U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr. will go before the Senate Judiciary Committee for the start of his confirmation hearing today.

Alito, a judge on the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, has a thin record on Indian law and has ruled on just one case involving Indian issues during his time on the bench. That case, involving religious freedom, went in favor of a Pennsylvania man who claims Indian heritage.

Alito is expected to face tough questioning on other issues, primarily his stance on abortion rights and presidential powers. Democrats say they alarmed by memos he wrote during his years in the Reagan administration.

The hearing starts at 11:30 and will be broadcast online by the Senate Judiciary Committee [Web Site], C-SPAN [Web Site] and CapitolHearings.Org [Web Site].

Get the Story:
Proving His Mettle in the Reagan Justice Dept. (The Washington Post 1/9)
pwpwd
Christian Right Mobilizes For Judge (The Washington Post 1/9)
Democrats Ready to Go After Alito (The Washington Post 1/9)
Issues and (Possible) Answers: A Primer on the Alito Hearings (The New York Times 1/9)
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Two Legal Careers That Diverged May Intertwine Again (The New York Times 1/9)

Samuel Alito Documents:
National Archives |Ronald Reagan Library | George W. Bush Library

Relevant Links:
Judicial Nominations, White House - http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/judicialnominees

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