Daily Briefing: So This is What Armageddon Looks Like?
• Samuel Alitorallies the Republican base while riling liberals; the fight "seems to be the political confirmation battle that both sides have been gearing up to fight for more than a decade."Harry Reid: "Bushwould leave the Supreme Court looking less like America and more like an old boys club."Orrin Hatch: "This one is going to be Armageddon." [ WP , NYT , NYT , NYT , LAT , WT , WT , USAT , USAT ]
• Alitowill shift court to the right: "On some of the most contentious issues that came before the high court,Alitohas been to the right of the centrist swing voter he would replace." [ WP , LAT , USAT , USAT ]
• Alito's fate rests in the vote of moderate Republicans; filibuster remains available. [ WP , LAT ]
• Alitowas an easy second choice forBush;Karl Rovephoned key conservative leaders before the announcement. [ WT , WT ]
• Bush's selection ofAlitoworks to unite his party after misstep ofMiers. [ WP , LAT ]
•Abortion seen as the central issue. [ NYT , NYT , LAT ]
• Alito"has a strong free-market philosophy likely to please corporate America," say experts. [ LAT ]
•At trial,Scooter Libby's interests will be divorced from the prerogatives of the White House. [ WP ]
•More than 30,000 people have paid tribute toRosa Parksat the Capitol Rotunda. [ WP , USAT ]
• Scott McClellantakes fire from correspondents.Terry Moran: "There's been a wound to your credibility here. A falsehood, wittingly or unwittingly, was told from this podium." [ WP ]
• Alito's writings described as "methodical, dry and respectful of precedent." [ NYT , LAT ]
• Alito's Princeton yearbook notes his Supreme Court ambitions. College roommate: "The notion that he's an extreme conservative is wrong. Sam is conservative because he's a straightforward believer in judicial restraint - that is, a judge's personal views should not dictate the outcome of the case." [ WP , NYT , LAT , USAT ]
• Alitowould be fifth Roman Catholic on the court. [ NYT ]
• Alito's assets are estimated between $615k and $1.6m. [ USAT ]
• Cheneytaps two longtime aides to assumeLibby's former duties. [ NYT , LAT ]
•The real budgetary fight is rhetorical. [ WP ]
• ReidonBush: ""I think he's done a terrible job as president. I think he's going to be known, perhaps, as being theMillard Fillmoreof the last 100 years." [ WT ]