Sometimes, it's just way too easy to slamdunk the GOPbots trying their Darth Vader best to fool everyone with their Jedi Mind Tricks

Alito Gets High Marks From Bar Association

and

bypass registration with www.bugmenot.com for the first quote

Relevant Excerpt

The American Bar Assn.'s decision to give Alito its highest rating was highlighted Wednesday by White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, who told reporters that "leading Senate Democrats have said in the past that the ABA rating is the 'gold standard' for evaluating judicial nominees."

And two from the BREITBART article

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist-"Judge Alito is right on track to become Justice Alito, and today's announcement of the ABA rating demonstrates what an overwhelming majority of Americans already believe, that Judge Sam Alito is unquestionably well-qualified to serve on our nations highest court."

Tx Senator John Cornyn-"Unfortunately, the hard left groups decided long before these ratings were announced that they would oppose his nomination. "And some Senate Democrats, including some who have previously described the ABA's evaluation as the gold standard, will now dismiss the rating as meaningless."

The GOP's touting of Alito's ABA recommendation is rather amusing in light of one little ironic fact

March 23, 2001-"White House ends ABA's role in screening judicial nominees"

The Bush White House Thursday formally ended the American Bar Association's role as an early arbiter of the qualifications for nominees to the federal bench and the Supreme Court....."The decision was based on the principle that the American Bar Association should not receive a preferential role over all other interested parties," said McClellan. "We welcome their input and they will continue to have an important role in the process."

D'OH!!!

DOUBLE D'OH!!!

In its letter to the American Bar Association, Gonzales said the ABA voice on nominees should not be "heard before and above all others" and that the historic arrangement with previous administrations was "preferential" and neither "appropriate or fair."

"As Senator Biden asked in 1994, 'Why the ABA and not the National Bar Association?," wrote Gonzales. "The same question could be asked with respect to numerous other groups."

Indeed, especially considering the White House is now lauding the group today without ever having rescinded its Anti-ABA policy

Even another helping of D'OH!!!

The Bush White House pointed to examples in the past in which the American Bar Association did not screen federal judicial candidates.

Unfortunately for this tactic, the Bush Jr Administration has been the First & Only group to end the ABA's Screening & Qualifications functions regarding judicial nominees

And especially ironic-The GOP Senators' rather "High-Five"ish group hug/circle-jerk of love, mutual "pat on the back" society's gloating, in regards to this change in Administrative policy

The Senate Republican leadership sent a letter to President Bush Thursday "to congratulate" him on ending "the special and underserved role" of the ABA in selecting judges.

"While the ABA has been and remains an important organization devoted to improving the quality of legal practice in this country, its decision to increase its focus on politics has undermined its ability to provide an objective review of judicial nominations and justifies your decision," the letter read.

And yet another attempt to deflect ending the ABA's role back in 2001, claiming a major Dem favored eliminating the ABA's role as well

The official also said Griffin Bell, Attorney General in the Carter Administration, said in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee that he believed the bar group should be eliminated from the judicial selection process

Doesn't matter, W's is the only Administration to pull back the ABA's role in the judicial nomination process

And let's wrap up with a passage that evokes memories along the lines of "You can help best by sitting down quietly.....Over there"

The Bush administration said it welcomed the bar association to play the same role as other groups once a nominee is announced.

"The administration fully welcomes the ABA, like other interested parties, to provide suggestions regarding potential judges," wrote Gonzales. "Once the president submits a nomination to the Senate, the ABA like every other interested party is free to evaluate and express its views concerning the president's nominee."

Dear Lord
Let your "D'OH!!!" lacking flock get their fair share of this especially goofy Schadenfreude over this latest GOP imbroglio