Thanks, once again, Doc for speaking up for we the people!!!

Then the Democrats have a duty to uphold the Constitution by filibustering Alito. The statements are strong by some of our more courageous Senators and so then the question becomes "If you strongly believe this to be true about Alito and the staggering effect he would have on this nation then why stop half way?"

I watched John and Abigail Adams last night on PBS. I could not stop drawing the parallels of the tyranny the colonists were fighting aginst King George III of England and how we are fighting aginst the tyranny of Geroge W. Bush's insane and illegal actions which have caused great harm and insecurity to us and America. He has been aided and abetted by the Republicans and Alito will be the one to place the golden crown on King George W. Bush enabling his executive powers to reign far and above the other branches John Adams so carefully laid out in checks and balances. What Bush has and is achieving is reminiscent of what this country fought against!! America specifically is not about a dictatorial monarch deciding what is right or wrong for us and OUR country! It is OUR duty to stop this from happening and it is our Senators' duties to not only reject but end this nomination by filibuster if necessary to ensure our country, our Constitution, and our individual rights, freedoms, and liberties are NOT destroyed by this final nail in the coffin of Democracy! It is also imperative that full impeachment proceedings be brought at some point against this cabal who have desecrated our Constitution, sold out our interests to corporate welfare, stolen from our Treasury, initiated an illegal war, profited from that war, and dismantled and destroyed our laws, liberites, and freedoms in the process. Most of all, they have taken it upon themselves to redefine an America that resembles nothing of what our founders fought for and established on our behalf. The gains that Democrats have fought for ever since have established this as a GREATER nation and now we must fight for what we have WON! Democrats, this IS it so stand up NOW for us! We know when you stand up for us, you stand up to save America and ALL Americans!! Please, Save America - Filibuster Alito!!

Keep givin em hell, Howard.

Why no filibuster? Even with Nelson of Nebraska and Jeffords out of the picture, that still leaves 43 votes -- only 41 are needed to sustain a filibuster. Yes, there's the nuclear option coming from Frist but the GOP's own blogs are saying 7 Repugs would be shaky votes for the nuclear option. Even if this is a sure loss, sometimes the fight is still worth it.

Doc, my next contribution to the DNC is on its way as soon as I can get it together -- working for less than $8/hr, with a BA degree, in Bush's economy. You're the only reason I'm even considering it.

Other than Governor Dean... Tim might just be the smartest person in the world... Even smarter than the guy that made the "Hello Moto" ringtone on my phone! I hope he knows how much he is admired!

No One Can Look At Themselves in the Mirror and look to the Creator and Say, "I put the man who subscribes to the Nazi legal philosophy of Carl Schmitt into the Supreme Court of the United States." That is the KEY TO VICTORY!! Say it loud, over and over again. The U.S. DEFEATED HITLER and his NAZI philosophy. Carl Scmitt, , the crown jusrist of Nazi Germany, the man who "legitimized" Hitler's Dictitorial Powers, "legalized" Hitler's murder of his opponents in 1934, justified Hitler's purge of Jewish influences in German univerisities, and justified Germany's attacks on neighboring nations Poland, etc... is the model for Alito's "unitary executive" theory of the Presidency of the United States. Put plainly,
the unitary executive is a Nazi Hitlerian policy.

As my Senator Durbin correctly pointed out in his remarks in the Judiciary Committee, President Bush's choice for the Supreme Court, discussed and agreed to by the Senate's role of advise and consent, was Harriet Miers!!! Who trashed Bush's choice? The Democrats? NO. The Sane Republicans? NO. The proponents of this Nazi unitary executive theory? Yes!!!! Check Senator Leahy's speech at Georgetown University announcing his oppostion to Alito and you will find out whose office Alito was chosen in May, 2005. (hint- it was NOT GEORGE BUSH).

SO, Doctor Dean-- Heed the call of the United Democrat Party - who almost to a man (and a woman) recognize the danger of putting this Carl-Scmitt supporter on the Supreme Court. If you take all actions, including mobilization for a filibuster and whatever other steps that can be taken AND explain to all, exactly why this is being done, you will win the thanks of the Founding Fathers, the nation today, and posterity in the future!!!
There is no price too big to pay to save this nation from a fascist dictatorship- done under the guise of legal sophistries by a man who openly espouses the philosophy of Hitler's Crosn Jurist.

Leaders of the Democratic Party. I'm not impressed by your strategy to bring down Judge Alito with a majority vote; we all know this has no chance and is just cover for you when he is finally confirmed (Senator Durbin's comments about using his performance as an election issue is nonsense). Because you don't have the courage to stand up to George Bush with a filibuster, he will emerge from this process revitalized and begin working on whitewashing more of his questionable activities. I'm sorry to see you come up on the short end again, but I think you want it that way.

If Alito is that bad, ask our Democratic Senators to filibuster, Dr. Dean. Make the Republicans use the nuclear option. That should get the attention of even the most unconcerned and uninformed citizens, who have no idea who this man is and what he wants to do to their lives.

I think the fight is still worth it, too, Ian28. If we go down, we go down trying.

If we could just show voters this once that we aren't pushovers, maybe they would decide they no longer want to be treated that way either. I think many in the country would like to see a fight...and have been looking for a sign of how deep our commitment is to "our" values.

I also want to see if Hillary is made of sterner stuff than a flag burning bill.

Thank you for the leadership, Howard. I knew I liked you for a reason. You're not afraid to do what is right. You're a principled leader. We need more like you. You're doing a GREAT job.

I don't know what Reid is thinking. All I know is that he can not lead the Senate Democrats if he doesn't support a Filibuster. This is a moment of truth. We need leadership from Reid now. If he can't lead, I know several Senate Democrats that can. As they say, "lead or get out of the way." Thank you again, Gov. Dean, for setting a good example.

I'm outraged that Bush would nominate a judge that is known to be one of the most extreme judges on the Federal bench. Bush showed zero respect for Congress when he went to Pat Robertson and the Christian Coalition, and not Reid and the Senate. If he wanted a "dignified process," he should've followed the "advise and consent" process. And on top of it all, Bush is LYING AGAIN when he says that he doesn't want a "judicial activist" that would legislate for the bench. It was proven in the hearings that he IS an activist. Alito was scolded by his own Reagan appointee peers on the bench.

He is too far out of the mainstream, his record shows that he has been less than truthful testifing before Congress, and he has a track record of ignoring the rights of ordinary Americans. He is not fair. The Senate hearings proved that the title "Justice" should not be next to the name Alito. Please Filibuster Alito!

Alito's Record: Threats to Americans' rights and liberties

As research continues into Judge Samuel Alito's extensive record, here are some of his most troubling opinions:

1. Privacy: In dissent, Alito would have upheld the strip search of a mother and her ten-year old daughter, even though the warrant allowing the search did not name either of them. Judge Michael Chertoff, now head of the Department of Homeland Security, criticized that position as threatening to turn the constitution's search warrant requirement into little more than a "rubber stamp." Doe v. Groody

2. Community safety: Alito, dissenting in the case of United States v. Rybar, said that Congress does not have the power under the Commerce Clause to restrict the transfer and possession of machine guns at gun shows. In response to Alito's assertion that Congress must make findings or provide empirical evidence of a link between a regulation and its effect on interstate commerce, the majority said, "Nothing in Lopez (an earlier Supreme Court case) requires either Congress or the Executive to play Show and Tell with the federal courts at the peril of invalidation of a Congressional statute."

3. Family and Medical Leave: Writing for a unanimous court in Chittister v. Dep't of Community & Economic Development, Judge Alito held that Congress did not have the authority to allow state employees to sue for damages under one section of the Family and Medical Leave Act. By contrast, the Supreme Court in a later case (Nevada Dep't of Human Resources v. Hibbs) upheld the FMLA against a similar challenge; the Court's decision was written by Chief Justice Rehnquist and joined by Justice O'Connor.

4. Reproductive Freedom: In dissent, Alito would have upheld a provision of Pennsylvania's restrictive anti-abortion law requiring a woman in certain circumstances to notify her husband before obtaining an abortion. His colleagues on the Third Circuit and the Supreme Court majority disagreed and overturned the provision. Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey

5. Racial Discrimination in the Workplace: In dissent, Alito argued for imposing an evidentiary burden on victims of employment discrimination that, according to the majority, would have "eviscerated" legal protections under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. In particular, the majority said that Alito's position would protect employers from suit even in situations where the employer's belief that it had selected the "best" candidate "was the result of conscious racial bias." Bray v. Marriott Hotels

6. Gender Discrimination in the Workplace: As a lone dissenter in a 10-1 decision of the full Third Circuit, Alito would have made it more difficult for someone alleging discrimination to present sufficient evidence to get his or her case to a jury. In particular, Alito would have prevented a woman claiming gender discrimination from going to trial, even where she had produced evidence showing that her employer's claim that it had a legitimate reason to deny her a promotion was a pretext for the employer's allegedly discriminatory actions. Sheridan v. E.I.DuPont de Nemours and Co.

7. Racial Discrimination in Jury Selection: Alito cast the deciding vote and wrote the opinion in a 2-1 ruling rejecting claims by an African American defendant who had been convicted of felony murder by an all white jury from which black jurors had been impermissibly struck because of their race. The full Third Circuit reversed this ruling, and the majority specifically criticized Alito for having compared statistical evidence about the prosecution's exclusion of blacks from juries in capital cases to an explanation of why a disproportionate number of recent U.S. Presidents have been left-handed. According to the majority, "[t]o suggest any comparability to the striking of jurors based on their race is to minimize the history of discrimination against prospective black jurors and black defendants …" Riley v. Taylor

Besides, Frist says he isn't even going to let there be any debate on the nomination before the vote. In a democracy, this is reason enough for a filibuster. Debate is the keystone of any republic.

alito = filibuster

From NJ Now:

RUMOR HAS IT CLOSE TO FILIBUSTER: WE NEED MENENDEZ: FORWARD AD NAUSEUM

[Menendez, Lautenberg, Schumer (whose office is taking a tally) Reid, Feingold, Feinstein and Leahy and ask for a filibuster. Call Snowe,
Collins, etc...]

Also, call the "gang of 14".

Please take a few moments of your day TODAY to CALL Senator Menendez's offices. Let him know you expect him to continue his record of supporting women and their families, and that while you know these may be his first two weeks, we need these first two weeks to be his greatest.

**Tell his office you expect a filibuster!**

Bush has managed to get away with a lot by always being able to say " The Dem's gave their approval or Congress said I could do it". Hopefully today that stopped with the Dem's voting no on Alito. This type of excuse used by Bush reminds me of a kid saying "My mommy said I could".It's obvious Bush knows he's broken several laws and plans to break more so he has to stack the courts to make sure he doesn't get prosecuted for whatever law he breaks concerning this country and it's people. Iknew

The problem with Judge Alito is that he is not committed to the core attributes of a free man or woman:

Privacy
Integrity
Mobility
Observation
Expression

Indeed, Alito is of the school that believes that the purpose of the individual is to serve the interests of the state. From which it follows, logically, that the state should determine who lives and who dies and when.

I agree - Voting 'NO' is not nearly enough. Flibuster Alito!

I agree that a no vote is not enough. Not nearly enough.

While working the 2000 election campaign, I lost patience with the large number of people who claimed there was no difference between Democrats and Republicans. Al Gore was a brilliant, successful, respectable, honest, prepared, articulate man, married to a strong, caring woman. George Bush, his tongue-tied, dishonest, uninformed, chemical abusing, pompous bully opponent who had never succeeded at any of the few things he had done in his life was married to a Stepford wife. How could anyone not see the difference?

In 2001, Paul Patton (then Governor of Kentucky) delivered a speech that confirmed my belief in the Democratic Party philosophy. His explanation of why he was a Democrat renewed my pride in the party. It also made me realize how my interpretation of the party philosophy, and my focus on particular candidates instead of the parties during the 2000 campaign, had influenced my narrowed view and confusion. Governor Patton’s words healed the wounds from the stolen election enough to break my immobilizing grief and launch my battle to spread the word and activate my fellow Democrats.

Unfortunately, the Democrats seem to have cast their philosophy and Governor Patton aside about the same time. Today, I have a hard time seeing a respectable difference in the two parties. The Republicans might be leading in the race to corrupt our constitution and culture, but the Democrats share equal responsibility through their willingness to roll over and let it happen.
I’m grateful to Al Gore for his call-to-arms speech. I appreciate Senators Byrd, Kennedy, Feingold, Leahy, Representatives Murtha, Kucinich, and Pelosi, and others who have bravely stood up against the Republican take-over of most everything I hold dear. I’m disgusted with the media for not giving the Gore speech the attention it deserves, disappointed in the overwhelming number of Democrats who won’t support those who bravely try to lead, and sickened by those who apologize for their actions. I want to think some are just confused, believing nice is a requirement or virtue, when in truth nice and diplomacy are totally separate practices. Being nice at the wrong time, or with those who will exploit it is not a virtue; it is a cowardly concession. Sadly, I believe many have played the twisted Republican game so long they can’t remember the original rules.

I feel betrayed by my Party. On the whole, they give me Republican candidates disguised as Democrats, from the top down to the LD chairs and precinct captains. I don’t have a voice. Northup, McConnell, and Bunning embarrass or anger me every time they speak for me. They discard my opinions by responding with form letters that reflect no consideration for my intelligence or my opinions. Many Democrats in Washington forget how their opinions and votes affect all of us. They reject letters from anyone outside their states. The Executive branch bans me from their speaking engagements and won’t allow me to protest in their range of vision. I can’t afford to hear most Democratic politicians speak, much less offer my questions or opinions. My vote doesn’t count, and my Party concedes elections while voters remain in line to grovel for their right to cast a vote that probably won’t count anyway.

The political focus is on money, sex, a religion I want no part of, and keeping up with the Republicans in their game, with few representing what I consider the Democratic promise to protect individual choices or rights. In my opinion, the Democrats sold their souls along with the Republicans, ignoring those with the least money or power.

I beg you to give us candidates who honestly respect what the Democratic Party stands for, and who are passionate enough to stand up for what they believe. I beg you to give us candidates who will not try to sermonize or buy their way into the popular clique. I beg you to realize the split in the Party. Understand how many of us are tired of voting for Democrats who do not represent us, and will soon stop supporting a Party that has forgotten the things that truly are important to the people. The Democrats I know care about jobs, healthcare, and education. We don’t care about the sex lives or religious beliefs of others, and we know the only country threatening and mutilating our freedom is this one. And we don’t want the blood of the world on our hands.

Enough is enough. Please fight for an Alito filibuster, and encourage all Democrats to walk out on the State of the Union (sic) address as a show of solidarity against this administration. Give ‘we the people’ the catalyst we need to win this war on our country.

Well Folks, it looks like we have another Kennedy-like in Dr Deen! We finally found someone that can hit the floor with the Republicans and wrestle for our rights with the Republicans. I was so afraid the Kennedys were a dying breed for doing what is right. I have a lot more confidence for my grand children and great grand children & so on down the line to have people in Government looking out for them.
Gov.,Dr., and Presidental Campaigner, I will tell you like I told Teddy Kennedy, don't keep all that talent and technique on how to get to the bottom of things and come up with an answer, to yourself but pass it on to others.
Thank You Dr. Deen.

Finally, finally, finally - a thread on the USSC nomination.

This is big test for the failing Democratic Party. Is it willing to lose on principle? Until it's ready to do that, the steady drip...drip...drip of the loss of Senate and House seats will continue.

Thank you again, Governor Dean. You've done all you can do to help this party as chairman. If you want to do the real job, however, that being to bring this party back to the place where it is again the party that represents the weak against the powerful, the poor against the rich, and the individual against the many, you'll have to break your deal with the devil and declare your candidacy.

The thought of Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden or John Kerry being the standard bearer makes me rush to real estate postings for Costa Rica.

http://www.democrats.org/a/national/civil_rights/judicial_appointments/supreme_court/

Baron, here is a link to huge long page here at the DNC with all kinds of Alito research. Governor Dean has spoken out against him several times. Lots of good research at this link.

It is difficult to add more to the statements made above, but here is one more democrat who says it's time for our party to put up or shut up. Either we filibuster Alito, win or lose, or the democrats should just admit they don't have the leadership qualities it takes to maintain our democracy.

In short, anything less than a filibuster is a dramatic failure in my book. I urge Dems to just let Republicans use "the nuclear option." Let them make their bed--it will work against them when we take back congress and even if we don't take back congress (sigh), they will have no else to blame. Don't stand by and let it happen. Don't "go gently into that good night, rage, rage against the dying of the light." We need serious people for serious times. Quit thinking about your damn reelection status and start thinking about those of us who still have this man on the supream court screwing up our lives twenty years from now. Think about your daughters...their daughters. Think about your sons for that matter! Row V. Wade isn't a woman's issue after all. It is a humanist issue. I am still holding out hope that some of you Dems in power will do the right thing. I will hold that hope until the bitter end. Please.

If Alito is confirmed to the Supreme Court, I don't believe we need wait until he overturns Roe V. Wade. Rather than say they oppose abortion per se, many Republicans are trying to make an issue that Roe was wrongfully decided. In all elections from now until 2008 we should be pressing for the election of Democrats in all levels of government (State & Federal) for the purposes of ammending the Constitution(remember the proposed amendment protecting marriage) granting people a right to privacy which will protect everyone from the unwanted intrusions from "conservatism" on their reproductive rights, their rights to die, their freedom to use the internet, etc.

Then the Democrats have a duty to what the Democrats should do tomorrow.the Constitution by filibustering Alito.

And if the Democrats do not uphold the rights of the People they should be held accountable.

Daily Kos has an excellent thread regarding what the Democrats should do tomorrow.

Perhaps it would be wise that they read it tonight.

For the sake of our children, it is imperative that the Democrats start with The "extended debate"

The extended debate could be used as a platform to explain to the American People why Alito should not be confirmed...if done properly, could provide justification for fillibuster, so it doesn't just look like "obstructionism."

Then PLEASE help convince the Senators to filibuster. We have to at least put up the fight against the Bush-Rubber-Stamp to destroy our true Democracy.

Sunny -

All due respect, but on this blog for nearly the past two weeks not even "boo" was said about the nomination. Republican scandals, buy Democracy bonds, etc., sure...but nothing on the ascendency to the bench of another Scalia, another Thomas, another Roberts.

In my view, this is because the outcome of this "battle" is a fait accompli. The Democrats will make fine speeches about the road that Bush neo-conservativism is taking us down, but when it comes to airing out their balls for just a few weeks and filibustering this wretched nominee - EVEN WHEN THEY KNOW THEY WILL LOSE - they will capitulate.

