Chat With Judiciary Committee Member Senator Orrin Hatch

Senator Hatch has just arrived.  Highlights from our conversation will be appended to this post (paraphrased, summarized, etc.):

Questions:

How do you think it's going?

Very well.  Probably as well as it went with Roberts.  Alito has offered healthy and strong explanations every step of the way. He's a bright guy and very good judge. This is a real home run for kid from the lower middle class.

We can expect fireworks from Schumer.

Will there be a Democrat-led delay in the committee?

They will have tough time delaying unless they are able to lay gloves on the nominee in next day or so.

Will the committee vote be party line?

Yes.

If that's true, how may it affect the floor vote?

Democrats will have to think very hard about voting against Alito, because it may put them in real jeopardy (especially for those hailing from in red states).

Ultimately, the confirmation process comes down to abortion for Democrats.  For many, that is their single litmus test.

Is there any way to get that elephant out of room legislatively?

No.  When it was brought up before, it met fire among both left and right (though it had the support of 49 Senators).

Will the Democrats filibuster?

I don't think they dare, because i think we have the votes for the Constitutional option.

Is this indicative of the future of confirmations - that they will be so strictly partisan?

I think Stevens will retire before the end of Bush's term.  If so, that'll really be armaggedon.

Any predictions for the new balance of power in the Senate after 2006?

If we get our house in order, we can maintain majority in both houses.  But the MSM ("to use your symbol") will not help us.  They're finding these hearings boring, because they want fire from the Democrats and so far they're not getting it.

What are Mitt Romney's chances in 2008? [blogger's note: Mitt's my early pick for top of the ticket]

Mitt is head and shoulders the best administrator and manager in the business.  He's also a brilliant governor, turning a $3 billion deficit into a surplus, despite the opposition of his Democratic legislature.

His primary problem is that he's a Mormon, as am I.  Many [wrongly] believe Mormons are not Christians, and despite being the 5th largest religion in America and one of the fastest growing, polls show [or showed in 2000 when I was exploring a Presidential bid] that 18% of Americans won't vote for a Mormon under any circumstances.

There are many other good candidates, but Mitt can't be discounted.  He's got the time, the wealth, the looks, the dedication, and the ability to win.  He's just that good a person.

Senator Hatch will be returning for a second chat tomorrow, so if his comments inspire any follow-up questions, submit them via e-mail or comment.