While using Google Image to find pictures of Samuel Alito, Bush's current Supreme Court nominee, I was intrigued by one image that was on the Federalist Society domain. "Oooo!" I thought. "I don't think anyone's mentioned his Federalist Society connection! I'll scoop that s**t!"

Following the link gave me a "404 Not Found" message. Hmm. So did the Fed. Soc. delete his picture to obscure his connection? A little more digging on the Federalist Society site found The Role of the Lawyer in the Criminal Justice System, extended excerpts from a presentation made by Judge Alito at the 1997 National Lawyers Convention, entitled "The Crisis in the Legal Profession." This probably means little but it's still interesting.

Of course, I will undoubtedly find that his Federalist Society credentials are well known and no secret at all. [Update: I posted this without completely finishing my trawl through the Federalist Society site. On a page marked Participants and Speakers, I found Alito's name tucked a couple pages down, between Jim Wright and a little above Robert Bork. Once you get near the end of the list, past all the lawyers and judges, it's a hodgepodge of odd bedfellows. The list is mostly people who have spoken at Federalist Society events.]

I can't seem to stop digging at the Federalist Society for Alito links. I found the following in a PDF from July, 2005.

Others on President Bush's reputed short list include Federalist Society members John Roberts and Michael McConnell, both appellate court justices. Still others on the list have addressed the group, including appellate Judges J. Harvie Wilkinson, Emilio Garza, Edith Hollan Jones and Samuel Alito, and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

In a rather large PDF of the October, 2004 Engage, the Journal of the Federalist Society, there is an ad for the Society's November, 2004 Annual Lawyer's Convention and Judge Alito is a featured speaker. It might be easier to look at this cached Google page for the event since it's much smaller.

media girl has some extensive quotes from other feminist bloggers about Alito's nomination. Well worth a look.

[Addendum: I know I'm a wimp about this sort of thing but I hope it's clear that the image of a skull and crossbones over Judge Alito's face is not intended to be a threat towards him, implied or actual. I'm not marking him for death or suchlike. The skull and crossbones symbol has been used for well over 150 years as a symbol for poison. I'm implying he might be poisonous for our Supreme Court and therefore shouldn't be confirmed. Sheesh! If only I could be certain everyone who sees my blog could take a joke... Still, I really don't want a 5AM visit from the Secret Service asking questions, poking around and exciting the dogs. That reminds me: I need to send in my membership renewals to the Communist Party and the ACLU so I can carry their cards with pride. Ta!]