The people who post the threads to this blog know it as surely as all the readers do, and that's why we haven't been seeing threads on the issue. As embarassing as it is to be exposed as a piteous, feckless party, it would be even worse to pretend otherwise for weeks and then only go out and prove it by playing submissive bitches to Republicans.

So I'll ask just one more time, and I wish one of you would answer me...Exactly why was the filibuster compromise engineered by the Seven Shitheads a "victory?"

Until mention by name, I thought Governor Dean's comments were describing Justice Ginsberg. I sure am glad he cleared that up.

Keep it up!!!!

Excellent, Governor!

Dems MUST move Heaven and Earth to stop Alito.

When the John Roberts's confirmation took place, the Dems had their blinders on. There seemed to be the mantra, "So what if Roberts is a Corporatist, aren't we all?" But that guilty sharing of allignment made the Dems BLIND to Roberts' DIFFERENCES, specifically that Roberts is part of the Bush Cabal! His private meeting with the Bush Administration prior to his court ruling on a key Bush issue proved this; he met with the Adminstration BEFORE he ruled on the detainee tribunal question! He was in on the Cabal's plan to restructure the American justic system. Roberts is more than a Corporatist; Roberts is a BushCabalist.

And Alito? The same. His brainchildren during his Reagan days have only grown to be dangerous grown-up ideas put to action -- from his rulings on the bench (denying juried trials, reproductive rights, etc.) to his prosyletizing on the Unitary (dictatorial) Presidency. And his role in the Cabal? This is what we need to see with clear eyes and ask about! A good place to start would be to ask Alito just where did his recent Exxon-Mobil stock 'inheritance' come from? Was it really delivered to him when he was nominated? It is on his financial report for this confirmation, and yet no one has inquired about it. Just because it looks foolishly obvious, doesn't mean it is benign. It is worthy of investigation until proven benign.

FILIBUSTER FILIBUSTER FILIBUSTER or face the consequences when the American people look to you for why Alito got in.

What the hell are the Democrats doing???? I feel like the Dem. Party has been rolling over and playing dead since 2000. Stand up and fight!!!!!! If you couldn't fight for the presidency in 2000 or in 2004, the least our Senators and Congress people can do for us is stop The Alito nomination.

Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy,
Ranking Member, Committee On The Judiciary,
On The Nomination Of Samuel A. Alito, Jr.,
To Be An Associate Justice Of The Supreme Court Of The United States
Executive Business Meeting
Tuesday, January 24, 2006

This nomination raises the fundamental question whether the Senate will serve its constitutional role as a check on the President by preserving the Supreme Court as a constitutional check on the expansion of presidential power. Today I urge Senators and, in particular, Republican Senators, to approach this discussion with open ears and open minds.

This is a nomination that I fear threatens the fundamental rights and liberties of all Americans now and for generations to come. This President is in the midst of a radical realignment of the powers of the government and its intrusiveness into the private lives of Americans. This nomination is part of that plan. I am concerned that if confirmed this nominee will further erode the checks and balances that have protected our constitutional rights for more than 200 years. This is a critical nomination, one that can tip the balance on the Supreme Court radically away from constitutional checks and balances and the protection of Americans’ fundamental rights.

This past week I introduced a resolution to clarify what we all know, that congressional authorization for the use of military force against Osama bin Laden did not authorize warrantless spying on Americans as the Bush Administration is now claiming. I thought, we all thought, that when we joined in the bipartisan authorization of military action against Osama bin Laden more than four years ago, that action would have been more effective and have succeeded by now in ridding the world of that terrorist leader. I still hope that the clarifying resolution I introduced last week will become a bipartisan statement upholding the rights of all Americans.

As Justice O’Connor underscored recently, even war “is not a blank check for the President when it comes to the rights of the Nation’s citizens.” Now that the illegal spying of Americans has become public and the President has acknowledged the four-year-old program, the Bush Administration’s lawyers are contending that Congress authorized it. The September 2001 Authorization to Use Military Force did no such thing. Republican Senators know it, and a few have said so publicly. We all know it. The liberties and rights that define us as Americans and the system of checks and balances that serve to preserve them should not be sacrificed to threats of terrorism or to the expanding power of the Government.

In the days immediately following those attacks, I said, and I continue to believe, that the terrorists win if they frighten us into sacrificing our freedoms and what defines us as Americans.

I joined with others, Republican and Democrats, and we engaged in round-the-clock efforts over the next months in connection with what came to be the USA PATRIOT Act. During those days the Bush Administration never asked us to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to accommodate the spying on Americans they were already undertaking contrary to law. That law does contain an express reservation for the 15 days following a declaration of war by the Congress. But neither when Attorney General Ashcroft demanded that we pass his so-called Anti-Terrorism Act proposal that he presented us on September 19 or at any time in September 2001 or thereafter has the Bush Administration sought congressional authorization for the NSA spying program that affects Americans. Indeed, Attorney General Gonzales admitted at a recent press conference that the Bush Administration did not seek the legal authorization of the NSA spying program on Americans because “it was not something we could likely get.” Consider that damning admission. It is utterly inconsistent with the Bush Administration’s current argument that Congress authorized warrantless spying on Americans.

The Bush Administration’s after-the-fact claims about the breadth of the Authorization to Use Military Force are the latest in a long line of manipulations and another affront to the rule of law, American values and traditions. We have also seen this type of overreaching in that same Justice Department office’s twisted interpretation of the torture statute; with the detention of suspects without charges and denial of access to counsel; and with the misapplication of the material witness statute as a sort of general preventive detention law. Such abuses serve to harm our national security as well as our civil liberties. By way of illustration, sources at the FBI reportedly say that much of what was forwarded to them to investigate from the NSA spying program was worthless and led to dead ends. That is a dangerous diversion of our investigative resources away from those who pose real threats, while precious time and effort is devoted to looking into the lives of law-abiding Americans.

Throughout the Alito hearing, from my opening statement on Monday afternoon, to my first questions on Tuesday morning, to my last written question, which received a response last Friday, I asked Judge Alito about these matters. I am not reassured.

The Need for an Effective Check on Unfettered Presidential Power

A central question during the hearings on this nomination was whether Judge Alito would serve as an effective constitutional check on the presidency. We have a President prone to unilateralism and assertions of Executive power that extend all the way to illegal spying on Americans.

Preventing government intrusion into the personal privacy and freedoms of Americans is one of the hallmarks of the Supreme Court. There is no assurance that Judge Alito will serve as an effective check and balance on government intrusion into the lives of Americans. Indeed, his record suggests otherwise.

We know that Samuel Alito sought to justify absolute immunity for President Nixon’s Attorney General John Mitchell from lawsuits for wiretapping Americans, among other violations of their privacy. That is immunity even if the Attorney General acted willfully to violate their rights.

We know that as a judge, Samuel Alito was willing to go further than even Michael Chertoff, the former head of the Ashcroft Justice Department’s Criminal Division, a former U.S. Attorney, and the current Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, in excusing government agents for searches not authorized by judicial warrants. We know Judge Alito would have excused the strip search of a 10-year-old girl that was not expressly authorized by the search warrant.

We know he was part of the effort within the Meese Justice Department to expand the use of presidential signing statements to increase the president’s role in construing what a law passed by Congress means. That is the practice that the Bush Administration has taken to new heights. This President does not veto laws with which he disagrees as contemplated by the Constitution. Instead, he signs them and then picks and chooses what he will faithfully enforce. Often the Bush Administration makes a unilateral statement declaring what it will not follow or how it will choose to construe the measure. In these signing statements, the President is reported to have relied upon the theory of the “Unitary Executive” more than 100 times.

This is not just theory, it has practical effects on Americans’ lives and liberties. We saw it recently in the President’s signing statement on Congress’s declaration against torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of detainees. After months of obstruction and delay by the Bush Administration, Congress passed a bill last month containing a provision against torture known as the McCain Amendment, which Senator Durbin and I cosponsored. The McCain Amendment was passed overwhelmingly by large bipartisan majorities in the Senate and the House after being stalled for months by this Administration. Vice President Cheney lobbied against it. The Administration tried to create a loophole in the law to get out of following it. When Congress said no, the President had a widely-publicized meeting with Senator McCain at the White House to announce that they had worked it out and that President Bush now agreed to the prohibition against torture.

Shortly after that meeting with Senator McCain, after Congress had enacted the measure and the President had signed it into law, the President released a signing statement proclaiming that his Administration would construe the law “in a manner consistent with the constitutional authority of the President to supervise the unitary Executive branch.” Many of us, Republicans and Democrats, are concerned that the President is still trying to have it both ways. He is apparently signally that he thinks that he can choose to disregard the law, at his discretion, based on his own self-serving view of his powers.

A Deferential Nominee At a Pivotal Point in History

In this blessed land, with the constitutional legacy that has been entrusted to us through the blood, sweat and tears of earlier generations of Americans, we must not yield to the temptation to sacrifice our liberties and our way of life. If we do, the terrorists win. Benjamin Franklin warned against such a choice when he observed: “Those who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security.” With enough effort and foresight, we can and we should demand both.

I chaired the Judiciary Committee after the 9/11 attacks, and in working with the White House and with congressional partners in crafting the USA PATRIOT Act, I pushed hard to add a variety of checks and balances, such as judicial review and sunsets, to many of its provisions. The Bush Administration resisted those additions at the time, but today they brag about them as if they were their own.

This President has made some of the most expansive claims of power since American patriots fought the war of independence to rid themselves of the oppressive rule of King George III. This President is claiming power to illegally spy on Americans, to allow actions that violate our values and laws protecting human rights, and to detain U.S. citizens and others on his say so, without judicial review or due process. This is a time in our history when the protections of Americans’ liberties are at risk, as are the very checks and balances that have served to constrain abuses of power for more than two centuries.

The Supreme Court is the ultimate check and balance in our system. The independence of the Court and its members is crucial to our democracy and way of life. The Senate should never be allowed to become a rubber stamp, and neither should the Supreme Court. I asked Judge Alito to demonstrate his independence from the interests of the President, and he failed that test.

A President’s Choice

We know Judge Alito took time from his busy schedule and docket to attend a Federalist Society convention in Washington just days after the presidential election in 2000 to discuss his adherence to the theory of the “Unitary Executive” and criticized the Supreme Court for upholding the constitutionality of the independent counsel statute. He went so far as to call the “Unitary Executive” “gospel” and to say that in his view it “best captures the meaning of the Constitution’s text and structure.”

That audition before the Federalist Society appeared to work, reminding those advising the new President that they had a known quantity in Samuel Alito. It led to a White House interview in connection with a possible future Supreme Court vacancy shortly thereafter in 2001. Judge Alito had other meetings and interviews but the key one took place in May 2005 with Vice President Cheney, Scooter Libby, Karl Rove and others at the White House. It was months before Justice O’Connor made her announcement to retire – that came in July. But in May, Judge Alito was called to a meeting with this Administration’s key political strategists.

I suspect that the answer to the question Judge Alito posed at the hearing regarding how he got the nomination can be answered in large measure with regard to his demonstrated deference to government power, his adherence to the “Unitary Executive,” his rulings in favor of government intrusions, and whatever he said in his job interviews at the White House that convinced those advising this President that he will be a reliable vote against challenges to presidential power.

No President should be allowed to pack the courts, and especially the Supreme Court, with nominees selected to enshrine presidential claims of government power. Our system was designed to ensure a balance and to protect against overreaching by any branch. The Senate should not be a rubber stamp to this President’s effort to move the law dramatically to the right and to give him unfettered leeway. I will not lend my support to an effort by this President to move the Supreme Court and the law radically to the right and to remove the final check within our democracy.

I voted for President Reagan’s nomination of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, for President Reagan’s nomination of Justice Anthony Kennedy, for President Bush’s nomination of Justice Souter, and for this President’s recent nomination of Chief Justice Roberts. I cannot vote for this nomination.

At a time when the President is seizing unprecedented power, the Supreme Court needs to act as a check and to provide balance. Based on the hearing and his record, I have no confidence that Judge Alito would provide that check and balance. I will vote against granting the Senate its consent to this nomination by this President.

# # # # #

Thanks to CSPAN, I know to Sen. Leahy to be one of the smartest and strongest defenders of the Constitution. He is a true Patriot. THANK YOU. Leahy makes me very proud to be a Democrat. Hearing the supporters of Alito, compared to Leahy, is a joke. I'm amazed at how far they go to lie about Alito.

I think the "silver lining" is that we know now how the Democrats are the real party of the Constitution. I admit, I'm not a fan of abortion. But I won't put my church in front of the Constitition. Now we know who panders to religious extremists in order to rally a special interest on the far right of the Christian ideology. I glad someone will defentd the Constitution, because that is what makes America unique, special, strong and free.

The Republicans can only point to the ABA level of highly qualified. Big deal. One of the factors they use is "compassion." What a JOKE! Like they have a compassion meter. HA! If they did, I wonder how it worked we the COMMUNITY went to court after the polluter had 150 violations, and ALito said that even thought they get water from the river, and fish to eat, and a place to swim, they really didn't prove any damage. OUTRAGEOUS! Alito is a rubber stamp for corporate polluters. Now we know why the corporate media is hiding the truth about ALito and over-representing his support. Because the corporations want a hack that will allow THEM, the companies they are owned by (NBC=GE and Westinghouse=CBS), to not be responsible for the existing SUPERFUND sites that have polluted America. And that's just the "tip of the ice berg." Thank Democrats for defending our Constitition. NOW FILIBUSTER THE EXTREMIST!

FIGHT!!!!!FIGHT!!!!!FIGHT!!!!!FIGHT!!!!!FIGHT!!!!!FIGHT!!!!!FIGHT!!!!!FIGHT!!!!!FIGHT!!!!!FIGHT!!!!!FIGHT!!!!!FIGHT!!!!!FIGHT!!!!!What the hell are you people doing???? I feel like the Dem. Party has been rolling over and playing dead since 2000. Stand up and fight!!!!!! If you couldn't fight for the presidency in 2000 or in 2004, the least our Senators and Congress people can do for us is stop The Alito nomination.

The time has come to stand and fight. It is better to die on your feet than to serve on your knees. FILIBUSTER, For the sake of the Country. For the sake of Freedom. STAND and be counted, FILIBUSTER. Make them use Frisks nuclear option. It will come back to bite them many times over if they do.

Filibuster, even if the Reps do their 'nuclear option'. Flush them out.

Today, most Americans are blind to what is transpiring at the Capitol; they are unaware of the totalitarian atmosphere and lack of debate that now dominates the Republican-majority Houses of Congress! Most Americns are unaware that legislation is being passed with all previous protocols side-stepped, so that there is so little minority participation allowed, a time traveller from the past would not recognize our federal legislature!

Let the American people know this majority party is no longer fulfilling its duty as a separate branch of government, SEPARATE FROM THE EXECUTIVE and the Executive's desires! A FILIBSTER will do that! It will communicate to the people that there is indeed a crisis.

Remember the day Rep. Sensenbrenner turned off the microphones so that the Democrats could not participate fully in the Patriot Act hearings? That was the day it was clear to me that totalitarianism was here, NOW. Chilling. And majority behavior of this kind indicates there is no longer a reason to act in good faith! The Bush Team goals will be unchanged whether there is a filibuster or not.

And to communicate by means of the filibuster to the American people that a crisis is here -- that is reason enough to have it. And regarding Alito, even if few minds are changed on the majority side, a filibuster will alert the citizenry that they are NOT being represented in the halls of the Capitol because their legislators are being bypassed, the Constitution is being by-passed! Let the citizens know! It is time Americans knew as much as foreign observers do about what is going on in Washington.

Filibuster for our future.

The "artful dodge" is not exceptable for a lifetime appointment. The Constitution does not say ask the right-wing leaning ABA if the nominee is "well-qualified." The Constitution provides for "Advice and Consent" from the Senate.

And when the evidence says Alito is "not qualified," we need to hear the truth. I'm very disgusted at the ethics of Senator Brownback of Kansas who stacked the deck, and worked to hide the truth from Americans when a respectable group labeled him "not-qualified." Senator Brownback pulled a very unfair and unethical stunt:

The Disappeared Witness
Brownback cites witness who was pulled to avoid embarrassment for Alito supporters

Earlier today Senator Sam Brownback submitted into the record a letter from Cathy Fleming as evidence that Alito is not biased against individual rights in favor of business and government. Fleming, a former colleague of Samuel Alito, was scheduled to testify on his behalf tomorrow.

Brownback may not have known that Fleming, who is the president-elect of the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) and served under Alito when he was a New Jersey U.S. Attorney, was pulled from the witness list this week after the NAWL released its rating of Alito: “not qualified.”

The NAWL evaluated Alito’s “writings, including his judicial record,” and found that he “has shown a disinclination to protect or advance women's rights.” Furthermore, the organization found that Alito’s “jurisprudence in the area of women's rights has not been restrained” and that “he has too often engaged in strained legal reasoning to effect a narrowing of women's rights beyond the intent of statutes and precedent.”

“Fleming’s absence speaks volumes,” said Ralph G. Neas, president of People For the American Way. “Her organization’s evaluation gets to the very heart of concerns over Alito. Yanking her from the schedule is just one more attempt to sweep inconvenient facts about Alito under the rug.”

Neas noted that Chief Justice John Roberts was deemed “qualified” last year by the NAWL.

“It’s yet another difference between Alito and Roberts,” he said.

Updated witness list, without Fleming: http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/hearing.cfm?id=1725

NAWL’s evaluation of Alito: http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060108/nysu044.html?.v=1

NAWL’s evaluation of Roberts: http://www.abanet.org/nawl/news/release092005.html

The witness list as of last Friday, as released by Senator Arlen Specter’s office. Fleming appears under panel 5: http://www.dailykos.com/special/alito_specter

Well waddaya know...

Casey announces endorsement of Alito

Can finally cut the issue-less ideology-free crap that Kos and Co are promoting to sell their book and look at the reality of what happens when supposed Democrats support GOP issues and ideologies over the concerns of their own base.

I don't think it gets clearly than this. It has to be Pennachio or nothing...Casey is no longer an option.

Instead of wasting energy and money on Casey it is better to use to strengthen state policies inoculating them against the rubbish that Casey or Sanatorum will pass in the Senate.

TRANSCRIPT: SENATOR BIDEN'S STATEMENT ON THE VOTE TO NOMINATE JUDGE SAMUEL ALITO TO THE SUPREME COURT
01/24/2006

U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing To Vote On The Nomination Of Judge Samuel Alito To The U.S. Supreme Court

BIDEN: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you for conducting a good hearing.

In Senator Hatch's absence, I want to thank him for once again explaining why we're voting no; those of us who are voting no.

