WASHINGTON - On the second day of his confirmation hearings, Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito used a controversial strategy to win the vote of Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California). Interrupting the opening remarks from Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, Judge Alito said he simply couldn’t wait a minute longer to tell Senator Feinstein “how much he liked her new hairstyle.” He added, “And that’s some rack you’ve got, honey.” Feinstein, who is the lone big-breasted female on the judiciary committee (with Senator Kennedy being the lone big-breasted male), blushed. Many long-time court watchers wondered about the wisdom of Judge Alito’s remarks, but at least one observer thought it made sense. Professor J. Finton Whipplehill of Yale Law School observed that “Alito needs Feinstein’s vote. And, to use the parlance of the guys in the auto repair shop, 'chicks love flattery.' I think Judge Alito is playing his cards beautifully.”
When it came time for Feinstein to question Judge Alito, she appeared incapable of resisting his charms. When she asserted that “the American people want to know what kind of Supreme Court justice you’ll be,” he replied “What kind of justice do you want me to be, baby?” She lowered her eyes and smiled. Judge Alito asked if they could “continue these questions over dinner.” He also bragged that he was a judge “who knows how to use his gavel, if you get my drift,” adding that he could provide the Senator with the names of dozens of women who would provide concurring opinions. Following adjournment, Judge Alito and Senator Feinstein were seen leaving the Senate together. The hearings resume this morning.
