Alan Colmes is the liberal counterpart and co-host of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes (Monday-Friday 9-10PM ET), a one-hour debate-driven talk show focusing on controversial newsmakers and issues of the day, and host of a news-driven late-night talk show (The Alan Colmes Show) that is syndicated by the FOX News Channel.
After a string of radio shows in Massachusetts and New York (blue states), Mr. Colmes gained a reputation as a soft-spoken, but hard-hitting liberal. He has interviewed many key political figures, including former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Steve Forbes, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, perennial presidential candidate Ralph Nader and former Independent Counsel (and Judge) Kenneth Starr.
Mr. Colmes' shtick is cerebral, gentlemanly liberal, an endangered, perhaps vanishing, species. He is at his best when setting the table for fellow liberals, like Clinton and Gore, and at his worst when trying to jousting with able lawyers who do not share his flawed views. Like Judge Starr and Marc Balestrieri, the young canon lawyer who initiated ecclesiastical proceedings to declare former Democrat presidential candidate and still Senator John Kerry, a baptized Catholic, as having committed a court-martial offense under Canon Law by professing the Right-to-Murder heresy, commonly known as the "Right to Choose" doctrine, thereby excommunicating himself. (For information about this subject, see Mr. Balestrieri's website, www.defide.com.)
Mr. Colmes is not a lawyer. His knowledge of the law appears to be both very limited and contaminated with misreadings, misconceptions and misinformation. His television and radio interviews of Mr. Balestrieri demonstrated both fundamental ignorance of Canon Law and yet fierce determination to plow ahead anyway.
Last night's "Hannity & Colmes" show delightfully demonstrated not only that Mr. Colmes would benefit from studying American law, but that he would be wise not to take on Wendy Long, no matter how much he wants to block Senate confirmation of Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr. as the succcessor to Justice Sandra Day O'Connor as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, discretion being more important than valor and in his best interest in this instance.
Wendy Long is legal counsel to the Judicial Confirmation Network (
www.judicialnetwork,com). Until March 2005, she was a litigation partner in the New York office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. She was a law clerk to United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas and to Judge Ralph Winter of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York. She is a graduate of Northwestern University School of Law, cum laude and Order of the Coif, where she was articles editor of the Northwestern University Law Review, and of Dartmouth College. She previously served as a press secretary in the U.S. Senate, for former U.S. Senator Bill Armstrong (R-Colo.) and former U.S. Senator Gordon Humphrey (R-N.H.). In addition to being a daughter, sister, wife and mother.
Ms. Long speaks clearly, concisely, authoritatively, pleasantly, quickly and to the point. She obviously is a personable lady, politely refuses to let material misstatements of fact or law or sly slanting of issues go unchallenged, and frankly and unhesitantly calls leftist extremists...leftist extremists instead of aquiescing meekly in the foolish fiction that they are in the political midstream.
What was Mr. Colmes supposed to do? If it were a boxing match, his second would have thrown in the towel. Obviously outclassed and outhought, as well as bound to treat a lady as a lady instead of interrupt and shout over her to stop her message from being received by viewers and listeners (lest he lose his liberal distinctiveness, a reputation for civility), Mr. Colmes should have joined Sean Hannity in taking the night off.
Mr. Colmes tried to suggest that Judge Alito had issued a decision showing sympathy, even enthusiasm, for secret governmental surveillance of Americans. Ms. Long, who readily smiles and seemed at risk of laughing at Ms. Colmes' laughable (and ludicruous) suggestion, immediately explained what was at issue in the case to which Mr. Colmes wrongly referred (whether the Attorney General should have immunity in a civil suit and, if so, whether it should be qualified or absolute, NOT whether warrantless surveillance is constitutionally permissible). Then Ms. Long noted, helpfully, that Judge Alito's opinion on the subject was the same as that of United States Associate Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, thereby utterly refuting any suggestion that Judge Alito was a dangerous totalitarian instead of a highly qualified, much experienced, very thoughtful strict constructionist who has served both as an effective advocate and an impartial jurist and deserves confirmation to the United States Supreme Court.
With Mr. Colmes hapless, articulate Democrat Bob Beckel, another guest, tried mightily (and mischievously) to paint Judge Alito as an extremist. It looked as though Mr. Beckel would have the last words (and misleading ones), but Ms. Long smartly beat the clock, swiftly pointing out that Judge Alito's support for creches and menorahs on public property and the President's constitutional power to protect America from another September 11 attack by authorizing warrantless surveillance for a vital national security purpose put him well within the American mainstream.
The next morning, Ms. Long again appeared on Fox News, to be interviewed together with Fox News contributor Anthony Fois, former United States assistant attorney general under President Clinton, about Judge Alito's nomination.
Mr. Fois IS qualified to debate Ms. Long. Theirs was a perfectly calm discussion that should serve as a good example to others (but probably won't). Still, Mr. Fois fared no better than Mr. Colmes. Ms. Long raised her game, never missing a beat, astutely answering the questions posed to her directly and THEN smoothly segueing to pertinent points that viewers and listeners need to appreciate. Mr. Fois got the last word. But, be assured, Ms. Long would have readily refuted him if time had permitted.
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