I plan to vote no on the nomination of Judge Alito to the Supreme Court, and I do so for three reasons: first, his expansive view of executive power; secondly, his narrow view of the role of the Congress; and third, his grudging reading of anti-discrimination law reflecting, in my view, a lack of understanding of congressional intent and the nature of discrimination in the 21st century.

First, Judge Alito's expansive view of presidential power: In 1984, Judge Alito wrote that he did not, and I quote, "question the authority that the attorney general should have absolute immunity," end of quote, in cases involving wiretaps.

In 1986, he drafted a proposal to make full use of presidential signing statements in order, and I quote, "to increase the power of the executive to shape the law," end of quote.

In November of 2000, he said that, quote, "Unitary executive theory best captures the meaning of the constitutional text and structure."

At his hearing, Judge Alito did not, in my view, answer our questions directly on these points and, in doing so, confirmed my view that he should not be confirmed.

For instance, Justice Thomas in the Hamdi dissent lays out views of unchecked unitary executive to wage war and exercise foreign policy.

Although Judge Alito says his interpretation of the unitary executive was much narrower and that he couldn't recall Justice Thomas using that term, I find his explanation not at all convincing.

Most use the term "unitary executive" in the manner in which John Yoo, the legal architect of the administration's views, conceives executive power, as well as the Professor Calabrese, who was quoted by Senator Kennedy.

I asked Judge Alito whether he agreed with Professor Yoo's reasoning that would allow, even in the absence of an emergency or imminent threat, the president under his plenary power to invade another country, to invade Iran tomorrow, no matter what Congress says.

Judge Alito declined to answer such a basic, fundamental question.

Second, Judge Alito has a very narrow view of congressional power.

I'm convinced that Judge Alito will join with the present members of the court who have struck down three dozen federal laws, more than six times the rate of activism over the history of our republic, laws which said you can't have guns within a hundred to a thousand feet of an elementary school, laws battling violence against women, laws requiring the clean-up of low-level nuclear waste and laws designed to ensure freedom of religion.

On the bench, Judge Alito has fully embraced, in my view, even aggressively sought to increase this new activism. When Chairman Specter asked Judge Alito whether he would, quote, "overturn congressional acts, because Congress's method of reasoning," end of quote, Judge Alito gave the following, I think, very interesting answer, not followed up on: Quote, "I think that Congress' ability to reason is fully equal to that of the judiciary."

I watch the folks in the audience nod their head like that's a very good answer. That's a very bad answer. That means that he believes that the rational basis test upon which Congress makes its judgment can be overruled by the court.

Congress's reasoning is why we did what we did, after all -- because we are able to have hearings. We can call witnesses. We can build a record, all things the court cannot do. Judge Alito's answer seems to question this bedrock principle.

And, third, Judge Alito lacks the understanding, in my view, as to how prejudice plays out in the real world and has a very restrictive view of the anti-discrimination legislation that Congress has passed over the last 30 years.

Last week, I was thinking, as I was preparing to speak before a Martin Luther King event, like many of us, probably all of us here did in our home states, about Dr. King.

And I reread -- I reread -- his letter from the Birmingham jail, in which he laid out the following standard: He said, and I quote, "When you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact you are Negro, living constantly at tip-toe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and you are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments, when you are forever fighting the degenerating sense of nobody-ness, then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait."

We shouldn't wait. We should own up to the fact that prejudice is still around and has moved. It's not quite the prejudice of the '60s when you would say, well, we don't want any blacks here, or more descriptive terms.

Now it's more subtle. They say, we are not sure you'd fit in. New words, for old sins.

All public officials including judges in my view must understand prejudice still lurks in the shadows. And my examination of Justice Alito's record demonstrates to me that he does not look into the shadows.

He disagreed with all 10 of his colleagues who would have overturned the jury in Barbara Sheridan's case, stating that an employer may not wish to disclose his real reasons for making personnel decisions.

In another solo dissent, he would have deferred to a corporation's, quote, "subjective business judgment." An approach his other colleagues said would, quote, "eviscerate the anti-discrimination law."

Judge Alito told me, and I quote, "I can't know everything about the real world." So in the Family and Medical Leave Act case, he discounted any gender-related connection, despite the fact that one in four people taking sick leave were pregnant and one of the reasons we wrote the law, one of the reasons we wrote the law, was because we know about the stereotyping of women.

When I look at all the evidence before us, Judge Alito's writings, his statements, his judicial records, and his opinions, and the little we learned about him in these hearings, I am forced to conclude that he should not serve in the Supreme Court. I will vote no.

SPECTER: Thank you, Senator Biden.

hey Peace, I came in just to post that article on Casey. I have been leery of the guy right along, but now we know, we will just have another DINO, Centrist on our hands, who will try to ride that fence so he does not look too too liberal.

The DLC HAS to go. I have written them over and over via their site. I hope others are doing the same.

DLC Golden Boy Casey French Kisses Alito

How much proof does any Democrat need that the DLC is a toxic, destructive, republican influence on the Democratic party. Their favorite son, their "golden boy" choice to run against Rick Santorum in what will be the most watched campaign of 2006, has come out in support of Sam the unitary-presidency-fascist Alito.

It is time for the mainstream members of the Democratic party to tell the right wing extremist DLC members to GO TO HELL. Get out of the party. Take a hike. Come out of the closet as the right wing republicans you really are. Start voting Republican. Maybe you can help the remaining sane republicans to take back their party from the nutcase theocrats who took over their party.

Casey's lead has already started collapsing. He had a 16 point lead a few months ago, and recent polls put him at a 10% lead. That's the way he's functioned in the past too.

The DLC should be an issue in all Democratic elections. Every progressive democrat, every Democrat who wants to win should be demanding to know where any Democratic candidate stands on the DLC. And DLC supporters should be rejected at the primary level-- incumbents included. Period.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_rob_kall_060125_dlc_golden_boy_casey.htm

Our President deserves the greatest latitude in his nominations and deserves our respect. Although it is the duty and responsibility of congress to scrutinize and to reject or confirm those nominations I believe that acceptance is warranted unless compelling evidence finds a nominee unsuitable.
Democrats had their chance in 2004 but little attention was given to the aging justices. Our voice was weak and the only loud rhetoric on the topic of the Supreme Court was abortion. Abortion is the very issue that polarizes America and is the very issue that has cost the Democratic Party a great deal of support. The topic of the Supreme Court was an opportunity to voice numerous issues favorable to the Democratic Party but as a result of the tunnel vision on abortion many important issues were disregarded.
Now Americans must tolerate decisions like Castle Rock vs. Gonzales and live with the idea that while me must pay the taxes to support law enforcement we are not necessarily afforded protection under that once coveted shelter. We have seen eminent domain broadened and the Fifth Amendment narrowed in cases like Kelo v. New London and must now tolerate the new powers of government and big business to take private property with a simple mission statement.
Democrats did not know these things were going to happen in 2004 but the people should have been made aware of the possibilities in that election. And because that message did not reach the voters they have no point of reference with which to gauge their electoral decisions. Ignorance must now prevail in yet another election because the last election was conducted in the usual and shameful style of sound bites and catch phrases.
Both Parties are guilty of these high priced popularity contests without substance and thus the Republicans simply out maneuvered and out spent the Democrats. In the world of advertising money gets talent and talent gets results. Our national elections are a shameful display of adolescent democracy and they demean our people and decay our government. And this is unacceptable in a world where news travels at nearly the speed of light. In web sites like Vote Smart both parties were silent in 2004.
When America allows a gleeful cheer from a chosen candidate to disqualify him we deserve the ineptness that follows. And to blame the media for abandoning the issues while focusing on a single emotional moment is almost as ignorant as being influenced by inferior journalism.
You know that my practical statements are modest when I tell you that the Democratic Party lacks the ability to unite the people in a common cause. And if our cause is simply to replace Republicans then we indeed lack vision. Our ideas are good and our talents are many. We Democrats understand the disastrous deficits that face this nation and we know that liberty is threatened. We understand that energy dependence and environmental issues are linked and we have credible and workable solutions.
Democrats are tired of this current administration telling America that fuel cells, hydrogen fuel, electric cars, solar power, and so many other workable ideas are impractical. We know when we are being deceived and we do not blindly follow.
We are all a great people, Republicans and Democrats alike but we must unite to achieve a successful future. And while it is important and proper to focus on an individual nomination to this high court it is better to focus on the Court’s direction during elections. Our Supreme Court is a corner stone of our republic and impossible to ignore in a successful election.

ineresting basic, but the republicans are already anticipating that reaction and democrats are notoriously good at letting republicans define democtraic democratic issues in a negative light.

How long can the democratic party put off naking a stand in preparation for 'future action'. By the time the elections come, the court is lost, and don't think the republicans won't capitalize on that 'win' to their own constituents.

Howard Dean,

What's up with, "When the full Senate votes on this nomination, Judge Alito should be rejected."???

Where's the fillibuster???

This guy is bad for America!!!

The spineless Democrats are kowtowing to the Republicans once again.

Friggin Democrats, you're all so worthless.

Remember the day Rep. Sensenbrenner turned off the microphones so that the Democrats could not participate fully in the Patriot Act hearings?

Posted by nora on January 25, 2006 at 01:05 AM

No, I didn't know that. So this has been going on that long and still the Democrats Senators are not fighting back? What are they afraid of happening if they filibuster?

I would like one of our Senators to come to this forum and explain how the nuclear option is any worse than the current status quo. They owe us an explanation. If not, we can only assume they don't care what we think or that they are too ashamed to face us.

Tim, please ask one of our Senators to address us on this matter.

Filibuster, if not now........when?
I'm rapidly losing faith Democrats will STAND UP to any of the grievances progressives feel are ruining this nation.
The Party is making a huge error if they think the overly cautious three piece suit DLC folks are going to win them elections, and certainly not primaries.Once there is no hope for redress in the Courts, (after Alito.) Democrat's only recourse will be in the streets, and if you want to see where that leads watch the 1968 Chicago convention footage. Either tap into the outrage in every major city, or have it vented outside the Convention.

Little by little, one step at a time the executive branch and the republicans are snatching away the right of the public to know and this make good judgements at elections.

The appointment of Judge Alito will put us dangerously close to an executive branch or the president who will have absolute powers.

The average American seems oblivious to this. I urge aaaathe democrats in the Congress to pull all stops to prevent this appointment.

Little by little, one step at a time the executive branch and the republicans are snatching away the right of the public to know and this make good judgements at elections.

The appointment of Judge Alito will put us dangerously close to an executive branch or the president who will have absolute powers.

The average American seems oblivious to this. I urge aaaathe democrats in the Congress to pull all stops to prevent this appointment.

Where are the Democratic Senators that have the courage of several Democrats in the House,
(ie.Murtha, Conyers, Slaughter,and Barney Frank?)
Where are the democratic Senators with half the courage of Maureen Dowd and Molly Ivins?

We deserve answers!

Let's say the situation was reversed.

Would the Republicans fillibuster Alito?

Of course the would.

Democrats, show some spine!!!

Mensakie:
"You can't have one definition for "life" for people in ICU rooms, and an entirely different one for those in the delivery rooms."

That's fine. The PATIENT should make the call based on ADVICE from the DOCTOR, not a bunch of politicians who pander to wing-nut extremists, like Frist did in the Schivo case. That would be "big government" gone out-of-control. You do know that central nervous system can be damaged by environmental factors, and things like alcohol, at a very young age. So if parents were to have the unfortunate news at 26 weeks that the FETUS developed wrong and would never have normal brain function, then the couple still must have the FETUS grow to a child, AND COST THE FAMILY AND GOVERNMENT ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS OVER JUST A FEW YEARS, AND ALWAYS REQUIRE FULL SUPPORT? Talk about a crime against the couple and the state.

Leave it to a Priest that says nothing about the actions of his life-wrecking peers, but wants to limit a woman's right. We really need people that pander to extremists, like Frist, indifferent priests to pedophilia, and wackos like Pat Robertson making the decisions that should be made by the family and a doctor? Are we talking about China or America?

"Do you think she is less radical an nominee from the Right's point of view, than Alito is to the Left?" This is a talking point used by Orin Hack or Sessions, and it's a LIE. First of all, Ruth B.Ginsburg DID NOT decent anywhere near the amount of times that Alito decented. Ginsberg WAS in the main-stream. Alito is not. Secondly, Ginsberg offered much more philosphy to the Judiciary committee. Thirdly, Clinton went to Hatch and asked who would work, and Hatch suggested Ginsburg because she was in the main-stream.

Your (Sessions) reasoning is like "Mother Teresa is as good of a person as Saddam Hussain is a bad person, so why I can't I pick Hussain for Sainthood?

Alito was scolded by his Reagan appointee peers he's so extreme. NOBODY decented more than Alito. Did you hear what he did to plainiffs time and time again? It's a fact he does NOT apply the law fairly, he's biased, and he prevents people from reaching court for justice. Ginsberg had none of these issues and problems. FILIBUSTER ALITO!

The stock reply to Republicans,from any senate Democrat getting nasty slurs about their not supporting Alito, Throw it in THEIR FACES, their fringe groups wouldn't allow Harriet Miers EVEN A JUDICIARY HEARING!
That little "throw Momma from the train" stunt the radical right staged, is going to come back and BITE THEM where it hurts.

mc

please don't direct your anger at Howard Dean and the DNC.

He/they have absolutely No power nor control over Senators nor congressmen. I don't think Howard can even Suggest what he thinks they can do. You think a Kennedy or Biden is going to have Howard Dean giving them orders? Not hardly.

Go to the DSCC. that is the Democratic Senatorial Committee. that is where they are all members of. Tell them to get their membership in order. Tell them to have Senators grow some spine. Tell them what you want the Senators to do.

info@dscc.org = email address.

PamB,

Howard Dean should not be saying things like, "When the full Senate votes on this nomination, Judge Alito should be rejected."

I am disappointed he made such a statement and can be upset about it. It is a weak statement, said from a position of weakness.

Everything else Howard Dean said was fine. But his last sentence undermines the Democrats ability and willingness to filibuster. Saying nothing would have been better.

Filibuster!!!!!! Filibuster!!!!! Filibuster!!!
Who cares if the dumb asses invoke the nuclear option. He's going to be confirmed no matter what anyway. Might as well go down swinging with some backbone and know that eventually, WE will have the majority and their hands will be tied and they will have created this monster! And the public can see how it's like to live in a land where the minorities don't have a voice without the filibuster. Now's the time to show some strength!

A report on the democrats.com website, quoting a "progressive source" that met with Senator Reid yesterday, says that all but 8 Democratic Senators HAVE AGREED TO FILIBUSTER. I have no personal knowledge of whether that report is true or not. I DO KNOW THAT ALITO IS FROM THE CARL SCMITT-HITLER MOLD and THEREFORE WE MUST DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO STOP HIM. I applaud everyone of you on this blog for your efforts and KEEP MOVING WITH CALLS TO THE SENATE NOW AND LATER as it will take a STAMPEDE OR AVALANCHE ON THE HEADS OF THE SENATORS TO FORCE THEM TO GO BEYOND MERE PARLIAMTARY POSTURES AND MODES TO ACTUALLY STOPPING ALITO COLD!! Remember, in effect, the DEMOCRATS CAN VETO ALITO!!! (there is no excuse for not succeeding)!!

The numbers to reach the Senate are 1-888-355-35-88 or 1-888-818-6641 or 1-800-426-8073.

Remember when the history of this corrupt neo-con bunch of traitors controlling W is written, it definitely SHOUD be called, "The Rise and FALL of the Third BIKE."

Voting against Alito is not a show or strength, solidarity or power. FILIBUSTERING this nominee is the only way to stop him. Showing polite disagreement with the Republicans in power has done NOTHING for the Demorcatic party except to make sure we LOSE on the important issues and LOSE in the elections.

Filibustering is a legal right, and if the Dems don't use it now, this country is screwed and the Dems in Congress can take responsibility for letting that happen.

Everything else Howard Dean said was fine. But his last sentence undermines the Democrats ability and willingness to filibuster

like I said, mc, Howard Dean is Not the voice for the Senators! Kennedy, Kerry, Clinton, Biden, etc, do not take orders nor suggestions from Howard. these Senators were not going to Fillibuster from day one! Not one of them has the guts to take a stand. Has nothing to do with DNC and Howard.

If NOW is not the time to FILIBUSTER, then WHEN? Do we have to leave the Democratic party? Do our elected Democratic representatives hear us?! Filabuster Alito or BUST!

I love this quote at cnn.com today (http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/25/alito.ap/index.html):

"The only way Democrats could stop Alito is through the filibuster, a maneuver they show little interest in trying. Thus Democrats are working to get a large opposition vote to score points against President Bush."

Apologies for the sports analogy...

So if your team makes it to the Super Bowl, scores 10 points but loses, you can always say, "At least we scored some points!" What a pathetic argument.

If NOW is not the time to FILIBUSTER, then WHEN? Do we have to leave the Democratic party? Do our elected Democratic representatives hear us?! Filabuster Alito or BUST!

PamB, even if they were not going to filibuster from day one, Howard Dean doesn't have to let the Republicans know that by making that last sentence.

It's kind of like saying, "Yes I know we're pathetic, but what can I do..."

I am having the hardest time with the democratic senators. Why not filibuster? Why not show the world that there are people in this country who are fed up with the current administration. The democratic senators must remember something very important. There are thousands, maybe even millions of democrats living in this country that don't have representation because they happen to live in a red state. Those senators don't just represent their own constituents, they also represent the other dems in our society that don't have a voice. That is why all of the dems in the Senate should stand up and oppose this nomination loud and clear and let everyone in the world know that there are people here that see that the emperor wears no clothes.

Barbara Boxer made a very good speech about Alito on the Senate floor, but I would have added a couple sentences to it.

...."Which is why I intend to lead a fillibuster"

or this might get the attention of the Senate Republicans,

"You'll take a woman's reproductive CHOICE, Civil Rights, and the EQUAL powers of the Legislature
.......out of my cold dead hands!"

