Obligatory Justice Sunday update

Several pieces touch on the dog & pony show staged here last night. Apparently the trifecta of moderate Sen. Arlen Specter's home base, with Alito's current realm, with a major political donor and African-American religious leader was all too much to resist...

1. The Inquirer reports that the fight over the courts came to Philadelphia. In a nutshell,

   A North Philadelphia church and the surrounding blocks became the staging ground last night for a national battle over the federal judiciary -- between conservatives who see it as hostile to religious freedom and liberals who characterize the political right as bullies of the court.

   Fallwell, Dobson, and Santorum were there to sing the praises of nominee Alito, whose hearings begin today, as the culmination of years of effort to bring "faith and values" to the fore.

   "The Supreme Court has become the supreme branch of our government, imposing its unrestrained will on all the people," said Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Pa.). "The only way to restore this republic our founders envisioned is to elevate honorable jurists like Samuel Alito."

   Wait, I thought War President trumped all other players... ?
   
   
2. The Daily News headlines their piece "Santorum rips liberal judges." They include part of the quote above, and note

   He did not cite any specific Supreme Court rulings, nor did Santorum or any of the other "Justice Sunday" speakers note that seven of the nine current justices were named by Republican presidents. But he did make a forceful plea for his fellow senators to confirm President Bush's current High Court nominee, Samuel Alito.

   This piece expands on the speculation elsewhere about how this event factors into Santorum's attempts to be both conservative enough to please his base and moderate enough to reassure the rest of the voters he'll need in November. In my view, it is often the case that events this far out from the election tend to cater to the base, which pays more consistent attention, with the moderate face appearing later when the wider electorate starts to tune in.
   
   
3. Local blogger Albert Yee provides some photos from and reactions to the street protest that accompanied the televised church event -- participants ranged from AIDS activists to peace protesters to Alito opponents.