January 13th. 2006
Sent to but not published in the Boston Globe

In 1985, Samuel Alito stated on his job application for a promotion in the Justice Department that he was "a member of the Concerned Alumni of Princeton University, a conservative alumni group."
He now has no recollection that he belonged to this group. Examination of the records of one of the group's founders has no mention of Alito in the group's minutes (Alito sidesteps Democratic punches, January 13th. A1, A14). Perhaps his recollection is correct and he was never a member.
This raises the question: was he padding his resumé in order to increase his chances of getting the job he sought?

January 14th. 2006
Sent to but not published in the Lehrer News Hour

In yesterday's Brooks and Shields segment, Mark Shields suggested that Judge Alito had never been a member of the Concerned Alumni of Princeton group but had added this incorrect information about his membership to his job application in order to create a positive impression with the hiring team.
This is called resumé padding.
In most organizations such behavior makes one liable for dismissal. If Mark Shields is correct, why is Judge Alito getting a free pass?