Many years ago I worked on a rock crew blasting stone to clear a path for a pipe line. I worked hard but lost my lunch daily thinking that perhaps the noise and vibrations of the drill was upsetting my stomach. I was terminated by a foreman who genuinely seemed concerned about my health. Although I was devastated I was relieved to end the daily suffering.
When I went to pick up may last paycheck I was asked at the head office to explain what had happened and why I was being asked to leave. During that conversation I learned that the foreman had neglected to issue me safety gloves which would have prevented skin exposure to the chemicals in the explosives. It was the chemicals that were making me sick.
I was sent back to the job site by a man who knew that I had been discriminated against in a most appalling manner. The next morning at dawn when I reported back to work I was surrounded by a group of men and accosted by the general foreman, a rather tall Texan, who uttered, “Boy can’t you see we don’t want any damn wetbacks working here?” I left without hesitation.
The dark side of humanity is concealed by smiles, words of concern, and even on occasion by tears of genuine remorse. But bigotry is always supported by apathy.
Discrimination is not a one time event for minorities it is continuous. It is an ingredient baked into their daily bread. But I can tell you that most all men and women desire to be fair and good. But survival seems limited and the fear that controls us breeds a competition that sometimes exceeds the desire to survive.
Therefore as a nation we support people who will make the ugly choices that we personally find repulsive. We construct a system to limit the survival of some so that others might have more. And then like God creating the world we see what we have done and say to ourselves that this is good and then we rest in the comfort of abated fears.
But there are those like you who will not rest until the light of justice exposes the world entirely.

don't forget all. Polls have shown that the American people in large majority, think alito SHOULD be confirmed ! We are working with the same, stupid, ignorant, uninformed people who went in a year ago and pulled the lever for Bush!

IMO, the Democrats think they will alienate the public. I personally think that the show of strength, whether they agree or not, will boost the reputation of Democrats up Greatly!

PamB; SHUT UP

Stop callin the american people names you cunt. Maybe your party IS LOSING BECAUSE YOU ACTUALLY HAVE BAD IDEAS. How pompus of you to think that the american people are stupid when the majority doesnt want anything to do with you people. Stop you bitching. You hate everything thats republican. You think you have nothing to do with the newest "scandal"? You have another thing comming. YOu say the dems have been "rooling over"? Ar eyou retarded? they have been doing nothing but opposing EVERYTHING from the right. You Blame President Bush for everything. That sounds to me like you have zero self respect and cant take any responsibility for your own stupid actions. You dems are fit to be tied right now by reading all these posts! Yes please, try and fillibuster someone you confirmed twice previously..sure that makes sense. YOU liberals having a hissy fit because your power is going bye bye. You are so demented that the you blame "stupid Americans" on your loss of elections. You, BITCH are pathetic

So are the Democratic Senators who are not on board with a filibuster really representing the GOP likes of Truthmonger and all his HATE and UNHAPPINESS instead of PamB? You BET THEY ARE!!

President Bush's remarks following his meeting with former Alito law clerks:

"Thank you all very much. Thank you all for being here. I just finished a meeting in the Oval Office with a group of distinguished lawyers, many of whom come from different backgrounds, and they've got a wide range of political views. They share two things in common: They all clerked for Judge Sam Alito; and they strongly support his nomination to be an associate justice to the Supreme Court.

"The relationship between a judge and a law clerk is extremely close. Each judge has only three or four clerks a year, and these clerks serve as the judge's aides and advisors. They provide legal research, they discuss and debate pending cases, and they see firsthand how the judge arrives at decisions.

"These fine men and women with me today have worked side by side with Sam Alito, and they are uniquely qualified to assess what kind of Supreme Court Justice he would be. As the full Senate takes up Judge Alito's nomination, it is important for the American people to hear what his former clerks say about this fine judge and his approach to the law.

"One of the clerks I met today who describes himself as a Democrat said this about Judge Alito: 'He is meticulous in the way he goes about deciding cases. He's meticulous in the way he goes about finding what the law is. I can't think of better qualities for anyone to serve as a judge on the Supreme Court.'

"Another former clerk here today says this: 'I am a Democrat who always voted Democrat, except when I vote for a Green candidate...but Judge Alito was not interested in the ideology of his clerks. He didn't decide cases based on ideology.'

"Another former clerk who described himself as a proud member of the NAACP and the ACLU says, 'After a year of working closely with the Judge on cases concerning a wide variety of legal issues, I left New Jersey not knowing Judge Alito's personal beliefs on any of them.'

"Another former clerk who describes herself as a 'left-leaning Democrat' told the Senate this about Sam Alito: 'He's a man of great decency, integrity and character. I believe very strongly he deserves to be confirmed as the Court's next associate justice.'

"Another of Judge Alito's former clerks worked for Senator Kerry's presidential campaign. She said this about Judge Alito: 'I learned in my year with Judge Alito that his approach to judging is not about personal ideology or ambition, but about hard work and devotion to law and justice.'

"In case you were wondering, Judge Alito has also the support of Republican clerks. In fact, he has the strong support of all 54 of his former clerks, regardless of their political beliefs. Judge Alito has earned broad support from his fellow judges on the 3rd Circuit. Seven of them took the extraordinary step of testifying on his behalf before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"Former Chief Judge Ed Becker, who sat with Judge Alito on more than 1,000 cases, said this about his colleague: 'I have never seen a chink in the armor of his integrity, which I view as total. He is a real judge deciding each case on the facts and the law, not his personal views, whatever they may be.'

"Another colleague on the 3rd Circuit who was appointed by President Clinton said this about Judge Alito: 'He is a fair-minded man, a modest man, a humble man, and he reveres the rule of law.' The judge went on to say, 'If confirmed, Judge Sam Alito will serve as a marvelous and distinguished associate justice.'

"All these brilliant legal minds are united in their strong support of Sam Alito. And in his confirmation hearings, the American people saw why. Judge Alito is open-minded and principled. He gives every case careful attention, and he makes decisions based on the merits. Judge Alito understands that the role of a judge is to interpret the law, not to advance a personal or political agenda. Judge Alito is a man of character and integrity. Judge Alito will bring to the Supreme Court a broad range of experience and accomplishment.

"Before he became a judge, Sam Alito served as a federal prosecutor, assistant to the Solicitor General, where he argued 12 cases before the Supreme Court; an attorney in the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel; and a U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey – the top federal prosecutor in one of the nation's largest federal districts.

"In 1990, Sam Alito was unanimously confirmed by the Senate to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit. He now has more prior judicial experience than any Supreme Court nominee in more than 70 years. The American Bar Association gave Judge Sam Alito its highest possible rating, a unanimous well-qualified. It based its rating on its assessment of his integrity, professional competence and judicial temperament.

"In the past, leading Democratic senators have called the ABA's rating the gold standard for judicial nominees. Yesterday, Ed Rendell, the Democratic Governor of Pennsylvania and former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, came out in support of Judge Sam Alito. Governor Rendell said he was not pleased with the way his fellow Democrats have handled Sam Alito's nomination, and said that Democrats should vote to confirm him. Governor Rendell put it this way: 'As long as a Supreme Court Justice has high academic qualifications and significant integrity – and Judge Alito certainly does – we should confirm him.'

"There's no doubt about Judge Alito's qualifications, his intellect, or his complete dedication to our Constitution and laws. He is exactly the kind of person Americans want on the Supreme Court.

"The Senate has a constitutional responsibility to give every judicial nominee an up or down vote. In its 216 year history, the Senate has held an up or down vote on every Supreme Court nominee with a majority of Senate support. And I call on the United States Senate to put partisanship aside and give Judge Alito the up or down vote he deserves and to confirm him as the next associate justice of the Supreme Court.

"I'm grateful to Judge Alito. And I appreciate his wonderful wife, Martha, and their children for their dignity throughout the confirmation process. America is fortunate that this good, humble man is willing to serve, and all of us look forward to seeing him take a seat on our nation's highest court.

SeekTruth MY ASS: Did Harriet Miers get an UP OR DOWN VOTE? ps Bush is a certifiable LIAR and NO ONE HERE BELIEVES ANYTHING HE SAYS! and if you don't believe me ask my friend who served in Iraq searching for those WMD's!!

Hey Howard and all you silly democrats. Where is the filibuster for Alito? Do you think we are stupid? If you do not filibuster then you have caved. It is also great to hear that there are democrats that will even vote for him. That sounds like you really only care a just little bit. Are there no democrats who are brave enough to stand up and fight?

BTW--When are you democrats going start impeachment proceedings against Bush and his Cabal?

When are you democrats going demand a withdrawal from Iraq? When will you support Representative John Murtha?

If you Demos have no guts to stand up and really resist Bush and his Cabal, then you are not worthy of our support.

I will tell you guys that I will not contribute a single dime until there is Action. And then more than Action.

From the NYTimes:

Senate Democrats, who presented a united front against the nomination of Judge Alito in the Judiciary Committee, seem unwilling to risk the public criticism that might come with a filibuster — particularly since there is very little chance it will work. Judge Alito's supporters will almost certainly be able to muster the 60 senators necessary to put the nomination to a final vote.

A filibuster is a radical tool. It's easy to see why Democrats are frightened of it. But from our perspective, there are some things far more frightening. One of them is Samuel Alito on the Supreme Court.

"seem unwilling to risk the public criticism that might come with a filibuster...."

Criticism from who? The Republicans. Tim Russert? The filibuster is a Senate tradition.
Besides, most Americans have no idea what the filibuster is. Outrage from the apathetic?

By exercising the filibuster, we will finally inform the unawares as to all the unsavorty things Alito advocates...plus get across all the copy points/issues we want to expose voters to before the election...think of it as our kickoff to '06.

I said it before, the filibuster will give us unedited, free advertising with the added drama of a David and Goliath battle that even the most jaded Americans won't want to miss. Think of it as a high-brow SMACK DOWN wrestling event...with us doing all the scripting.

It will also divert media coverage from the newest Bush "I'm Only Thinking of You and the Terris..Trust Me" traveling snake oil show. He lies, he breaks the law, he can't find Bin Laudin and doesn't care....until he needs him as a defense for spying on our Google searches, cell phones, and Quaker prayer meetings.

Use it and let them explain what the nuclear option is. Sounds scary and related to the
Axis of Evil and WMD scam.

AHHH Ha! So, this is why Bill O'Reilly was vigorously attacking Air America on his program today.What a coincidence.Keep up the good work Mr.Dean.

AHHH Ha! So, this is why Bill O'Reilly was vigorously attacking Air America on his program today.What a coincidence.Keep up the good work Mr.Dean.

Nice sentiments.

But if you don't scrape together a filibuster - your words are worth nothing.

This is the fight.

Here it is - facism right in your face.

Are you going to stop it or not?

Filibuster is your only tool. Use it. TODAY.

Wow. We have heard such pretty speeches from the dems. Talk is cheap. If the dems do not filibuster, all there words are MEANINGLESS. Completely meaningless. I HAVE HAD IT. First, Kerry lets Bush steal ANOTHER election in Ohio. Then, we have the dems give the Republicans the bankruptcy bill - a slap in the face to every single one of their constituents. And, for MONTHS we have received promises that democrats will filibuster any extremist canidate that threatens Roe V Wade or will push the court to the far right. What was it? Keeping your powder dry? Waiting for the big one? Go along with lower court neo-con judges to save the filibuster for the big time? Now, we have the news coming out that a filibuster is a long shot. A LONG SHOT? You bunch of wimpy cowards. We have a President with a friggin 36% approval rating and a Republican Congress neck deep in scandal and still YOU DON'T STAND UP???!!!! Why on earth should we give you money? Why on earth should we give our time and committment (and I have given HUNDREDS of hours)? Why? What will you do for us? We have the Republicans literally taunting you, and still you cower. Well, I have news for you. You are on the verge of losing me, and a million other of your most active base. The ones that raise your money and drive the elderly to the polls. The ones that write letters to the editor when no one else is paying attention. You don't listen to us because you think we are a safe vote. Who else are we going to vote for? Not you. Progressives who have courage to challenge your weak 'leaders', maybe. But, not for you. NO MORE. And, it is not US abandoning YOU. You ABANDONED us when you ceased to fight. You have ONE more chance. Filibuster. Or, goodbye!

Wow. We have heard such pretty speeches from the dems. Talk is cheap. If the dems do not filibuster, all there words are MEANINGLESS. Completely meaningless. I HAVE HAD IT. First, Kerry lets Bush steal ANOTHER election in Ohio. Then, we have the dems give the Republicans the bankruptcy bill - a slap in the face to every single one of their constituents. And, for MONTHS we have received promises that democrats will filibuster any extremist canidate that threatens Roe V Wade or will push the court to the far right. What was it? Keeping your powder dry? Waiting for the big one? Go along with lower court neo-con judges to save the filibuster for the big time? Now, we have the news coming out that a filibuster is a long shot. A LONG SHOT? You bunch of wimpy cowards. We have a President with a friggin 36% approval rating and a Republican Congress neck deep in scandal and still YOU DON'T STAND UP???!!!! Why on earth should we give you money? Why on earth should we give our time and committment (and I have given HUNDREDS of hours)? Why? What will you do for us? We have the Republicans literally taunting you, and still you cower. Well, I have news for you. You are on the verge of losing me, and a million other of your most active base. The ones that raise your money and drive the elderly to the polls. The ones that write letters to the editor when no one else is paying attention. You don't listen to us because you think we are a safe vote. Who else are we going to vote for? Not you. Progressives who have courage to challenge your weak 'leaders', maybe. But, not for you. NO MORE. And, it is not US abandoning YOU. You ABANDONED us when you ceased to fight. You have ONE more chance. Filibuster. Or, goodbye!

Not one penny to the party, not one hour of volunteer work and not one vote without a Democratic filibuster - it's that simple. Why should I work (as I have) and donate (as I have) and vote (as I have for 36 years) for Democrats if they refust to stand up to Alito and Bush.

You are trading my rights for a "campaign issue" in the Fall - and I'm not willing to pay with my freedom simply to get a bunch of republican lites re-elected.

If not now, when?

Let it be crystal clear: In enabling the confirmation of Alito, our Democratic senators are choosing and ushering Bush and the Republican party into a solidified and corrupted governance OVER and ABOVE the Democratic party as a whole and it's supporters, funders, and voters. This is a blatant denial of the will of the people AND the party. They are placing themselves and their political self-centered fears AND desires above their responsibilities to represent us and act on our REAL concerns for us. Ultimately, they have placed the (Republican and Democrat combined) Corporatist party above us and America too. How can they think a NO vote on Alito is good enough for anyone? This is the cowardly act of traitors who sell out their own party and constituents to be a lowly part of the governing Washington elite. Senator Landrieu - how does it taste to kiss George Bush's butt? obviously, it tastes REAL good since you've done it so many times at your constituents' and the Democratic party's expense. But you are not alone!! Who can feel good and support this party in good conscience ever again when witnesing this gross ineptitude and betrayal especially over the Alito nomination? Friends, they're blowing it for us and blowing it BIG in this process! We realize exactly what's at stake with Alito - it's called AMERICA. You know, the great nation that's born of a Declaration of Independence culminating in a sacred Constitution and Bill of Rights? My heart and soul ache at the prospect of watching our lives and our childrens' lives, rights, and freedoms slowly being dismantled and denied by Bush and the radical right court who will now crown Bush as THE SOLE American King in powers and law. ALL because the Democratic enablers are choosing BushCo over us and concurrently placing America and our Constitution in the national shredder provided, of course, by BushCo. Aren't you tired of asking yourselves WHY ARE THE DEMOCRATS DOING THESE CRAZY THINGS TO US AND THE PARTY? After five agonizing years of BushCo disasters, I have learned BushCo has gotten what they've gotten because of the all too accommodating and self serving sell-out Dems. Losing important elections and legislations we put our hearts and souls into winning, turning their backs on constituents again and again once they gain office, disregarding their sworn oaths to uphold the US Constitution because their special interests take precedence, and caving to the fear and intimidation tactics of BushCo so easily mark today's Democratic party. For the Dems to further and enable BushCo's agenda is to support and substantiate an America and a world built on pure fabrication, exaggeration, and outright lies. "What ever do we tell the children?" They're rendering this party obsolete and they just do not give a damn. Sure, there are a few really good hearted and honest Dems (Love you Chairman Dean!) but they are consistently being undermined by the others who sell out a much needed unified opposition party. The parties truly are melding into one Corpocracy and we now have the proof in this most important and distinctive chance to distiniguish the real differences we wanted to believe existed but in fact DO NOT ANY LONGER. Democratic party: NOW WE KNOW WE MEAN ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. The only time they ever want us to believe we matter is when they run a campaign, need our support for their pet projects, or want our vote to win. Then, we are NOTHING. Alito is Proving that to a tee. We work our asses off to defeat this tragedy and they do what they want - us be damned. Soon, that AND our ability to cast our vote in confidence won't matter either - OOPS I ALMOST FORGOT that "privilege" IS already corrupted too...

We have reached a very pivotal and dangerous crossroads in our nation's history from which we may never recover. The Senate MUST FILIBUSTER this wolf in sheep's clothing who is out to destroy the many civil liberties this country has fought so hard to achieve and in fact keep corruption unchallenged. I am sickened but not surprised by the criminal lack of thoroughness and interest by the government-controlled media in investigating this judge who there is NO doubt in my mind is another conniving crony of this administration willing to lie about his recollections of his past just to cover his true intentions. He doesn't remember what he wrote in his resume? Just give me a break! Are there any truthful Republicans left with the morals needed to say "NO" to all this flagrant corruption and deception? The fact that Alito is so obviously a rubber stamp for this administration speaks records about his character. Do we want a judge in the Supreme Court -- the highest court in the land - who doesn't uphold the solemn system of checks and balances as important and who is in fact part of the President's workings in breaking the laws which protect us? It's just about staying in power and keeping privelage and wealth for the most corrupt.

PLEASE someone tell me besides e-mailing our two state senators What can WE all do as citizens to apply added pressure to the Senate to FILIBUSTER?!! It is our only hope left to save our sacred system of checks and balances and in fact our democracy.

We have reached a very pivotal and dangerous crossroads in our nation's history from which we may never recover. The Senate MUST FILIBUSTER this wolf in sheep's clothing who is out to destroy the many civil liberties this country has fought so hard to achieve and who in fact will keep corruption unchallenged.
I am sickened but not surprised by the criminal lack of thoroughness and interest by the government-controlled media in investigating this judge who there is NO doubt in my mind is another conniving crony of this administration willing to lie about his recollections of his past just to cover his true intentions. He doesn't remember what he wrote in his resume? Just give me a break! Are there any truthful Republicans left with the morals needed to say "NO" to all this flagrant corruption and deception? The fact that Alito is so obviously a rubber stamp for this administration speaks records about his character. Do we want a judge in the Supreme Court -- the highest court in the land - who doesn't uphold the solemn system of checks and balances as important and who is in fact part of the President's workings in breaking the laws which protect us? It's just about staying in power and keeping privelage and wealth for the most corrupt.

PLEASE someone tell me besides e-mailing our two state senators What can WE all do as citizens to apply added pressure to the Senate to FILIBUSTER?!! It is our only hope left to save our sacred system of checks and balances and in fact our democracy.

