The secret plot by Democrats against Samuel Alito, exposed Friday afternoon on the Drudge Report, turns out to be Alito's former association with Concerned Alumni of Princeton (CAP), a conservative group founded in 1972 that challenged liberal dogmas at Princeton.
Democrats apparently plan to use an article from the group’s magazine, Prospect, written in 1982 by Frederick Foote, which says, “The facts show that, for whatever reasons, whites today are more intelligent than blacks.” Foote and Alito have no connection, and it's unclear if the two even know each other.
According to Drudge: “Senate Democrats expect excerpts like this written by other Princeton graduates will be enough to torpedo the Alito nomination.”
Although unclear from his report, it appears Drudge was leaked the story by a Senate Democrat aide. While I have no knowledge of who that aide may work for, I have three guesses: Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, Sen. Teddy Kennedy (who has pulled dirty tricks in the past) or Sen. Dick Durbin, who needs to prove his place as the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate.
Drudge’s article quotes an anonymous Democratic staffer on Capitol Hill:
“Put a fork in Scalito. It doesn’t matter that Alito didn’t write it, it doesn’t matter that Alito wasn’t that active in the group, Foote wrote it in CAP’s magazine and we are going to make Alito own it.”
A Republican staffer quoted by Drudge retorts: “It’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” That's probably correct given that Foote and Alito have no connection, and Alito was never a leader or even much of a follower of the Princeton group.
When news of Alito’s association with Concerned Alumni of Princeton first surfaced in November, the nominee’s initial reaction was to deny any association with the group. In a document released by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Nov. 30, Alito wrote:
"Apart from that document, I have no recollection of being a member, of attending meetings, or otherwise participating in the activities of the group. The group has no current officers from whom more information may be obtained."
Now it appears that Alito, according to Drudge, will testify that he became involved with the group in response to Princeton’s policy of barring the ROTC from campus.
At least one well-known Democrat - former 2000 presidential candidate Bill Bradley - belonged to Concerned Alumni for Princeton. Bradley was reportedly a member until 1973.
