Dems to Try One Last Desperate Tactic With Alito

In an apparent hope that some sort of significant skeleton will jump out of Judge Alito's closet at the last minute, it looks like the Senate Dems will delay the vote on the new Supreme Court Justice for one week:

Senate Democrats plan to delay the Judiciary Committee's vote on Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court for at least a week, slowing what could have been a quick confirmation process for President Bush's pick to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter had hoped to hold a committee vote on Alito's nomination on Jan. 17, a little over a week from the Monday start of the federal appellate judge's confirmation hearings.

But Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., on Thursday that Democrats will invoke their right to hold the Alito committee vote over for one week, Senate leadership aides told The Associated Press.

The aides spoke on conditions of anonymity because the move had not been announced yet.

I'm not really sure what that's going to accomplish, other then give both sides a chance to spend all their TV ad money. A one week delay will have no effect on the Court itself, as it won't be back in session until Feb. 21. There will still be plenty of time to get in the floor vote before that happens.

A few Dems are still throwing out the possibility of a filibuster, but I doubt if they'll have to votes to sustain one, and if Frist invokes the nuclear option as he has already threatened to do, they stand to lose much more than just a seat on the court.

I'm sure it will all be high drama, but in the end, Alito will be confirmed.