Most Americans, and apparently the Democrats in Washington, cant imagine really bad things happening in this country (of course the poor in New Orleans are an exception; actually the poor in general now that I think of it). And yet there are tons of examples in history when peoples who thought they were doing something noble (and their opposition thought it was politics as usual) were terribly misled. Kant warned that republics might not always be moral. Americans should be very concerned about the Alito nomination. And yet the Democratic Senators appear to have no clue. I can appreciate that the Democratic party is not in power; but in this political climate - when the Republicans are at their weakest since Jeffords defected 5 years ago - to not challenge the administration and the Republican leadership on such an important issue appears to me to be either cowardice or incompetence.

Here's an editorial (finally) from the NYTimes:

Editorial
Senators in Need of a Spine

Published: January 26, 2006

Judge Samuel Alito Jr., whose entire history suggests that he holds extreme views about the expansive powers of the presidency and the limited role of Congress, will almost certainly be a Supreme Court justice soon. His elevation will come courtesy of a president whose grandiose vision of his own powers threatens to undermine the nation's basic philosophy of government — and a Senate that seems eager to cooperate by rolling over and playing dead.

It is hard to imagine a moment when it would be more appropriate for senators to fight for a principle. Even a losing battle would draw the public's attention to the import of this nomination.

At the Judiciary Committee hearings, the judge followed the well-worn path to confirmation, which has the nominee offer up only the most boring statements and unarguable truisms: the president is not above the law; diversity in college student bodies is a good thing. But in what he has said in the past, and what he refused to say in the hearings, Judge Alito raised warning flags that, in the current political context, cannot simply be shrugged away with a promise to fight again another day.

The Alito nomination has been discussed largely in the context of his opposition to abortion rights, and if the hearings provided any serious insight at all into the nominee's intentions, it was that he has never changed his early convictions on that point. The judge — who long maintained that Roe v. Wade should be overturned — ignored all the efforts by the Judiciary Committee's chairman, Arlen Specter, to get him to provide some cover for pro-choice senators who wanted to support the nomination. As it stands, it is indefensible for Mr. Specter or any other senator who has promised constituents to protect a woman's right to an abortion to turn around and hand Judge Alito a potent vote to undermine or even end it.

But portraying the Alito nomination as just another volley in the culture wars vastly underestimates its significance. The judge's record strongly suggests that he is an eager lieutenant in the ranks of the conservative theorists who ignore our system of checks and balances, elevating the presidency over everything else. He has expressed little enthusiasm for restrictions on presidential power and has espoused the peculiar argument that a president's intent in signing a bill is just as important as the intent of Congress in writing it. This would be worrisome at any time, but it takes on far more significance now, when the Bush administration seems determined to use the cover of the "war on terror" and presidential privilege to ignore every restraint, from the Constitution to Congressional demands for information.

There was nothing that Judge Alito said in his hearings that gave any comfort to those of us who wonder whether the new Roberts court will follow precedent and continue to affirm, for instance, that a man the president labels an "unlawful enemy combatant" has the basic right to challenge the government's ability to hold him in detention forever without explanation. His much-quoted statement that the president is not above the law is meaningless unless he also believes that the law requires the chief executive to defer to Congress and the courts.

Judge Alito's refusal to even pretend to sound like a moderate was telling because it would have cost him so little. Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., who was far more skillful at appearing mainstream at the hearings, has already given indications that whatever he said about the limits of executive power when he was questioned by the Senate has little practical impact on how he will rule now that he has a lifetime appointment.

Senate Democrats, who presented a united front against the nomination of Judge Alito in the Judiciary Committee, seem unwilling to risk the public criticism that might come with a filibuster — particularly since there is very little chance it would work. Judge Alito's supporters would almost certainly be able to muster the 60 senators necessary to put the nomination to a final vote.

A filibuster is a radical tool. It's easy to see why Democrats are frightened of it. But from our perspective, there are some things far more frightening. One of them is Samuel Alito on the Supreme Court.

You must press for a filibuster. Opposition to this appointment is more than a political statement. To fight it tooth and nail is a moral imperative.

The Bush administration is not merely the most corrupt in modern history, it is also a clear and present danger to the Republic. Have you ever before heard "liberals" and "moderates" call for armed opposition to the government? Well, I am hearing it now. If the United States slides into dictatorship, Democratic Party politicians will be as much to blame as Republicans unless they strive with every fiber of their beings to prevent it.

Mere posturing for the coming election is not enough. Given the Republican track record in the 2000, 2002 and 2004 elections, they will certainly try to steal the 2006 ones. This is a government that knows no bounds--when they say a permanent Republican majority, they mean one-party rule.

I know this is off the main topic of this thread, but others have raised the issue.

"Stolen" elections? Give me one example of something the Republicans did that was as egregious as what the five Kerry-Edwards campaign staffers, including the sons of U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee) and former Acting Mayor Marvin Pratt, did in Milwaukee. Slashing tires on 25 vans (that were along the perimeter, so that another 75+ vans inside could not be moved either) to suppress Republican voter turnout. Nothing in the entire 2004 election tops that. Ohio was not stolen, Wisconsin was.

FILIBUSTER!

If not Alito - then Who?
If not now - When?

If the leadership of this party can't see that NOW is the time to take a principled stand then they do not deserve to be re-elected in 2006. What is the point of an opposition party if all they do is roll over?

I'd like to add my voice to those above calling for you to urge all Democratic Senators to filibuster Alito's confirmation vote. It is time to take a stand on principle. There are a number of compelling reasons why Alito should not be confirmed. The list is long enough and serious enough to cause me to believe that the risks we face with a court that includes Alito are grave. Given Bush's actions regarding domestic spying I am most concerned personally about Alito's perspectives on executive power. It's time for a filibuster, even if it isn't enough to stop confirmation. It's time for the Democrats representing us to stand for our principles proudly and act accordingly.

I don't know under what pressures Kerry "let" Bush steal the election. Being from FL, I am both angry at him for not challenging--and aware of how low the Bushes can sink in their tactics. People from Texas (and maybe Ohio) can attest to that.

Until I know what pressure was put on him, I won't condemn him for not challenging; I do, however, blame him for not seeing sooner that they would do anything to keep their power. He should have known his enemy better, and been better at anticipating their moves, especially the dirty ones.

We should all call the DSCC.
No filibuster, no donations.
Pass it on.

202-224-2447.

How about this:

Whereas George Bush believes he has the right to designate any American a threat to national security on his word alone,

Whereas the President also believes he has the right to imprison ordinary Americans indefinitely without bringing charges against them or giving them access to a lawyer,

Whereas the President also believes he has the right to spy on the phone conversations and email of ordinary Americans,

Whereas the President believes the other branches of government have no right to hold him accountable for these actions or to provide oversight for them,

Whereas expanding the power of the Presidency to such levels is against the intent of the founders of this country, expressed in our system of checks and balances,

Whereas Samuel Alito supports this unconstitutional expansion of Presidential power,

We demand that all Senators do their duty by the Constitution and the people of this country and filibuster Samuel Alito, and pledge that we will no longer donate to the campaigns of those who do not defend our Republic with all their strength.

Filibuster! Hell yes! The Republicans already accuse the Democrats of obstructing their plans for anything and everything. From them, that's a compliment. The Democrats need to live up to it. Even if Alito gets confirmed anyway, it will still stand the party in good stead for the upcoming elections because people will finally get to see the Democrats standing up for something. Nobocdy votes for wimps.

Dear Governor Dean,

I am extremely frustrated the Democrats have not declared an intention to filibuster the Alito nomination. I have called my elected officials and Senators Leahy's and Reid's office to urge them to initiate a filibuster.
What does it take for Democrats to develop a real spine and stand-up to the Republicans to protect the rights of the people?
All of the Democratic senators in the Judiciary Committee voted against Alito and offered compelling statements for the reasons they came to that decision. Senator Durbin of Illinois was particularly on target when he asked "How did we ever get to the Alito nomination?" Have we all forgotten what Republicans did to Bush's 2nd choice for Justice O'Connors seat, Harriet Meyers? Is this hypocrisy or what? You yourself Gov. Dean expressed Judge Alito is not fit to serve on the Supreme Court. Why then stand against a filibuster? What are we afraid of?
We should only fear apathy and inaction. Just as you rallied supporters -myself among them-in 2002, I urge you again to be the voice which will rally support for the Alito filibuster.
It is not too late. We should do everything in our power, i.e. filibuster, to derail this nomination. When Senator Frist called Alito the democrats nightmare he was not kidding. He dared us and we should respond in kind.
The United States of America cannot afford to have a Judge Scalito (Sen. Cronyn called him Scalito twice) sitting on the Supreme Court of the United States. Our civil liberties and the U. S. Constitution are in peril.
We need to act now. Decisively. Take our country back and not give it away.

Filibuster! If not now, when? What could be more important?? Where are the guts of this party? Why isn't there a backbone? If WE don't stand up now, there may not be a "next time."

I tried so hard to support Casey. I consider Teresa Kerry one of my leaders, and I was willing to follow her lead up to a point.

This is that point. Support for a "unitary executive" can never be acceptable.

I am heartsick at being on the opposite side of the fence from a woman I respect so deeply. Casey has now well and truly crossed the line, and no Pennsylvania Democrat should support him.

Damn it, Teresa, put a leash on this SOB!
You may be to the right of me, but I know damn well you don't support any "unitary executive." Either explain to Mr. Casey what it means to be an American (you know, checks and balances, no absolute power)or pull your money from his campaign!

Support Alito? Way to identify yourself with the mainstream of the party, Bob "I'm such a workingman" Casey." You and Ben Nelson are the wave of the future.

Even Biden came out in complete opposition to this constitutionally challenged piece of crap. Now I'm unable to contribute to Casey's campaign--which also means being unable to contribute further to the DSCC. *Damn* it!

Every procedural device should be used to defeat the confirmation of Judge Alito. Nothing would energize the Democratic base more than an all-out effort to filibuster and oppose Bush's nominee. Even if you lose on cloture, you will win the larger issue of standing up against one-party rule that can carry you into the November elections. It's your best argument against continuing Republican control of Congress, and its the best way to show the country you stand for principle and are willing to do everything possible to prevent the Administration from weakening the last check on unbridled executive power.
If you don't make this effort, you will demoralize your party. If we're going to lose no matter what on Alito, then a filibuster is the way to turn a loss now into a win later. And we just might win on Alito. Appeal to the patriotism of your Republican colleagues, who also fear what Bush is doing the our Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Will someone please stand up and do the right thing?

Many of us worked very hard to register Deomcrats and get out the vote in the last election. I personally worked very hard in Pennsylvania to win the state for Kerry. However, we still suffered a depressing loss. If the Democrat party wants us to keep working, and voting, then they have to exhibit inspirational leaderhip. If they can't filibuster, now, against Alito, they will lose our loyalty.
If the Deomcrats don't filibuster, what's the pont of having a filibuster opition? Let the Republicans go "nuclear". If the Democrats back off now, the filibuster has essentially already been killed.
We were told on previous issues that the filibuster wasn't used so as to save it for the "big one," the Supreme Court nominations. Well, what is there to wait for now? Words are easy. I want all the Democrats who are waxing eloquently on the problems with Alito, to take action and lead this filibuster. How can they speak one way, but not follow that speech up with action?

Only Dean: wanted and needed. We know where you stand, and we can count on you showing up and speaking out.
Damn!

Harry Reid has been quoted as saying that there are 8 Democratic
senators still not supporting a filibuster, but has abdicated his leadership
role and any responsibility for pressuring them to come on board. It is
a "conscience vote" he says.

There should be another Democratic choice to vote for, instead of an incumbent Dem Senator who votes 'yes' to Alito. I informed my Dem Senators that I would not vote for them again if they vote yes to confirm Alito.

As of this date and time, 2 Dems have voted to confirm that our system of checks and balances is on its way out, and the Principle of the Unitary Executive is on its way in.

FILIBUSTER! It might not work, but there is no harm in trying. It will increase my respect for the Democratic Party -- the party with guts to do the right thing.

Now, more than ever, is the time for Democrats to take a stand. With the President and his agenda free-falling in the polls, we can end the nagging public perception that the Democrats do not stand for anything. To accomplish this, we will need to do more than simply express opposition to Judge Alito. We must take the necessary action to stop it. Yes, my friends, I mean the F-word. (No, Mr. Vice President, not that F-word!)

I was fortunate to hear many of the speeches given by Democratic Senators yesterday, and was moved by how they have passionately and rationally explained why they so oppose this nomination. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the public will only hear carefully selected sound bites of these grand orations, sound bites that, depending on who is doing the selecting, will either make us look principled in our opposition or make us look like obstructionists. Can anyone venture a guess as to how the vast majority of Americans will view us? Anyone? More importantly, how many of our fellow Americans will even get to witness any of this grand opposition to Judge Alito if we capitulate to the iron-fisted Republican leadership once again and allow this nomination to come to a vote? All of our words, all of our speeches and all of our principled opposition will not amount to a pile of mouse droppings. (Which, in case you are wondering, is worth even less that the proverbial hill of beans?)

In this context, one question begs to be answered: What are we Democrats so afraid of? Are we afraid we might lose the next election? Are we afraid to call the Republicans on their bluff to invoke the nuclear option? Are we afraid nobody will like us? Are we afraid of all of the above? Really, does any of that matter, especially if we truly believe that Alito is the wrong person for the job? Isn’t it enough for us to stand on principle and let the chips fall where they may? Do we so completely mistrust the American people to decide for themselves in the next election whether we did the right thing by filibustering the Alito nomination? Have we gained ANYTHING by playing it safe, by hedging our bets and by trying to look “centrist”??? Duh!

As a child, I had the misfortune of being the constant target of the neighborhood bully. My father told me, “Punch him in the nose! He’ll leave you alone after that.” So I took his advice. Do you know what happened? The bully beat the living crap out of me! (Yeah, it hurt.) But do you know what happened next? I came to the realization that it felt much better to have fought back and lost than to do nothing at all. Eventually we moved away, and I left my bully problem behind. We do not have that luxury with Alito and the Republicans! Unless you are willing to leave your country behind, we are here for better of for worse. Wouldn’t you rather fight back than do nothing at all?

Iraq Resolution
Patriot Act
No Filibuster on Alito

Spineless, Spineless, Spineless

Who would have thunk it:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/26/alito/index.html

Sen. Kerry calls for filibuster of Alito

There is a God!

Thank you John Kerry, for standing united with your constituents once again! Please, let the voices of millions and millions of Americans be fairly represented by the Democratic Party and rally together to oppose the confirmation of Judge Alienito!

I am still tripping out over Sen. Byrd's endorsement of Alito. That out of place vote makes me think in conspiracy theories, it is that unreal. Out of all the Senators who I thought may give their support to Alito, never in a million years would I have guessed it would come from Sen. Byrd. Strange days in deed.

They have not reached 60 votes as of yet and now that Kerry has voiced his support of a filibuster, maybe tomorrow will be the day of reckoning for these zealot Republicans.

I just pledged a donation to the DNC yesterday, as I was certain they would come through for us hard working TAX paying Democrats. Please, save our country from these maniacs, these neo-conservative fundamentalists. They know exactly what they are doing and I assure you, they plan on taking full advantage of their newly acquired judicial powers. You think it is bad now, just wait. Their power trip is not over. It is just starting. We should be very worried about the impact this will have for decades to come.

I could threaten to leave my party if the filibuster does not happen, but I wouldn’t because I passionately believe in our message and our movement that much. YES, we do have both of these, no matter what the propaganda machine says about us. You just got to be open minded enough to understand it and compassionate enough to see it through.

OUR party shares OUR country with all people, equally. That is why we must:

FILIBUSTER THIS NEO-CON JUDGE NOW!

You have to realize, this is not a done deal. Kerry needs support of all Democrats to get the filibuster going.

We have 3 Dems (tim Johnson, Robert Byrd, and Ben Nelson) who said they will vote YES on Alito.

they must be called!!!

We have Feinstein, Salazar and Landrieu all saying they will not support a filibuster. They, too must be called !

And your Senators must be encouraged to join with Kerry!

I don't want to sound like a defeatist, but it's all about the fight. About standing for what is right.

We might get some moderate Republicans.

> Posted by Bronwyn on January 26, 2006 at 10:07 AM

Brownwyn, you say you are from FL. If Bush "stole" Florida in 2000, then why did FL re-elect Jeb Bush in 2002 and re-elect President Bush in 2004? If your logic was right, shouldn't Kerry have won FL by a large margin in 2004, due to all of the hundreds of thousands of people whose votes "weren't counted" in 2000 but made sure to make their voice heard in 2004?

Your argument simply isn't credible.

Clinton advisor's thoughts on Alito

Re: SeekTruth

Dick Morris! HA! He's still pissed off about getting caught divulging national security secrets to a prostitute. In addition, he cites a Fox News (Yes! FOX NEWS!!) poll showing Americans support warrantless wiretaps. Mr. Morris is the LAST person Democrats should be taking advise from. Ugh!

Fight the Alito nomination! He represents the Dominionist/Opus Dei crowd: Santorum, Brownback, Scalia, etc.

Good for John Kerry! I take back all the negative things I've ever said about him.

The DNC should refuse to support any Senator who votes for Alito. No Democrat has any business helping Bush strengthen his iron grip on this country. How can any "Democrat" ignore the AFL-CIO, the Sierra Club and at least three other environmentalist groups, every single progressive civil liberties organization, the DNC Chair, and our last presidential nominee at the same time? We have to have some common ground in order to have any coherence as a party.

All Democratic Senators must oppose Samuel Alito.

Its over...let's move on. The Judge answered as all recent nominees have done. His 15 years on the bench and the ABA recommendation make all the rest of the whining an embarassing waste of time. Stick with the unapproved wiretapping.

Its over...let's move on. The Judge answered as all recent nominees have done. His 15 years on the bench and the ABA recommendation make all the rest of the whining an embarassing waste of time. Stick with the unapproved wiretapping.

Re: 2tomas - "Its over..."

Sorry Charlie. Last I looked they haven't voted for cloture. It ain't over 'til the vote to end debate is at least 60 - 40. Until that time nobody who believes that Alito is wrong for the court should give up.

SeekTruth--

1) Why would Jeb Bush count the votes in any way that would make him lose the governor's race?
2)Why do you think Jeb Bush ever stopped the election-fixing which put his brother in the white house?
3)Why do you think the people of Florida have had their votes counted in the past five years?
4)I watched the votes of a precinct get stolen and I could do nothing. It's not a conspiracy "theory" when it happens in front of you.

