This is Sammy From Jersey

Man, the newspapers are dying for information on the Alito nomination. The dishrag gives us this important insight...

As Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. enters his final week of dress rehearsals for his Supreme Court confirmation hearings, participants say his performance has already made one thing clear: he will never be as polished and camera-ready as Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. was at his own hearings a few months ago.

"He is not going to be the well-manicured nominee," said one participant in the rehearsals, known as murder boards, at which Republican lawyers have played the roles of interrogating senators. "That is not to say it is going to be worse. It is just going to be different."

How Judge Alito will come off before the panel of senators and television cameras is an unknown in the politics of his confirmation. Senators of both parties have said it will not be easy to follow Chief Justice Roberts, about whom Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, said "they retired the trophy" for an outstanding performance by a judicial nominee.

And some Democrats said they already had much more pointed questions waiting for Judge Alito, focusing mainly on strongly worded statements that he made as lawyer in the Reagan administration about his conservative approach to the Constitution, abortion rights and other issues. Leading Democratic senators have said his responses will be a deciding factor in whether they seek to block the nomination by filibustering.

But two of Judge Alito's supporters who participated in the murder boards, speaking about the confidential sessions on condition of anonymity for fear of White House reprisals, said they emerged convinced that his demeanor was a political asset because it gave him an Everyman appeal.

"He will have a couple hairs out of place," one participant said. "I am not sure his glasses fit his facial features. He might not wear the right color tie. He won't be tanned. He will look like he is from New Jersey, because he is. That is a very useful look, because it is a natural look. He's able to go toe-to-toe with senators, and at the same time he could be your son's Little League coach."

I wonder about the idea that Americans really care whether their Supreme Court justices resemble their next-door neighbor. Then again, the fact that he looks and acts like he's from Jersey shows he me that he will have absolutely no shame in defending himself. By the way, the Sopranos Mob Name Generator indicates that Alito's mob nickname would be "Hair Lip" -- although if he went by Sam instead of Samuel, he could be "Chimpy Nuts." Not sure which one I find more flattering.

Jokes aside, it's time for this party to get started. Alito need only demonstrate that he's smarter than the Senators who will be questioning him. In most cases, that won't be too difficult; there are first year lawyers who could go toe-to-toe with Joe Biden. The key is to do this without looking arrogant. Or like a Senator.