The Anti-Sam Brownback Blog

As the Washington Post puts it:

Alito calmly gazed at the Senator, waiting for a question.

That is the short version of Senator Sam Brownback’s questioning of Alito this morning. The longer version involves Brownback equating Roe v. Wade to Plessy v. Ferguson and asking some softball questions about religious freedom. Again, the Post reports:

Brownback told Alito that justices should not always vote to uphold prior court decisions just because they are so-called “super-duper precedents.” Sometimes, he said, the court gets it wrong, as it did in upholding the separate but equal doctrine in the Plessy case.

This questioning was Brownback carefully playing the role of arch-conservative running for President.  He was careful not to push Alito too hard on the issue of abortion, but his line a questioing must have made some republican leaders uncomfortable.  He came dangerously close to the same line of questioning as some Democrats who hope to expose Alito  as an extremist.

Although we must always remember, in Brownback land extremism is normal (and we have always been at war with Oceana).