Kerry is filibustering Alito!
Call Senators Immediately!
Call the Senators listed below, as well as your own, and tell them:

* a "No" vote is meaningless without a filibuster

* it is cowardly to only fight a fight when assured victory

* the American people need to see the Senate standing up for separation of powers and against the "Unitary Executive"

Use these toll free numbers to call the Capitol: 888-355-3588 or 888-818-6641. If you can't get through, look up the Senator's District Office number in your phone book or here: http://capwiz.com/pdamerica/dbq/officials/?lvl=C

First: Call the three Democrats (Mary Landrieu, Ken Salazar, and Dianne Feinstein) who oppose Alito but also said they oppose a filibuster. We must persuade them that a vote against Alito is meaningless if they don't support a filibuster. Senator Salazar (D-CO) 202-224-5852 Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) 202-224-5824 Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) 202-224-3841

Second: Call your own Democratic Senator: 888-355-3588 or 888-818-6641. If you can't get through, look up the Senator's District Office number in your phone book or here: http://capwiz.com/pdamerica/dbq/officials/?lvl=C

Third: Unbelievably, three Democrats (Ben Nelson, Tim Johnson and Robert Byrd) support Alito! Tell them to either support filibuster or at least "don't get in the way." Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) 202-224-6551 Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) 202-224-3954 Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) 202-224-5842
888-355-3588 or 888-818-6641. If you can't get through, look up the Senator's District Office number in your phone book or here: http://capwiz.com/pdamerica/dbq/officials/?lvl=C

Fourth: Call the "Red State" Democrats: (Message same as above -- "No" is meaningless) Tom Carper (DE)
Kent Conrad (ND)
Byron Dorgan (ND)
Blanche Lincoln (AR) Mark Pryor (AR)

Fifth: Call these "Blue State" and pro-choice Republicans: (Message: A "Unitary Executive" is dangerous to balance of powers--please do not get in the way of a filibuster.) Lincoln Chafee (RI)
Susan Collins (ME)
Lisa Murkowsky (AK)
Bob Smith (OR)
Olympia Snowe (ME)
Ted Stevens (AK)

For extra credit, call all of the 2008 Presidential candidates who are sitting Senators--Evan Bayh, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Russ Feingold, and John Kerry--and tell them to either LEAD THE FILIBUSTER or KISS YOUR SUPPORT GOODBYE. 888-355-3588 or 888-818-6641. If you can't get through, look up the Senator's District Office number in your phone book or here: http://capwiz.com/pdamerica/dbq/officials/?lvl=C

You can also send that message to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (202-224-2447) and the Democratic National Committee (202-863-8000).

I agree that all Democratic senators should not get in the way of a filibuster by the rest of the dems who have some common sense.

Byrd = yes to Alito... It's no surprise given that he's one of the last of the Dixiecrats and a friend of Ted Stevens(AK).

Question: Why are the Republicans, even the more moderate ones, so unified with the rest of their party that they have lost their abilty to cast an independent vote?

Surely, there must be ONE Repb that can say no to Alito. Some Dems have voted -yes- independent of party, and hopefully have voiced the vote of their [well-informed?] constituents.

Filibuster.

Someone is standing up for Progressive Democrats.

The filibuster is saying, for Progressive Democrats at least, we are sick of this Administration and we are not going to take it without a fight anymore.

There is nothing more important for Progressives than this filibuster.

Yes I agree with what almost everyone says. I've called many Dem Senators, BEGGING THEM to please filibuster Alito. I just called my Senators
from Michigan. Stabanow said she would assist a filibuster....buuuuut when I called Levin, his phone answerer said he was stillllll thinking about it! What in the hell is there to think about ????
If you're a Democratic Senator and you won't assist in a filibuster, then it's time you give up your job! This is the most important decision they can make, for the most serious reasons.
I feel everyone should be calling our Senators and telling them if they won't support a filibuster that we won't be voting for them again!
It's been like pulling teeth to get these Democrats to take a stand against anything that theses republicans are doing! You never see them on TV! AND WHERE IN THE HELL ARE ALL THE DEMOCRATIC PUNDITS? IF THIS WERE A PROBLEM FOR REPUBLICANS, THEY WOULD HAVE THEIR PUNDITS ON EVERY SHOW ON TV!!
I say we should start supporting any Democrat that is running against the incumbants.. Hell, we couldn't do any worse than what we have now!
I'M SO DISGUSTED, THIS PROBLEM IS LITERALLY MAKING ME SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If the Democratic Party cannot get it's own senators to filibuster the Alito vote (which then would seal Emperor Bush II's reign long after he is dust), then the Party is not worth supporting.
Gov. Dean You are great but...we need a third party if this is what the dems are all about. It ios not my idea that the USA has become an Empire but Charlie Rose on WXXI had on a guest who outlined the difference between the USA prior to Eisenhower and after. Even Eisenhower, a republican (a clip was shown) warned of the undue influence of the Military-Industrial complex and how that was the hallmark of empire not of a democracy.
IF THE DEMS DON'T STAND UP FOR WORKER'S RIGHTS(ALITO CRUNCHES THEM), SAFETY REGULATIONS, HEALTH REGULATIONS, AND GENERAL ANTI-CORPORATE CORRUPTION, NOT TO MENTION 'CHOICE', THEN WE DON'T NEED THE PARTY.
WE NEED ANOTHER PARTY.
I've always voted non-third party because a vote for the greens was a vote for the Bush( and I don't mean vegetation). However, if this abomination is allowed to get in without a fight then I will not support the Dems anymore and believe me there a lots out there like me.

It’s not just the terrorist that hate our freedom.

Dam I feel like I’m screaming into a pillow. Does Dean or Kerry read these blogs?
If we don’t make a stand now, there will be nothing to stand on later. How much longer till this administration starts locking up American dissidents?

No One Is Left With the Courage to Speak Out For Me
Roxie Lynn Howard’s update of Pastor Martin Niemöller’s famous words

The conservative right restricted civil rights for the suspected terrorists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a suspected terrorist.

Then the conservative right restricted the freedom for the gays and lesbians
and I did not speak out
because I was not a gay or a lesbian.

Then the conservative right came forward to restrict abortion
and I did not speak out
because I never had an abortion, and never expected to have one.

Then the conservative right censored the internet
and I did not speak out
because I did not use the websites they censored.

Then the conservative right restricted the enforcement of Living Wills
and I did not speak out
because I didn’t think it would make much difference..

Then the conservative right officially declared this to be Christian nation
and I did not speak out
because I was not a non-Christian.

The conservative right pushed far right judges upon the Supreme Court
and I did not speak out
because I still foolishly believed a separation of church and state existed.

Thereafter, the Conservative right began imposing a Biblical rule of law
and I did not speak out
because it would be considered anti-Christian.

Today Homeland Security came for me
and no one is left with the courage
to speak out for me.

"The Young Turks" are doing a true filibuster of the Supreme Court
Nomination of Samuel Alito Jr. The show will remain LIVE, on the air,
until a filibuster is announced by the Senate. We invite all to take
part in this -- we will accept calls through the night, bring in
guest-hosts when necessary. We are dedicated to getting the attention
of the Senate, and we need your help. We will not stop talking until
our voices are heard.

Please let people know this is going on. The show will stream video
live through their website, www.theyoungturks.com . Please let your supporting readers know this is going
on. They can call in, they can take part, they can make a difference.
We need to stop the nomination of Alito, and we are using our
technology to do this. We ask people to sit outside their Senators
doors in protest. We ask people to make calls until they are answered.
We want people to be heard, until they truly are heard. "The Young
Turks" will remain on air, on video, until a filibuster is announced,
or until Alito is nominated.

I think Alito's appointment might create more than civil rights. Government might use the supremecourt as a get way place to their crimes they created for humanity. Because of that democratic party leaders need to address to people explain how degerous he is.

It will be a disgrace if Judge Alito becomes the supreme court justice. Almost every aspect of civil rights might be at stake. The democratic party should not allow to happen.

Feinstein: I'll back the filibuster after all

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/

More than a disgrace, Alito is a danger. More than just anti-abortion, he is anti-Bill-of-Rights. More than just conservative, he supports the supremacy of the executive branch over the congress, the courts, and the Constitution. He will not support the constitution of the United States, but work against it.
Fillibuster, Fillibuster, Fillibuster. Put up a fight, stand up for the American people. If you go down, go down swinging/

Hopefully these comments will move some votes among the Dems. This is our chance to show the country that we are not going to let the neo-cons steamroll this nation into a mindless mass. If we can not pull together enough votes to stop the nomination, we don't deserve to win in November.

If we can not pull together enough votes to stop the nomination, we don't deserve to win in November.

Posted by progressivedem on January 28, 2006 at 01:15 AM

Amen!

You can't, and you won't.

And forget about ever seeing another Ginsburg on the Supreme Court.

Even if a Democratic presidential candidate were to get more than 50% of the popular vote (which hasn't happened in 30 years), there would have to be 60 Democrat senators in order to get a Ginsburg-type nominee confirmed.

Call it the Alito precedent.

For the Record, the first election in which I was old enough to vote was 1988. I voted for Dukakis. The first time that I voted Republican was 1996. This is what a "values voter" looks like.

Wouldn't the Nuclear Option only bring the GOP powergrab further into the light? If that were to happen, we would still have Alito, but perhaps more citizens would wake up. If the Dems don't take a stand, we quietly let the checks and balances slip away. I am beginning to fear that this is what the Democratic Party wants. It's like watching professional wrestling.

As an Independent, and an American citizen, I am confused by the Democratic Party position on racial equality issues. My understanding, and my own personal position, is that the Democratic Party is supportive of a color blind society where ALL citizens are "equal". Why then does the Democratic Party hammer Justice Alito for being color blind when looking at jury selections? To me this is a two-faced position and it makes me wonder what the real motivations are behind such radical differences of opinion on the same issue. Do we need to pass laws in this country that require an all black jury to sit in judgement of all black defendants? Do we take that into mixed race situations as well? For example, my heritage is German-Italian-Middle Eastern. If I were to be a defendant, should I have the right to be judged by only people of mixed German-Italian-Middle Eastern heritage? If so, and such a law were to be passed I would want to ensure the racial background by the DNA testing of every jury member. This is ridiculous and the average common sense American knows it. In my opinion, the Democratic Party uses the race card as it feels fit in order to maintain a voting block in certain racial blocks of American citizenship. It is a transparent strategy to most of us who are Americans first and TRULY believe in EQUALITY of all races.

Yes, you are 100% correct. Our party is commited to protect the citizens rights and liberties. We have the moral responsibility to protect our people from ruining the fundamentals of our constitution.This republican president is trying to escape from his fall in the mud.He is the worst president who is misleading his party and the people og America. Our party should take steps to educate the people what is going in our country. All existing medias are supporting the rich conservatives. So One of my suggestion is to start A Democrat Party Channel{TV} and a news paper.
Through the media publish all the foolishness that the president and the Vice president doing in behalf of our government. The Iraq War is going to be big a failure. Bush never can win that war. He is losing {his} Americas money,power and people and the credibility. He is misguiding the people with the word " Terrorism". In name of that word how many innocent people were slaughtered in this world. If he go like this we can except another world war. So we Democratic Party and its leaders all come together shout for impeach the president.
I have more comments later.
more best suggetions.

"Wouldn't the Nuclear Option only bring the GOP powergrab further into the light?"

Yes it would. It would highlight the megalomania of the Bush administration. They'd show their true colors.

Filibuster Alito!

I knew that Alito is anti-choice, but I had no idea the extent of his currupt mind was revealed further in cases of misconduct with a "conflict of interest," permitting discrimination against women and, worst of all as a judge, denying a "jury of peers." Why did I not know these facts until today? Tell everyone you know. This record is intolerable for any judge!

Please, please, if the Democratic party is to be relevant and purposeful it must stand for something. If it stands for Alito's values and track record, than let's be honest and call ourselves Republican Lite. If we are truly DEMOCRATS it is pretty clear: FILIBUSTER.

Clinton and Schumer can count on this New Yorker foregoing contributions or campaign support if they do not filibuster.

I don't care if the Dems win or lose on the filibuster. I just want them to stick together and fight. If you guys can't do that, I can't donate nor do I have the time to vote.

Majority vote will confirm Judge Alito. No way will his confirmation be stopped by a majority vote. That is a given. So, what is left is filibuster. We are standing on the brink of disaster as a free nation. Pull out all the stops, do everything humanly possible to stop Judge Alito's confirmation to the Supreme Court. I feel so helpless, frustrated, outraged. This horror is about to happen and we're just posting like it's a little bad weather. We are about to awaken into a nightmare. A call for a majority vote to defeat this candiate is too damned weak. WAKE UP! Please wake up.

I support Governor Dean's statement, but was astounded when the Democratic response to Bush's Saturday statement was a statement about Medicare!

The issue is the Constitution. Congressional Democrats need to defend the Constitution by sending Alito and his Unitary Executive theory packing.

The 2006 election fight begins now.

I feel that we have lost the fight with Judge Alito because we have traitors in the democrat party. I feel that senator Robert Byrd, senator Kent Conrad, senator Tim Johnson and Ben Nelson. They decide sell out the values and the ideas of the democrat party for 50 pieces of silver just like former senator Zell Miller. These democrat senators do not care about civil rights moment lead by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks, abuse presidential power with warrants, stripe search a 10-year-old girl, and the supreme court will moved the right for rich and the powerful. We need the Supreme Court to be fair and balance but senator Robert Byrd, senator Kent Conrad, senator Tim Johnson and Ben Nelson do not care about the like little people that suffered racism, injustice from corporations, voters rights of all people, civil rights, and the power of congress. These democrat senators should leave the democrat party as soon as possible. I believe we need a grassroots moment and kick these senators out of power. I feel that we are going to pay heavy a price for letting Judge Alito on the supreme and balance of the court will be destroy because a few democrats traitors from red states want to please a few people to get their votes for the 2006 election. I feel that these democrats need to lose their seats in the senate or join the Republican Party in 2007. I feel that Robert Byrd is worried about pleasing President Bush and Republican Party more than the people who want him to do this job in the senate to protect all people from the abuse of people by the Republican Party. It is sad day because of these rotten democrat senators want 50 pieces of silver in their pocket.

stop alito anyway possible!!!!! please please please!!

Obviously, like many Democrats, I don't like the Alito nomination. I do feel that the filibuster is the only option, but I am doubtful we can be successful.

That said, The Democratic Party has to stand up for it's principles and stop supporting these Senators that won't tow the Party Line. I did my part, I called every one of them from East Lansing, MI and urged them to join Senator Kerry in his attempt to block the nomineee. I politely reminded them that when the DNC asked me for money I would keep in mind of the way the way they voted. Let's (for once in a decade) have a message and backbone to stand up for something!

Senator Byrd (202) 224-3954
Senator Johnson (202) 224-5842
Senator Nelson (202) 224-6551
Senator Conrad (202) 224-2043

If you are in their district, PLEASE call their office and let them know how disgusted you are with the way they have handled this. Work to unseat them and elect a Democrat who will support the party! Enough is Enough!

Dr. Dean, are you urging democrats to fillibuster? If not, please get on the ball! We lowly voters are tired of our representatives sitting on the fence watching to see how the wind blows. Fight for what's right. Just because the media doesn't report us, that doesn't mean we aren't here. And we are organizing like never before to take back our party and our values. We are going to elect real democrats and, when they get to Washington, they will be stand up for our ideals and LEAD!

Time for the democrats to find their center of gravity. Refuse CONSENT. The Senate was never meant to be ruled by majority. The Senate exists to protect the rights of the minority.

That is a FACT.

Use all means available to you to stop Alito. An up or down vote is not FAIR to the minority.

Justice Samuel Alito will soon become a reality thanks to many mis-steps by the Democratic Leadership. There is plenty in the Alito record to show that he will in fact deliver for the right wing. However, the Democrats during the hearing spent more time making speeches than asking questions. Alito, was well prepared and made sure to give nice long uncommitted answers. The Democrats needed to be more aggressive.

THE FACT THAT WE CANT FIND 41 OF OUR OWN SENATORS TO MAINTAIN A FILLABUSTER IS EVIDENCE THAT THIS PARTY HAS LOST ITS SPINE. I am seriously considering leaving America. George W Bush and the Democratic Party have made me ashamed to even say I am an American.

Although Judge Alito played down his membership in the Federalist Society, Judge Alito is/was a member of the Federalist Society and the Federalists stand for the Federalist Party. Following, along with my comments, is historical information from The World Book Encyclopedia:

Federalist Party:

The Federalist Party was one of the first political organizations in the United States. The Federalists favored a strong central government.

After George Washington became President a political division soon appeared between those who favored a strong federal government and those who opposed it. The Federalist Party developed under the leadership of Alexander Hamilton, Washington's Secretary of the Treasury. Hamilton believed that the Constitution should be loosely interpreted to build up federal power. Hamilton had aristocratic/autocratic views and favored the interests of business groups. Hamilton wanted to place the new federal government on a sound financial basis, and sponsored a national bank. The Federalists controlled the national government until 1801, when Jefferson became President. Hamilton continued to oppose Jefferson until the Federalist Party broke up soon after the election of 1816.

During that time, Thomas Jefferson represented democracy through the Democratic-Republican Party and strongly opposed the Federalist Party.

The Federalist is a series of 85 letters written to newspapers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay. The Federalist letters urge ratification of the Constitution and chiefly sought to influence New York voters. All except eight of the essays appeared during 1787 and 1788 under the signature "Publius" in the Independent Journal, a semiweekly New York newspaper. Hamilton wrote nearly two thirds of the essays, Madison about a third, and Jay five. The collected letters are in book form as The Federalist.

The authors of The Federalist do not defend every point in the proposed Constitution. But they argued that it was the best document on which agreement could be reached. They asserted that the "check and balance system" of the Constitution would create a strong government and still protect the states' rights. It must be strongly noted that Thomas Jefferson strongly opposed the Federalist Party.

During this time there was acute awareness of the Elite Capitalist Class and the Common Class, the Working and Poor Class. The "checks and balances" were set up to protect the Elite Capitalist Class from the Common Class, the Working and Poor Class. It is ironic that through "lack of knowledge" the Common Class, the Working and Poor Class, have let their guard down and now these "checks and balances" are necessary to be used to protect the Common Class, the Working and Poor Class from the NOW Fascist EXTREME autocratic/aristocratic Elite Capitalist Class that is trying to destroy democracy completely.

jhuntermartin:

Governor Howard Dean is making a stand for democracy. Make your stand with Governor Howard Dean. Give Governor Dean a chance before you throw the Democratic Party away. Governor Dean is doing all possible to retrieve the Democratic Party from Republican elite autocratic Right-Wing DLC clutches and he needs all the help he can get.

omanwill:

Undemocratic Democrats, like Senators Byrd, Johnson and Nelson, need to be unseated at the first available moment. They talk democracy until the chips are down and then they take the autocratic/aristocratic side against democracy. Senator Byrd voted for Roberts as well. Now is not the time to be letting a judge on the Supreme Court for life who has an autocratic/aristocratic philosophy against democracy.

