Professor Ann Althouse is watching the Roberts confirmation hearings.
Patrick Leahy. I got my first out-loud laugh when Leahy just started reading the whole Preamble of the Constitution to Roberts. Then he kept saying “We the People” as many times as he could. Roberts has a really intense expression on his face ? shots of him are making me think of some of the closeups of Maria Falconetti.
Orrin Hatch. He begins with a paean to William Rehnquist, and now, when the camera shows Roberts, he’s looking truly joyful. Either he loved WR or he’s just really glad not to have to listen to We-the-People Leahy anymore. I’d never noticed Hatch’s accent before, but now I hear him say: “You’ve had two herrings before this committee.” (Actually, I think it’s not Hatch’s accent. He’s just garbling some of the speech he’s reading.)
Ted Kennedy. He drags in Katrina. (So did Leahy.) The hurricane revealed poverty and inequity. “There are real and serious reasons to be deeply concerned about Judge Roberts’ writings.” The hearing are his “interview with the American people.” The burden on him is “especially heavy.” Why? Because they didn’t get all the documents they asked for.
Heh.
