The Senate Judiciary Committee held the first day of confirmation hearings today for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. I suspect Alito caused a bit of a panic at the White House and among Republican lawmakers when he said this:

And there is nothing that is more important for our republic than the rule of law. No person in this country, no matter how high or powerful, is above the law, and no person in this country is beneath the law.

Panicky Republicans consoled themselves by looking at Alito’s record and realizing he was just kidding.