Stacking the Deck

Today Judge Samuel Alito begins his confirmation hearings in the Senate Judiciary Committee. I'm guessing he'll have a very good idea of the questions one Senator will ask him:

In preparation for his confirmation hearings, which start Monday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Alito has been drilling regularly since Thanksgiving in questioning sessions lasting around 30 minutes at the Justice Department, with two department lawyers doing the questioning. On Thursday, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of the "gang of 14" who sits on Judiciary, joined a so-called moot court session at the White House.

I'm pretty sure it's not illegal, but it sure seems unseemly. On of the questioners is coaching the nominee about how to answer the questioners? I said during the Roberts hearings that these events seemed very showy but essentially without merit, where most people ask questions to which they already have answers. Given this revelation I see no reason to change that opinion. These are fake hearings, which fit right in with our fake political culture. It's enough to make me throw up my hands and turn away... 'cept I can't. I like the country too much.

UPDATE: Corrente is liveblogging the hearings. Just once in my life I would like a Senator, ANY Senator, to say: "I don't have an opening statement. We have a limited amount of time, I'm here to ask the nominee questions, and I wish those of us on this Committee would stop grandstanding and shut our mouths so we can let the questioning begin." What a moment that would be.