Is Alito Even Worse Than Roberts? Let's Hope.

Jacob Sullum | October 31, 2005

Although it's supposed to be alarming, People for the American Way's "preliminary review" of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito's judicial record seems mostly reassuring to me after a quick read. Alito's conclusion that a ban on possession of machine guns exceeds Congress' authority under the Commerce Clause, which PFAW says "raises very troubling questions," is especially encouraging. Of course, there's always the danger, as with John Roberts, that Alito won't live up to his bad press. But judging from the gun case, his inclination to impose limits on congressional power is clearer than Roberts'.