Ivy Version of the CCC
Judge (wannabe Justice) Alito was a member of the Concerned Alumni of Princeton after he graduated. An Alum group with a spin. A racist, sexist spin, that is. You know, the Ivy version of the Council of Conservative Citizens, the white supremacist group that was a successor of sorts to the KKK. (See: Communing with the Council by the Southern Poverty Law Center).
Now that CAP's extremist, ultra-conservative views are in disfavor, Alito would obviously like to distance himself from his association with CAP. Rather than refer to his CAP membership as a "youthful indiscretion" (as the owner of Ikea did many years ago about his membership in the Hilter youth), Alito has recently stated that he couldn't recall joining the group. His memory was better when he listed the organization on an application for a position with the Reagan administration. Now, not so good.
Today, however, during confirmation hearings, Alito said that he most likely joined as a way of protesting student protests against the ROTC on campus. Daily News blogger Attytood explains why this is bunk in his post, He can't handle the truth: The real story of Sam Alito, ROTC, and Concerned Alumni of Princeton, citing Alito Joined Army Reserve During College from the San Francisco Gate.
As Bunch explains, Alito's great interest in ROTC blossomed when he received a number 32 in the draft lottery in 1970, right when college deferments were being eliminated. A #32 was a first class ticket to Vietnam. ROTC 'r us became the place to be, for Alito anyway. No Vietnam, as it happened.
Now, I have to acknowledge that I was a war protestor during the Vietnam War, so I certainly wouldn't criticize anyone who wanted to avoid the draft. In 1970, as I recall, many protested, few served (voluntarily, at least).
What I do mind is the hypocrisy and lying about how someone may have responded to the War during that time period. He didn't need to join CAP for ROTC-related reasons, since ROTC had been reinstated on campus at that point. And, as Attytood points out, he certainly had no great affinity for ROTC prior to the draft.
Just add this to the list of reasons why Alito should not be on the Court. I thought that I've never say this, but Harriet keeps looking better every day.
UPDATE: Mark Kleinman makes this same point in his blog, The Reality Based Community, in The CAP flap.
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