I must say, Senator Byrd definitely had me fooled. If Senator Byrd is for democracy, he is too old to be making democratic decisions.

FIGHT. FILIBUSTER.

I DON'T KNOW HOW THE DEMS THINK THEY ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO KEEP THEIR SUPPORTERS IF THEY DON'T GROW A FUCKING SPINE.

GROW A SPINE!!! FILIBUSTER!!

DO SOMETHING DARING.

If Judge Alito is on the supreme court then he could have a affect on many cases. For example Tom Delay used money and power to change the voting system in Texas to help elect more republicans from Texas. My rights were cut in Texas because of Tom Delay. I feel that some of the democrats do not care about the little people.

Senator Byrd (202) 224-3954
Senator Johnson (202) 224-5842
Senator Nelson (202) 224-6551
Senator Conrad (202) 224-2043
I feel that Senator Byrd, Senator Johnson, Senator Nelson, and Senator Conrad are all traitors if they voted to confirm Judge Alito. I do not want to lose my civil rights because some democrat senators want to win republican votes. Judge Alito could change the direction of the court to the extreme right wing of the Republican Party. Again I lived in Texas when Tom Delay used dirty money from corporations and Jack Abramoff to change my redistrict so I can vote for any democrats last year. And many democrats in Texas lost because of Tom Delay and this redistricting plan. This case is going to Supreme Court this year. If judge Alito is going to the Supreme Court and vote for the republicans to keep the redistricting plan of Tom Delay. My civil rights were cut in Texas and President Bush has justice department to throw out this case. I feel that Senator Byrd, Senator Johnson, Senator Nelson, and Senator Conrad are hurting many democrats in Texas if they vote “yes” to confirm Judge Alito. I have read this record and I am worried about the direction of the Supreme Court. I feel that we filibuster Judge Alito because many issues are at state. And if Senator Byrd, Senator Johnson, Senator Nelson, and Senator Conrad help to get Judge Alito confirm then we need to kick them out of the Democrat Party. These Senators need to be kick of the Democrat party now! Senator Byrd talks about the constitution, the role of the government, and senate rules. If Senator Byrd votes to confirm Judge Alito then he never talk about the constitution, civil rights, and talk about how much he cares about Rosa Park because he did not go to her funeral.

The republicans have not made any effort to work with democrats on any issues. It Republican way or the high way in Washington D.C. President Bush did not make any effort to take to democrats about the picking the next judge on the Supreme Court.

Sometimes you have to stand up for what is right and what is wrong in America just like Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did in the 1960s against the white people in south that killed, raped, burned black family homes, bomb Dr. King house, put glass in the shower so black people cannot used the shower, killed black men for dating white women, the evil hate bus of Neo-Nazi that chase black people, not get the right jobs because you are black, not the right educations you are black, and KKK trying to send black people back Africa because we do not belong in America. I believe that Judge Alito would change the Supreme Court back to the 1950s – 1960s. We need to stand up and fight now or we will pay unlimited price in the near future.

I think the filibuster is a pathetic idea.
An unattractive tactic and unwarranted by
circumstances. Bush won...so Alito gets
on. Let's win an election...that's how to
change the make-up of the federal judiciary.

RE: JforJames - "Bush won..."

Bush won? Ha! The Supreme Court installed him in 2000 and Kenneth Blackwell, with the help of Diebold, rigged the election in Ohio in 2004. How, in God's name, will we ever win an election under these circumstances??? The time to act is NOW! We can't afford to wait around until November. We can't sit here hoping for fair, honest elections as the ticket to the future. Furthermore, we can NEVER take the advice of Republican pundits, with regards to how a filibuster would be such a bad idea! Haven't we learned by now that the Rape-publicans always play to their weakness? If they are telling Democrats that a filibuster is a bad idea, it is because they are SCARED SHITLESS that it will work! Jesus!

Dear JforJames:

How can we win elections when the republicans cheat on election day.They make sure that democrats voters do not get a fair change vote. I did not get my fair change to vote in Texas because of Tom Delay. If you live in a red state then you understand the importants of fair elections. I suppor the troops and I live near Crawford too. But I feel that President is work to please the extreme right wing of the republican party. We need that filbuster to stop a bad choice on the supreme court.

The Constitution of the United States of America gives the Congress the solemn duty to act as a check and balance to the other two branches of government in our great republic. As such, the Congress acts as a moderating force to the unbridled wielding of executive power by the President and his administration. A specific duty of the Senate is to assess the qualifications of judicial nominees. While the President may attempt to nominate men and women of the highest ethical standards, it can not be assumed and the Senate has the duty as the representatives of the people to decide if such nominees, as come before them, are of the most sound moral and ethical caliber.
The testimony presented by Mr. Alito as characterized by his candor and candidness to the Senate and the American people was not sufficient to appoint him to the Supreme Court of the United States of America. His many supporters, with some from the Senate itself, would say that he is intelligent and knowledgeable of the law. However, his lack of candor made his many less than candid answers seem trite and without substance. For a man touted to be extremely bright, he good not adequately respond to his action of proclaiming membership in the highly racist organization known as Concerned Alumni of Princeton, or CAP. While it was his supporters that came to the defense of his character that made much of his views over race and women, it was the Democrats that were accused of smearing his character. The record plainly shows that Senators were only trying to understand his reasoning for his proclamation of membership in such an abhorrent undemocratic organization as CAP, and not accusing him of any hidden racist views.
But, his expressed forgetfulness about the organization, let alone his membership in it, give ample inferred evidence as to why his job application to the conservative Justice Department of the 1980s would list CAP as organization in which he was a regular member. He is not covering any racist views or hiding his dark past in CAP. From his lack of details and his evidence given to the Senate, the only conclusion that anyone can rightly come to is that he was never a member of CAP and he only used its name in his successful attempt to land a job in President’s Reagan Department of Justice. Mr. Alito is willing to falsely declare membership in an organization, which happened to be highly undemocratic and contrary to the principles of America, for the sole purpose of enriching himself professionally. Is this the caliber of ethics we seek in a Supreme Court Justice?
Now, some choose to ignore his deception and justify it as regular conduct for job applicants. But, this should not be what to expect from a person seeking a seat on the highest court of the land. However, even assuming such conduct is ethically acceptable and this shouldn’t disqualify him, Mr. Alito has one overriding deficit which manifested itself as a federal judge.
While appearing for his confirmation hearing in 1990, Mr. Alito made a solemn promise to the Senate, and through it to the American people, that he would recuse himself if the Vanguard companies, his mutual fund, ever appeared before him when as a sitting judge. Of course this promise was given on a written questionnaire and not made in a courtroom or spoken aloud to the Senate. However, as in his earlier job application, this was an official document requiring total honesty and subject to penalties if falsehoods were expressed by the filer.
This is brought up as he reneged on his promise and ruled for Vanguard against a widow claiming some of her late husband’s monies that Vanguard has held since 1996. Later, in 2004 he expressed astonishment that anyone would feel he should have recused himself from a case involving a company he had mutual funds with. His decision was vacated in 2004, which seemingly shows that he should have recused himself under the normal ethics rules of federal judges. However, Mr. Alito’s continued believe that he acted with the complete appearance of integrity in the 2002 matter in his courtroom belies that fact that every objective observer can only come to the conclusion that he broke his word to the Senate and acted without regard to judicial integrity. Is this a man worthy to serve the American people as a Supreme Court Justice?
His refusal to uphold his specific word to the American people with respect to Vanguard and his deceitfulness on his job application speaks to low ethical standards and his necessary disqualification as a nominee. But, even if the Senate feels such a man who expresses these behaviors will be honor and esteem to the nation, the fact is that in the interests of the Nation and the President Mr. Alito should not be confirmed to the High Court. What is meant by such a statement and how is it in the best interests of the President?
Well, the President chose to put up a man that has so glaring a disqualification for a reason. What is that reason? From his testimony he expressed the view that the Executive is supremely positioned in our republic. This is a contrary view to the check and balance principles as laid down by the Founding Fathers and manifested by the Constitution. The President has decided to pack the court with Justices that will leave his powers unchecked. Continued decrees and actions made by the President seem to express his personal view that he currently has ultimate authority to act. In addition, the President seems to feel that Congress has no ability to curb his actions and powers.
Already at a seemingly unassailable position, the President wishes to further secure additional powers, and putting his current nominee on the Supreme Court advances this goal. The President with this nominee, and other actions, is a directing a sustained assault upon the Constitution and just and safe governing of the country. Even if the Senate wishes to confirm this nominee, ignoring the grounds of his disqualification, they risk the security and safety of the nation by putting a person who feels that the President is the highest authority in the land. Mr. Alito’s view will unbalance the court and help to make our republic’s system of government appear hollow and unjust.
Now, as stated earlier, denying this nominee is in the best interest of the President. The President is deluded in his assumptions of supreme power to act. Breaking specific international treaties honorably agreed to by past United States governments and violating domestic laws specifically emplaced to curb his powers has shown the recklessness of these actions to our standing in the world and the happiness of the citizenry. Such flagrant disregard for maintaining domestic harmony can only result in severe consequences. However, by regularly acting to curb the Executive Branch the Congress can prevent the escalation of disharmony in our great republic.
Thus, the Senate is presented with two reasons to deny this nominee from assuming a chair on the Supreme Court. First, a vote against this nominee can be justified on the grounds that he doesn’t possess the highest standards of integrity and ethics needed for the greatest court of the land. Second, by voting for this nominee the Senate is not fulfilling their duty to check the power of the President. Continued indifference by the Congress to the growing uncheck power wielded by the Executive Branch does not speak well of this esteemed body. A vote against this nominee is the only action that will bring respect to the Senate and insure the harmony of the Government and future of the Republic. To do otherwise will risk the very fabric of this 230-year-old American dream.

To the blog monitor:

The earlier obscene comments by "Truth Monger" directed against a regular female blogger on this site are totally beyond anything acceptable. I think we all welcome discussion and differences, but not vicious personal attacts or this sort against someone writing their opinion. I hope that this type of behavior will disquality "Truth Monger" from ever being accepted again as a participant on this blog.

Hey, what Gives?
Thousands of letters through hundreds of web sites have been written to all of the Senators from both sides of the isle. All of the Senators' DC office phones and most of their regional office phones are tied up demanding that the Kerry & Kennedy filibuster be supported. So far Hilliary and some of the hold backs have been turned around. Now what do I find on the DNC blog site. NOTHING! Only a couple of complainers and they are probably Neocons. Why isn't the DNC supporting this effort? Furthermore, why wasn’t John Murtha chosen to be the opposition voice on the State of the Union night? Instead Gov. Tim Kaine was chosen. An excerpt from a Washington Post article 01/27/2006 stated, The Virginia Democrat said he will not adjust his speech to placate the PARTY’S BASE!?! “I’m not anybody’s mouthpiece or shill or poster boy for that matter. I’m going to say what I think needs to be said and they seem very comfortable with that.”

Now may I ask, who in the hell are they? If he doesn’t represent us, the Democratic Party and its BASE what in the hell is he doing there? Maybe we should have considered Paul Gigot or Lindsey Graham they may give us a better shake! Not doing anything is one thing but working in your enemy’s behalf is another? Yes, I said enemy, you cannot negotiate from a position of weakness. You cannot negotiate with a party that is not willing to play by the laws set forth in the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights or refuse to honor their oath of allegiance to support and defend the Constitution. The Neocons are making or changing the rules as needed. They want to change our democracy to an Aristocracy and put at its head a puppet of their choice. We have only one whole card left and that’s the filibuster. We may not win but it will shed enough light to create a momentum for change. That is if enough thumb suckers get off their ass and help. Support the filibuster. Call as many Senators as you can starting tomorrow 9AM EST. We are not trying to win an election, we are trying to save our democracy!!

Hey, what Gives?
Thousands of letters through hundreds of web sites have been written to all of the Senators from both sides of the isle. All of the Senators' DC office phones and most of their regional office phones are tied up demanding that the Kerry & Kennedy filibuster be supported. So far Hilliary and some of the hold backs have been turned around. Now what do I find on the DNC blog site. NOTHING! Only a couple of complainers and they are probably Neocons. Why isn't the DNC supporting this effort? Furthermore, why wasn’t John Murtha chosen to be the opposition voice on the State of the Union night? Instead Gov. Tim Kaine was chosen. An excerpt from a Washington Post article 01/27/2006 stated, The Virginia Democrat said he will not adjust his speech to placate the PARTY’S BASE!?! “I’m not anybody’s mouthpiece or shill or poster boy for that matter. I’m going to say what I think needs to be said and they seem very comfortable with that.”

Now may I ask, who in the hell are they? If he doesn’t represent us, the Democratic Party and its BASE what in the hell is he doing there? Maybe we should have considered Paul Gigot or Lindsey Graham they may give us a better shake! Not doing anything is one thing but working in your enemy’s behalf is another? Yes, I said enemy, you cannot negotiate from a position of weakness. You cannot negotiate with a party that is not willing to play by the laws set forth in the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights or refuse to honor their oath of allegiance to support and defend the Constitution. The Neocons are making or changing the rules as needed. They want to change our democracy to an Aristocracy and put at its head a puppet of their choice. We have only one whole card left and that’s the filibuster. We may not win but it will shed enough light to create a momentum for change. That is if enough thumb suckers get off their ass and help. Support the filibuster. Call as many Senators as you can starting tomorrow 9AM EST. We are not trying to win an election, we are trying to save our democracy!!

Deeply disturbing to me is that certain Hill Democrats are concerned that filibustering Alito "would make them appear obstructionist."

APPEAR obstructionist?! At this point, they should be more concerned with protecting thier constituents long-established rights, and making every effort to prevent this neocon GOP incarnation from completely taking over the highest Court. With polls showing they have 54% favorable support as a party, do they think they will lose that by being responsive to the public demand to block Alito? What are they thinking?

God help us; we're going to lose 50 years of progress because some people on the Hill have become so politicized that they can't see the forest for the trees.

Well here's my view, dear Hill-dwellers: whoever has not actively worked to protect America from this uber-conservative wave is on the To Be Replaced list in their next election. I'm sorry if you are from a 'conservative district' - if you are going to vote like a Republican anyway, we'll take our chances on replacing you; even if it means we lose your seat to another Republican.

After all, what difference would it make? >:

Right on.
There are SO many things wrong with what's going on here, but one of the above posts sums it up for me - yes, things have become so politicized that they are going to make one of the biggest mistakes ever. And we, the lowly people who elected them will just have to sit here, wringing our hands.
As most of my fellow true blue lifelong Democrats, I am simply sick and disgusted with the lies and greed and vileness of the current administration. But what had really pushed me over the edge into dispair is that MY Democratic party has not stood up in one loud clear voice and said ENOUGH! There have been a few voices who have consistently stood up and dared to speak the truth, but for the most part most have been way too silent - and if not silent, they have been way too weak in their convictions. That, to me, is almost as criminal as what the Bushies have done...
An inside the beltway Democratic friend of mine told me that we have to give the prez the benefit of the doubt - that Senators from red states can't come out too strongly against Alito because when the Dems get back into power we wouldn't be able to get anyone confirmed. Hmmm. That kind of thinking is ezactly why we're in the terrible position that we're in. As if the Republicans would ever return that favor when it comes to something like a SCOTUS nomination. And if it's votes that they're worried about, I agree with the above post that they might as well change parties - at least if they truly become Republicans we'll know where they stand and not be consistently disappointed.
This party needs to take some lessons from the Republicans in how to stand up for what they believe. I am SO sick of hearing my elected representatives trying so hard to play the "middle" and not offend anyone that they sound ridiculous. And they can't see it, or hear themselves. It's so very sad.
This is your last chance, my party. Please get some guts soon. Because if you don't you're going to lose the one thing you do seem to care about - our votes and our support.

Everything I am reading is showing the Dems going into this filibuster with the attitude 'well we have already lost, and this is a bad idea, and we should have started earlier and showed people our values.'If all this is true, where were these folks several months ago.

Seems to me you could sum up this attitude in one word: incompetent

I feel as if they have sold us out by delaying any action that might have been effective in order to have a vote on record that shows 'they did what they could' without having taken any real risks to prevent this debacle.

After 30 years as a democrat, I am fast losing faith in this party as a viable vehicle for democratic values. They have let the opposing party define our values for us, and let them start the dismantling of our republic. How many times will they offer the crown to W before he accepts it?

"Appear as obstructionist"? They'd darn well better appear as obstructionists. This run away oiligarchial administration needs a few dozen obsticles as far as I can see, and the Democrat party needed to start obstructing a lot of Republican agendas about five years ago. They'd better start obstructing like yesterday, and stop being a party of wimpy doormats.
What has "not appearing to be obstructionist" have to do with politics anyway. The Democrats who "don't want to appear obstructionist" are failing in their obligations as an opposition party to bring up issues and fight for what is right. By not standing up they are abetting a corrupt, uncaring, and oligarchial regime who is out to destroy the Constitution one lie at a time.
There are a lot of middle-of-the-road voters and moderate Republicans who would voter for a party that support constraint on the extremist right-wing agendas that are being put forward. I know of several of these voters who are talking about voting Libertarian, even though no third party has a snowball's chance of winning anything.
If the Democrats don't grow a set and start obstructing the Republican agendas, they'll loose,and the working people and shrinking middle class will keep on loosing.
As far as I can see the Democrats have a patriotic duty to obstruct these rotten agendas. Hoooah!!!

The unfortunate thing is that if Alito gets in the court, it's irreversible! Bush and his cronies will never be brought to justice for violating our constitution., he will claim renewed "political capital," and the gov't- and corporate-friendly Alito, along with the others on the court, now the majority, will succeed in their efforts to impose their extreme, radical, theocratic government on us. The people of this country will be slowly knocked down to mere peasant status so the rich and the powerful have cheap labor, power to sell cheap and dangerous crap to us, pollute our environment, dictate what religion to practice, tear down our schools and restrict our access to higher education, make the financial institutions mega-rich with privatized social security, allow corporations to monopolize and control prices which will be inflated well beyond justification, invade our privacy and allow the administration to collect data on who might be a "political problem," and slowly but surely knock down the middle class into poverty.

This looks dramatic but any one of them can happen. Who will be there to stop it in the courts if any of them come to fruition? This is exactly the point. The neocons want to make this an abortion issue. Yes abortion is a critical issue with Alito along with all the other issues. However, the real danger is the threat to our democracy with another unitary theorist on the court. This trumps all the other issues for without someone that will ensure checks on the executive, the other issues won't matter anymore.

