Justice Sam Alito has sent a thank-you note to Focus on the Family founder James Dobson in which he expressed his appreciation for Dobson’s support for his nomination to the Supreme Court.

As Crooks and Liars notes, can you imagine the brouhaha ” if a pro-choice candidate sent NOW a thank you letter for their support after winning a seat on the bench? ”

Of course, Dobson is ecstatic that the high court has agreed to hear a case involving partial-birth abortion. He now believes he has two justices, Chief Justice Sam Roberts and Sam Alito, in his corner.

As for Alito, there’s an interesting commentary today here written by a Maryland high school student for the school paper:

Alito is not dangerous because he is a Republican nominated by a Republican president. He presents a threat because he has consistently ruled to the right of even conservatives against the environment, constitutional privacy guarantees and individuals subjected to discrimination. Alito now occupies a position of power and will shift the Supreme Court far to the right with his radically conservative ideology. His confirmation was an important victory for President Bush and Republican senators — but a devastating loss for the American people.