Will The Real Sam Alito Please Stand Up

Unlike the somewhat unknown commodity of John Roberts, Judge Sam Alito has had a long track record both in efforts during the Reagan Administration, with his own writings and as a sitting judge. Yet, in yesterday's hearings, a seeming "born again" moderate seemed to emerge. Yet it appeared to only be a ploy to avoid conflict and to secure a position on the Supreme Court bench.

The hard right forced the first nominee, Harriet Miers to withdraw from consideration, but now Sam Alito underplays his long record of written opinions.

While Sam Alito is not the lightning rod that Robert Bork was, he should openly and honestly represent his views. But many were left with a feeling that Alito became a "born again" moderate at the hearings. If Mr. Alito has geniunely changed some of his views, then that is fine. But if this new "heart change" is only to "pull one over" on the country, then that is a deeply sad breaking of the public trust and an issue of a real lapse of personal ethics.

Time will tell which is true. Hopefully Mr. Alito is the man that he now claims to be. A man whose opinions have actually grown and evolved with age. We'll see which Judge Alito rules from the bench.