Right Side of the Rainbow

I joined many others in worrying that Senate Republicans had made a mistake in delaying Sam Alito’s confirmation hearings until January. The liberal pressure groups, we feared, would use the extra time to subject Judge Alito to the death of a thousand cuts. But perhaps we feared for naught:

WASHINGTON — So far this year, the civil rights and women’s groups opposed to President Bush’s conservative court nominees have been rebuffed, rebuked and rejected. And that’s just by Senate Democrats.

Now, in the early stages of the most momentous Supreme Court nomination struggle in nearly 15 years, these organizations seek Democratic cohesiveness and then hope to enlist enough Republicans to keep Judge Samuel Alito from taking the swing seat held by Sandra Day O’Connor. It won’t be easy.