, they could care less, as long as it's a repug.

[brentspeak]

47. Good grief

Give this lady an Academy Award.

[cybildisobedience]

48. you mean all Hilary had to do was cry?

and the Repukes would have stopped terrorizing Bill Clinton?

[Placebo]

113. Apparently!

:eyes:

[rodeodance]

51. they are having a good report on cnn right now.

[rodeodance]

52. although I think the reporting is trying to make us feel sorry for Mrs.

Alito.

[rodeodance]

53. they said-after she alreading sat through the questioning on abortion,

this came up. sob sob.

[rodeodance]

54. They also showed the exchange by Kennedy and Specter.

[rodeodance]

55. still talking -predicting that Alito the nod.

[yorkiemommie1]

58. mrs. alito

your husband, if appointed, will have a lifetime to make the rest of us( and our children/grandchildren) cry plenty!!!

[Dan]

59. As if he was going to answer "hell, yeah I yam"

Sounds like a soft pitch that he could hit out the park. Here is another soft one - what have you done during your professional career to have a positive, or significant impact on minorities, females, people with non-traditional sexual orientation or views, of those that are not held in high esteem by the majority?

[truthisfreedom]

61. get that woman out of the room permanently. we don't need a 3-ring circus

going on, complete with sad clowns.

[OKthatsIT]

64. I agree...she should recuse herself

[peacetalksforall]

63. 1. Divert your attention - think about the widows brought to us by war

mongers, greedy mongers.

2. Isn't it something that we assume that she was hurt because of the badgering. She might have been crying because she knows it's true. But I vote for it being a Graham and WH orchestrated manipulative moment.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

65. She doesn't believe it's true...

She knows her husband would be fair...even to blacks and those homosexuals!

[KeepItReal]

71. What?? She was al smiley smirky yesterday. Very distracting.

Someone told her to show some of that "Contrition" stuff...

[barb162]

76. and she was falling asleep yesterday too; it's all a show

[progressivebydesign]

73. That hearing is a sham. "are you a closet bigot?.. no sir, you're not".

WTF is that? Sounds like something from Gone With The Wind. What's the point of this whole thing? He's going to be confirmed. Roberts was rushed through the same way. BFD. The fundies will get their guy, the racists will get their guy, and the corporations will get their guy, end of story. I'll have a hard time not spitting on anyone who voted for Bush because of this destruction of our Supreme Court. Yes.. it matters.. it really fucking matters who you vote for. Would AL Gore or John Kerry be putting these people up for nomination? Sure the hell not!

[barb162]

79. "What's the point of this whole thing" All the blowhards

in those meetings the last few days got their few moments in front of the camera, this guy can't remember anything, etc., now watch him get confirmed. Watch our rights go adios. The whole damned thing was a waste of time and money.

[daleo]

75. She's crying on the outside

But laughing on the inside.

[KeepItReal]

81. Damn Skippy! That chick is not trippin.

I'm looking at her on CSPAN now. She looks like she can see those $$$ from the lifetime appointment for her man.

[barb162]

77. She's a real actress.

[JI7]

78. didn't Lindsey Graham question Clinton about his penis ?

and Monica about her breasts and other sexual things ?

[Judi Lynn]

114. He was all over that low moment in American politics. He couldn't get

enough. If it hadn't been for that affair, most of us would still have never heard of Lindsey Graham. What a posturing, pompous, yet wildly devious group those dregs actually are. The very images of hypocracy.



Youthfully indiscreet with this young mother
whose husband begged and begged him to butt out,
good Republican old Henry Hyde.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

82. The Repukes will be playing the sympathy card with this

:puffpiece:

[Algorem]

83. She was crying because she couldn't stop thinking "that Senator Grahm

got away with serving in our holy military despite him being one of those homer sexulars." It was just bugging her and bugging her.

[gunsaximbo]

84. Boo f ing Hoo

she was crying because lindsey graham was kissing ass - say what a wonderful man he is yaddi yaddi yadda. Every Repugnant that spoke did the same thing. Hand jobs all around one giant circle jerk.

pardon my language.

