Why Bush Picked Alito    • Share   • Read Later  Nominee: Bush
announces Alito as the choice to replace Justice Sandra Day
O'Connor  When Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. accepted his nomination
to the Supreme Court with President Bush standing over his
shoulder like a proud father, Alito dropped an unsubtle hint
that he will be tough to mess with. "I argued my first case
before the Supreme Court in 1982, and I still vividly recall
that day," said Alito, who was put on the 3rd Circuit Court of
Appeals, in Philadelphia, by Bush's father. Underscore "first";
this is a lawyer who's been in the end zone before.  With his
nomination of Harriet Miers, who had little experience with
constitutional law, Bush went with advice that he pick someone
from outside the "judicial monastery." This time, the President
went with one of the high priests. As assistant to the solicitor
general under President Ronald Reagan, Alito argued 12 cases
before the Supremes, and has presented at least two dozen before
federal courts of appeal. An