alito
With confirmation of Judge Samuel Alito as the next Supreme Court justice all but assured, Democrats seized upon this “most recent failure of the Bush administration” as a likely springboard for their party’s electoral triumph in November.
This latest setback for President George Bush — coming on the heels of free and fair elections in Iraq, a growing economy, the first December budget surplus since 2002 and movement by Europe and Russia toward the original White House position on dealing with Iran’s nuclear ambitions — sets the stage for a Democrat return to power in Congress this year, according to many leading party insiders.
“We’ve got him on the ropes,” said one unnamed Democrat political strategist. “Alito’s confirmation could be the knockout punch. When Bush is flat on his back like this, it’s hard for Republican Congressional candidates to ride his coattails.”
A celebratory mood prevails from Democrat offices on Capitol Hill, to DNC headquarters, to MoveOn.org and The New York Times. Several political action groups said they would immediately launch multi-million dollar TV ad campaigns to capitalize on their political momentum.
“It’s the triumph of our progressive principles and ideals,” the source said. “We’ve got a beautiful feeling, everything’s going our way.”