Village Voice: Sen. Graham coached Alito

The Village Voice breathlessly is reporting that Sen Lindsey Graham helped coach Judge Samuel in a mock session at the White House.

At the hearing, Graham told Alito, nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, that he had already decided in Alito's favor. "I don't know what kind of vote you're going to get, but you'll make it through. It's possible you could talk me out of voting for you, but I doubt it. So I won't even try to challenge you along those lines."

That certainly ought to be the case. Graham is one of a group of Republicans who have been coaching Alito behind the scenes. The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire reported before the hearings began:

"On Thursday, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of the 'gang of 14' who sits on Judiciary, joined a so-called moot court session at the White House.''

The coaching session for Alito has raised a few eyebrows.

What the Village Voice fails to mention in its reporting is this series of questions from Sen. Feingold and the smackdown he received from Judge Alito;

Finally, late in the afternoon, Feingold got his chance. The Democrat from Wisconsin started by asking about the president's power and the FISA court, but moved on to suggest that the White House had coached Alito to say just what it wanted about presidential authority.

"Who was present at these practice sessions where these questions were discussed?" Feingold asked. "And who gave you feedback or suggestions or made any comment whatsoever on the answers you gave?"

"Nobody at these sessions or at any of the sessions that I had has ever told me what to say in response to any question," Alito answered. "The advice that I've received has gone generally to familiarizing me with the format of this hearing...But nobody has told me what to say. Everything that I've said is an expression of my own ideas."

"I don't question that, Judge," said Feingold, who then went on to question precisely that. "Have you received any other advice or suggestions directly or indirectly from anyone in the administration on how you should answer these questions?"

"Not as to the substance of the question. No, Senator."

"Only as to the style?"

"That's correct; as to the format. Not as to what I should say I think about any of these questions. Absolutely not. I've been a judge for 15 years. And I've made up my own mind during all of that time."

Ouch!