[bkcc]

85. And the Oscar goes to...

Fuck this lying bitch and her lying husband. What a performance.

"The mean old liberals are being nasty to my husband. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"

[Raster]

88. If today as so trying, maybe she should stay home tomorrow...

...of course they won't get any mileage out of that, now would they?

And I am sick to fucking death of all this "poor woman crying for her man" bullshit and "can't we take the highroad." alito is a racist, sexist bigot. she is a manipulative tool. Two words:

Drama Queen

and three more:

Get Over It!

[bling bling]

89. I cannot believe this is "front page" U.S. national news

Big f-in deal that she cried. She can cry all day long tomorrow too and who gives a shit?

The media is out to lunch again, as usual. I feel like I'm reading an article that belongs in an Elementary School newsletter.

[gtar100]

100. Not out to lunch - Out to Manipulate

The blatant manipulation of public opinion by a controlled media. It's we Americans who should be crying. This is destroying us. We're not paying attention to what really is important - like the history of rulings by alito.

[Raster]

90. sometimes it's so hard to be a woman, listening to all that shit

about your man....but if you love him, be proud of him...'cause after all he's just a racist, sexist pig.

<everybody>

Staaand By Your Man

[f-bush]

91. Tough Shit

If she's crying now, just wait til she hears the things people say about her husband if he is confirmed to the SCOTUS.

You're in the public eye for crying out loud. Grow up bitch, there will always be people who hate your fascist husband!

[PaulaFarrell]

95. Oh, please - nobody made his wife sit there and watch

why didn't she watch on tv like everybody else? I mean, who else would take their wife to what is essentially a job interview?

[Penndems]

97. Memo to Martha-Ann: Welcome to D.C.

As Harry Truman once opined: "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog." And if you wanna survive in this town Martha-Ann, you'd better learn to SUCK IT UP - or go home.

The Bush political operatives must've done a really lousy job of briefing these people on what to expect when Alito got before the committee. Either that, or else those clowns knew that these people were patsies in the ways of this town, and thought they could ramrod a controversial candidate though the nomination process by turning that naievete to their advantage (oh, those big, bad Democrats - ROFL!).

Any political appointee - not just a Supreme Court nominee - goes through this process. The strong survive. Too bad the Alitos didn't get clued in on that from his handlers.

[wordpix]

98. why wasn't she crying during the "withering questioning?" Lindsay Graham

was giving kudos to Scalito and she bursts into tears, WTF?

[AngryOldDem]

99. Gee, life sucks.

Especially when your hubby wants to be a Supreme. Get used it, or get out. Noth everybody kisses your ass.

[converted_democrat]

101. If you can't stand the heat...

Get the hell out of the kitchen..

[AllieB]

102. Remember the Parlock family?

http://rising-hegemon.blogspot.com/2004/09/bogus-assault-father-freeper-of-year.html

This is a very typical tactic:

"A Republican family attended the rally to show support for the Bush-Cheney ticket. Phil Parlock, a Barboursville resident and strong Republican, said his family was accosted by some Kerry supporters.

"We do it peacefully and quietly to show respect. And, we don’t want to get kicked out of anything," Parlock said.

After standing on the tarmac with the Kerry supporters, Parklock and three of his children moved down to the airport road near a parking lot exit.

With Parlock were sons Phil II, 21, and Alex, 11, and daughter Sophia, 3.

Parlock said a Kerry supporter yanked a Bush-Cheney sign out of Sophia’s hands, making her cry. As they stood along the road later, someone threw the ripped-up remains of the sign at them as they passed.
-----------------------------
Normally, I would be sympathetic toward Mrs. Alito. However, the Republicans have pulled this kind of thing much to often for her performance to be credible.

[AllieB]

103. Sorry-dupe!

[Jim__]

104. And, this was broadcast on every TV news program I saw last night.

Along with the remark - Are Dems being too tough?

Another media win for the repubs.

[No Exit]

105. Sen. Hatch, how would YOUR wives take listening to YOU criticized?

Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah suggested that Alito's wife was upset with the comments of Democrats. "She's sick and tired of the mistreatment of her husband," Hatch said.

