Alito clears penultimate hurdle

Judge Alito today cleared the penultimate hurdle on his path to becoming the 110th justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

We should be cheering on the streets that 19 democrats were brave enough to vote to end debate:

Akaka (HI)
Baucus (MT)
Bingaman (NM)
Byrd (WV)
Cantwell (WA)
Carper (DE)
Conrad (ND)
Dorgan (ND)
Inouye (HI)
Johnson (SD)
Kohl (WI)
Landrieu (LA)
Lieberman (CT)
Lincoln (AR)
Nelson (FL)
Nelson (NE)
Pryor (AR)
Rockefeller (WV)
Salazar (CO)

Source: US SenatRoll Call

Tom Harkin (D-IA) did not vote, and neither did John Ensign (R-NV), and Chuck Hagel (R-NE). Ensign was involved in a traffic accident earlier in the day and spent much of the day in the hospital. I don't know about the other two. It is telling that the two "home state" senators both voted against the cloture motion, and have both indicated they will vote against the nomination itself tomorrow.

The bottom line is that Alito will be confirmed in the morning, likely by a 58-42 margin, and that his confirmation is a good thing for America. He represents replacing a mostly conservative voice on the court with a solidly one. What was the Rehnquist-Scalia-Thomas block will likely become the Robers-Scalia-Thomas-Alito block, and all hope is not lost for Anthony Kennedy, who is more right than wrong.

The stage is set for a third vacany for Bush later in 2006 or in 2007. It remains to be seen whom that will be, but chances are it will be a much greater shift than O'Connor to Alito was. That fight will be even bigger than Alito, but Bush has shown that by picking the best person for the job, that candidate will likely run rings around the Democrats yet again, as Alito and Roberts before.