Alito: Thanks, Dr. Dobson!

The U.S. Supreme Court's newest justice dances with who brung him.

In his first weeks on the Supreme Court, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. sent a note to Dr. James C. Dobson, the influential Christian conservative, thanking him for his support and vowing that "as long as I serve on the Supreme Court, I will keep in mind the trust that has been placed in me," Dr. Dobson said Wednesday in a radio broadcast.

Kathy Arberg, a spokeswoman for the court, said Justice Alito had written the note in response to a letter of congratulations from Dr. Dobson. "The justice has responded to scores of congratulatory letters from people of all walks of life, and he has included as a standard sentiment in the letters the hope that he will live up to the trust and confidence that has been placed in him," Ms. Arberg said.

She declined to identify who else had received such letters from Justice Alito.

Dr. Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family and host of its radio program, is one of the most popular evangelical Christian authors and speakers in the country, and he urged his millions of listeners to do everything they could to support Justice Alito's confirmation.

Of course, Dobson goes on to offer the standard disclaimer that he has no idea how Alito will vote on issues such as, say... abortion... but hastens to add that Alito took his seat on the high court just in the nick of time, since "partial-birth abortion" is due for a hearing soon. Not that Dobson has any inclination how Alito will rule on "partial-birth abortion," mind you. He's just excited that a justice whose views on abortion are completely unfathomable will get a chance to rule on it soon.

Or, something.