No doubt Hatch's wives, probably descended from pioneers, are made of sterner stuff...

[rodeodance]

107. Nora O'Donnell to Sen. Hatch: "Are you going to demand Dems apologize..."

posted earlier on DU but fits here.



Thu Jan-12-06 08:56 AM
Original message
Nora O'Donnell to Sen. Hatch: "Are you going to demand Dems apologize..."


Edited on Thu Jan-12-06 08:57 AM by Cooley Hurd

"...to Alito (for making his wife cry)?"

Not shitting - that's what she just said to him on MSNBC!!! :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr:

Emailing to Media Matters right now - what an utterly disgusting display!!! :grr:

Sorry for cross-posting this between GD & GD: P, but I intended to post it here first, but GD was down at the time. Tt really pisses me off to hear such irresponsible journalism. Here's my GD: P thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[No Exit]

115. Maybe Nora wants to be one of his wives.

:D

[callous taoboy]

111. PEE- YOU - KKKKKKK, ralph, barf, hurl, gag

What a bunch of fine, stalwart, Mepublicans we have to satnd up to those bullies!

:eyes:

[superconnected]

112. I don't blame this women. I'd cry too, if I were alitos wife.

I'd cry if I were any repugs wife though. It's a wonder the poor woman hasn't offed herself.

[soup]

116. Aw. Don't feel too bad about it.

Here she is following the performance.

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito and his wife, Martha, leave his Senate confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington January11, 2006. (Jim Young/Reuters)
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/ss/events/pl/120503supremecourt/im:/060112/photos_pl/2006_01_11t193506_350x450_us_court_alito;_ylt=ApdMIC3gCH96dy3G4g9sSNBrWscF;_ylu=X3oDMTA3dmhrOGVvBHNlYwNzc20-

[noonwitch]

117. This is a good example of how stupid the media is

She was crying during the testimony about what a good guy her husband is. She was emotionally touched by what was said because she loves this guy. People cry happy tears in such situations, and to me, that was what she was doing.

As far as her leaving, well, maybe she needed a drink of water, or to go to the bathroom. Even if it was because she didn't like what she was hearing, so what? It's still stupid of the media to make a big deal about it.

[pdx_prog]

121. Her choice in clothing makes ME want to cry.....

In contrast, let's remember Jackie O during the worst week in American history. Not ONE public display of tears did this lady shed throughout that whole terrible week. Put that in your pipe and smoke it Mrs. Scalito....

[daleo]

123. The clothing thing seems too consistent to be mere bad taste

Laura Bush also chooses these peculiar fabrics, patterns and colors that make her seem like a piece of furniture. I think the idea is to "dress down" in public appearances, to make it seem like these are not upper class people. It is another way to subliminally pander to the lower income, less educated religious vote that the conservatives need. I doubt whether many upper class Republican women dress like furniture in their private lives.

P.S. - I don't mean to imply that everyone who has a lower income, does not have a university degree, or attends a church is stupid or has poor taste. Like any group, some are stupid and have bad taste, though, and that's the subgroup the Republicans are attempting to influence with this tactic (among a host of other tactics).

[mitchum]

122. Pretty funny that Gomer Graham asked if he were a CLOSET bigot

You can't make this shit up

[ljm2002]

125. Of course the most maddening thing...

...is the media representation that it was the Democrats who made her cry.

As far as I know, not a single Democrat used the word "bigot" when questioning Mr. Alito. It was Senator Graham who used the word.

Of course, they would have you believe that to dig into his association with a bigoted organization, is nasty and mean. Hey, he's the one who associated himself with them, he's the one who put it on a job application, ergo, he's the one who must answer the questions. Now, if it turns out that he was not all that active -- well then, it brings into question his sincerity when filling out those job applications... but we already knew that.

If the media were honest, they would be pointing this out -- and it would be a no-win for Alito, the only question would be the degree of damage: was he active in a bigoted organization, did he lie on his job application, or was he "just" padding his resume?