Leahy manfully hides behind Justice O’Connor’s robe. In a typical jumble of contradictions, he complains that Harriet Miers’ nomination was withdrawn, but says that Alito must prove that he would be independent of President Bush. Given that Alito, apart from his nomination, has (unlike Miers) no links to the President, what reason is there to think that he is “beholden” to him?