It’s not good enough to just vote “no.” We need you, Dr. Dean, to stand up for us by rallying the dems to filibuster this vote. If you don’t stand up now, when will you stand up for us? What are you waiting for?

Dean: Not Fit to Run the DNC

Dean Comes Under Fire
DNC Finances Cause Concern
By Erin P. Billings and Lauren W. Whittington
Roll Call Staff
January 30, 2006
Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill are privately bristling over Howard Dean’s management of the Democratic National Committee and have made those sentiments clear after new fundraising numbers showed he has spent nearly all the committee’s cash and has little left to support their efforts to gain seats this cycle.

Senator Obama said yesterday that he feared that Democrats had not made a good enough case to the American people as to why Judge Alito should not be confirmed to the US Supreme Court. However, I listened to the hearings on C-SPAN, and to the Judiciary Committee Democratic senators' summations as to why they would not vote for Alito, and they were articulate and convincing. The most alarming point that I took away from those hearings is Judge Alito's preference for a sort of sovereignty of the president and executive branch, and in my opinion, this is in direct conflict with the essence of democracy and our constitution. If we do not have three independent branches of government, each to scrutinize and hold accountable the other two, what do we have to protect us from abuses of power, or to prosecute abuses that have already taken place?

The case against Judge Alito has been well made, but what does it take for the television news media to present that case in an unbiased fashion, and presented it as regular news and not a shouting matching by political operatives, distorting the facts? According to an LA Times survey @ 1999, most readers only glance at the captions and subheads, and fewer go on to actually read the article. You can lead a horse to water, but can you make him drink?

These are very difficult concepts to put into easy to digest sound bits, which seems to be the limit that harried adults can take the time for these days. Some people have told me that they do not read or watch the news, so they can stay emotionally afloat and keep focused on what they have to do.

This move toward an unaccountable executive branch, and away from democracy affects ALL AMERICANS, not just Democrats. If this president continues on his preemptive, beligerent war agenda, because he asserts the right under an all powerful executive branch and
under the false belief that diplomacy is weakness and ineffectual (a belief paraphrased from Project for a New American Century) the impact of our terrible debt will be felt by all, to say nothing of the loss of lives of young Americans.

I don't know how we can combat cable news stations that are willing to participate in withholding crucial information from the public. Even in the State of the Union Speech, we will probably see enthusiastic Republicans jumping up in standing ovations and clapping, but seldom see the other half of the House sitting with arms folded at what are sure to be incredulous lies. I wish Americans could see the disapproval of this administrations policies, but most likely the camera will focus on one or two grumpy faces -- to paint the opposition as such. It's too bad we do not adopt the methods of the British and Australian parliaments who make sounds of disapproval, too, which the visual does not capture.

So, the filibuster will lend an opportunity to make that case to the American people and be heard, because this administration's PR team will surely be out in force on their regular "news" shows to say how obstructionist Democrats are. But maybe Americans will hear that their democracy is in jeopardy, along with their civil rights. Maybe they will see an attempt to take them away, and to have their lives further controlled and their privacy further compromised. The filibuster is a chance to make that case -- to reach Americans. I hope we take this opportunity to inform America what it needs to hear.

The GOP 'Clout'ure Vote will occur shortly....

If debate ends, it will be a ... miracle if Alito is rejected with the final vote tomorrow.

American Revolution II?

A 75-25 vote for cloture. "Democratic" Senators who voted to prevent Kerry's filibuster have just lost the support of their most passionate supporters, by caving in to Bush and his right-wing allies. Make no mistake: The "Democrats" who have betrayed their constituents by allowing Alito to be confirmed are not real Democrats, and should be ridden out of our Party on a rail.

courage.
we have lost the courage to stand up for our beliefs. we are afraid of being called obstructionists. we are afraid we will never control the senate again. the fear of the nuclear option is proof of that. this is a guy who can remember everything except things that really matter, yet he is on his way to confirmation despite all the emails sent to me by howard dean.

Who are these guys? Where's a list? They need to be dealt with in their next primaries. If the DNC has any ethics, backbone, give a crap, they'll censure these SOBs and work against them. If not then we voters, the constituency need to boot these jokers out of office. They are NOT Democrats, they are Republicans in drag.

This is an unconfirmed list of the Democrats who broke faith with their party:
Akaka
Baucus
Bingaman
Byrd
Cantwell
Carper
Dorgan
Inouye
Johnson
Kohl
Landrieu
Lieberman
Lincoln
Nelson (FL)
Nelson (NE)
Pryor
Rockefeller
Salazar

Now how do we kick these b*stards out and deny them money from the Democratic Party when election time rolls around?

From www.senate.gov, Here are the cloture votes, showing both parties:

Alphabetical by Senator Name

Akaka (D-HI), Nay
Alexander (R-TN), Yea
Allard (R-CO), Yea
Allen (R-VA), Yea
Baucus (D-MT), Nay
Bayh (D-IN), Nay
Bennett (R-UT), Yea
Biden (D-DE), Nay
Bingaman (D-NM), Nay
Bond (R-MO), Yea
Boxer (D-CA), Nay
Brownback (R-KS), Yea
Bunning (R-KY), Yea
Burns (R-MT), Yea
Burr (R-NC), Yea
Byrd (D-WV), Nay
Cantwell (D-WA), Nay
Carper (D-DE), Nay
Chafee (R-RI), Yea
Chambliss (R-GA), Yea
Clinton (D-NY), Nay
Coburn (R-OK), Yea
Cochran (R-MS), Yea
Coleman (R-MN), Yea
Collins (R-ME), Yea
Conrad (D-ND), Nay
Cornyn (R-TX), Yea
Corzine (D-NJ), Nay
Craig (R-ID), Nay
Crapo (R-ID), Yea
Dayton (D-MN), Nay
DeMint (R-SC), Yea
DeWine (R-OH), Yea
Dodd (D-CT), Not Voting
Dole (R-NC), Yea
Domenici (R-NM), Yea
Dorgan (D-ND), Nay
Durbin (D-IL), Nay
Ensign (R-NV), Yea
Enzi (R-WY), Yea
Feingold (D-WI), Nay
Feinstein (D-CA), Nay
Frist (R-TN), Nay
Graham (R-SC), Yea
Grassley (R-IA), Yea
Gregg (R-NH), Yea
Hagel (R-NE), Nay
Harkin (D-IA), Nay
Hatch (R-UT), Yea
Hutchison (R-TX), Yea
Inhofe (R-OK), Yea
Inouye (D-HI), Nay
Isakson (R-GA), Yea
Jeffords (I-VT), Nay
Johnson (D-SD), Yea
Kennedy (D-MA), Nay
Kerry (D-MA), Nay
Kohl (D-WI), Nay
Kyl (R-AZ), Yea
Landrieu (D-LA), Nay
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Nay
Leahy (D-VT), Nay
Levin (D-MI), Nay
Lieberman (D-CT), Nay
Lincoln (D-AR), Nay
Lott (R-MS), Yea
Lugar (R-IN), Yea
Martinez (R-FL), Yea
McCain (R-AZ), Yea
McConnell (R-KY), Yea
Mikulski (D-MD), Nay
Murkowski (R-AK), Nay
Murray (D-WA), Nay
Nelson (D-FL), Nay
Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Obama (D-IL), Nay
Pryor (D-AR), Nay
Reed (D-RI), Nay
Reid (D-NV), Nay
Roberts (R-KS), Yea
Rockefeller (D-WV), Nay
Salazar (D-CO), Nay
Santorum (R-PA), Yea
Sarbanes (D-MD), Nay
Schumer (D-NY), Nay
Sessions (R-AL), Yea
Shelby (R-AL), Yea
Smith (R-OR), Yea
Snowe (R-ME), Yea
Specter (R-PA), Yea
Stabenow (D-MI), Nay
Stevens (R-AK), Yea
Sununu (R-NH), Nay
Talent (R-MO), Yea
Thomas (R-WY), Yea
Thune (R-SD), Yea
Vitter (R-LA), Yea
Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
Warner (R-VA), Yea
Wyden (D-OR), Nay

What happened today was unacceptable. Although I am proud of my Senator, Ron Wyden, for his vote against cloture, I am entirely disgusted with the Democratic Party. I will no longer send any money and will not register as a Democrat any longer. GROW A SPINE, DEMS.

Millions of Americans have never ever been betrayed in our lifetimes more than today. This was a deliberate display of crass politics and raw power that blatantly disavowed and spat on the Democratic party's base. Do you honestly think your No votes on Alito tomorrow will mean anything to us when you didn't just FIGHT this for us, our party, and our country? YOU blew it and we will have to PAY for your ineptitude and complacency!! Polling shows the majority of Americans are against any nominee that would break down the walls of privacy including the chipping away or repeal of Roe vs. Wade. The Democrats ARE the Republicans. This party stands with THEM against the overwhelming will AND needs of the people. The Democratic party is aiding and abetting the shredding of the US Constitution so that the balance of powers will be manipulated to King Bush's monarchy and dictatorship over all of us. The Democratic party is giving it's signal to turn back decades of hard fought civil rights laws and gains. The Democratic party has just given approval to deny minorities and women any further voice in our government, work places, and rule of law. People like Martin Luther King Jr. died for that! The Democratic party just spit on him and all the others who made this party stand for something but now shills for Bush and the GOP. The Democratic party has just placed us in the approval for perpetual war and profiteering. Make no mistake: This party is beholden to monied and corporate interests and actively assists the Bush agenda to devalue individual rights in exchange for corporate and radical and special interest dollars and power. We are awake NOW, do you hear that establishment? We KNOW who sold us out today and deemed our rights, freedoms, and liberties not worthy of protecting. You are really missing the boat when you offend the core and that's what you have done with Alito. You think you have done very little harm when you have done such serious damage and more than you realize. What does that show and tell us when you are willing to gamble with us and our lives, your base? Harry Reid, you are a complete and utter failure as a leader and motivator to stand up for the minions of Democrats who called, emailed, and wrote to their Senators to stop this "worst nightmare" from occurring. Instead, you stepped aside in our hour of need. You've shown your true colors and I sincerely hope that you step aside and let those able and willing to LEAD and ACHIEVE VICTORIES FOR US. You think you can talk tough and that is good enough but NO MORE!! your actions after five years have given us very, very little. What happens to our country and our lives that are at stake when you do not give a damn to FIGHT tooth and nail for us??!! Never ever again will I think this party stands up for or represents any rational thinking and loving human being. You have strayed so out of the mainstream of Democratic values too that you fail to stand up for me, my Democratic family, and my Democratic friends for the most basic of rights and concerns. Do you get it? You've abandoned us!! Dutifully, We will remember this day like any other tragedy we have experienced in our lifetime. Thanks to the ready and enabling Democrats: America, the US Constitution, the Democratic party and all that Americans value, are guaranteed, and enjoy: R.I.P.

I'm so pissed I can't see straight. What is it going to take for the Democrats to stand up and be an honest-to-god opposition party?

I was going to buy a democracy bond, but perhaps instead I'll contribute to every real Dem who puts up a primary challenge to the cowards who refused to have what power they have to stop the court from lurching rightward, robbing our citizens of their civil liberties.

Remember, when voting, that Conservative on the Left is not the same as Conservative on the Right.

Autocratic Right-Wing Conservatives seek to rule the country against the will of the people.

Democratic Left-Wing Conservatives seek to allow the greater majority of the people to control the country.

The United States, following propaganda, has moved Right toward Autocracy. Any democrat voting for Alito's confirmation is not for democracy for all the people.

Where the greater majority of people are concerned they can find fact in Left-Wing Democratic Conservative representation. The Left-Wing represents the majority of the people against the Autocracy of big business capitalists.

Where the greater majority of people are concerned they will find no fact in the Right-Wing Autocratic Conservative propagandists that tell you they are speaking truth and play only on feelings without fact or little fact in their representation of the greater majority of the people. The Right-Wing represent Autocracy, the aristocracy, big business, military industrial complex, industrialist, capitalists.

Propaganda is a play on feelings ONLY without fact; but tell you earnestly they are speaking truth. Republicans are good at propaganda.

I strongly urge democrats to not vote for Judge Alito as he is following an Autocratic-Conservative agenda and will work against the greater majority of the people as he has in the past.

Hitler was a Right-Wing Autocratic Conservative. No matter what the Right-Wing says, they will have to admit that Hitler was a Right-Wing Autocratic Conservative, because he was.

Remember, when voting, that Conservative on the Left is not the same as Conservative on the Right.

Autocratic Right-Wing Conservatives seek to rule the country against the will of the people.

Democratic Left-Wing Conservatives seek to allow the greater majority of the people to control the country.

The United States, following propaganda, has moved Right toward Autocracy. Any democrat voting for Alito's confirmation is not for democracy for all the people.

Where the greater majority of people are concerned they can find fact in Left-Wing Democratic Conservative representation. The Left-Wing represents the majority of the people against the Autocracy of big business capitalists.

Where the greater majority of people are concerned they will find no fact in the Right-Wing Autocratic Conservative propagandists that tell you they are speaking truth and play only on feelings without fact or little fact in their representation of the greater majority of the people. The Right-Wing represent Autocracy, the aristocracy, big business, military industrial complex, industrialist, capitalists.

Propaganda is a play on feelings ONLY without fact; but tell you earnestly they are speaking truth. Republicans are good at propaganda.

I strongly urge democrats to not vote for Judge Alito as he is following an Autocratic-Conservative agenda and will work against the greater majority of the people as he has in the past.

Hitler was a Right-Wing Autocratic Conservative. No matter what the Right-Wing says, they will have to admit that Hitler was a Right-Wing Autocratic Conservative, because he was.

So my democrat party do not care about the voting record of Judge Alito. We care screw because some the democrats did not want to filbuster Judge Alito. They can go to hell. I am angry that democrat leadership for not pushing the filbuster. We need new democrats and we need a intelligent democrat like Paul Begala and James Carville to come back to the democrat party. They help Bil Clinton get elected in the 90's and they wrote a nice book "Take it Back".
We need to get them back in the democrat party because the we are going to more elections with the current leadership of the democrat party. We need strong leaders that control the actions of the democrat party. We need new leadership as soon as possible. I feel that Dr. King is crying because we have fail Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr.
ideas of hope. We need to replace the leadership as soon as possible before we see the worlds on T.V. called doomsday.

What is going on at my Democratic Party? I am so shocked and dismayed at the actions of the Democratic Party today, that I could pull all my hair out. Time and again I have witnessed many Democratic Congressmen, fold and turn tail at the first hint of trouble. I feel you have left your base in the cold without any clear direction or explanation. For the past few years, I have watched as you allowed the right-wingers take control over every facet of this nation. Never putting up any defense of its core principles, nor the concerns of the average American. You were missing in action on the establishment and extension of the Patriot Act, missing in action on the illegal Bush spying on citizens, missing in action on DEMANDING our brave sons and daughters be brought home from this illegal and unjustifiable war, AWOL on supporting the Congressional Black Caucus to demand accountability on voting irregularities, and DOA on bringing all those responsible for the Katrina disaster to task. Least we not forget, as the Bush administration grabs more power, we average Americans are left without an effective voice to fight for our rights. This is to say nothing of the ineptitude you displayed in not supporting today’s Filibuster. Unfortunately the list goes on and on. I am feed up and mad as hell.

To those spineless cowards who caved into the pressure from the right, WHO DO YOU THINK GOT YOU ELECTED? Your base has consistently called for you to stand for all of our principles. What did the right wing offer you for your silence? Money or more broken promises? Do you really think we, the true democrats will forget this election year? I for one will not, and I will do my best to convince all other democrats that, YOU ARE NOT THE PARTY FOR US. How do I explain your lack of integrity to my children? In the years to come, how can I relate the “good ole days” of when this country was free? Your actions these past years have but guaranteed freedom as we understood it is dead and buried. I charge the Democratic Party with incompetence, dereliction of duty, and mindless disregard for the needs of this great nations’ citizens. Your are guilty of aiding and abetting the shredding of our Constitution, and the trampling of Justice in our time. I hope you are happy and satisfied with you actions. I am feed up and mad as hell.

Simply voting NO tomorrow, will not reverse the anger and disillusionment of WE, the base of the Democratic Party. The damage has been done. There is absolutely no excuse for what you have done. I am speaking not just of today’s blind and stupid inactions, but of the incompetence you have displayed these last few years. I am afraid my party suffers from a lack of discipline, leadership, direction and purpose. I am certain the right wing is laughing quite loudly at your incompetence and inability to “protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic”. Do you not smell the stench permeating the nation by these enemies of democracy? It is inconceivable to me that, YOU HAVE ALLOWED THIS TO HAPPEN. Unfortunately, the effects of corporatism, unitary executive privilege, unjustifiable wars, eroding of women and minority rights will continue far into the future.

The last election year, I believed in my party. So much so, that I answered its call to action by helping to get out the vote. I contributed money, time, effort and energy to helping the party to advance itself. Not I feel I have been slapped in the face and ignored. What is very strange is, the majority of Americans, democrat and republican, supported our efforts to reign in the Bush administration. You have called upon all true Americans to give testimony to the excesses and abuse of power that Bush represents. Often these people came forward at great risk to spying, or losing their jobs to assist with retaking our Constitution as our founding fathers intended. What do you say to those people? How do you defend your positions? Do you not care what we think and expect of you?

I say, enough is enough. If you are unwilling or unable to stand up for our rights, then we should find a party who will. I for one am tired of watching my party join in lock step with the right wing. Your actions or lack thereof, are truly shameful, and unworthy of our support. Goodbye Democratic Party. Hello Green & Independent Parties.

Signed,
A disgusted former Democrat

And Clarence Thomas and Michael Steel do not represent the ideas of the African community. Clarence Thomas and Michael Steel need to read some of Dr.King speeches and look in the mirror because it too late. I believe that Clarence Thomas sold out to the republicans.

Thank you, John Kerry. Thank you.

I am disgusted with the vote today because I watch the senate vote on cspan2 today and again I was digusted by the democrats get the damn votes for a filbuster. I do not want to used any dirty works on my blog to described my angrier. But I am upset because my civil rights are gone because of few stupid democrats that do not care about me at all. I know that republicans do not care about the views of non-whites because hurricane katrina. I am feel that the government would let me die because I am black and President Bush and all the republican party is a member of the KKK and Neo-Nazi groups. I feel that the government want to create a all white America and destroy civil rights for everyone that is non-white. I feel that my democrat party want to me to suffered and die in a country that want me to die because I am black.

I heard a caller on the Ed Shultz show the other day make the statement "The democrats should have a televised national convention prior to the elections this year." I feel thats exactly what they should do. Do it exactly like the ones that happen every four years. The american people need to hear from us, they need to be told that democrats will keep them safe. That we believe in moral values such as medicare, health insurance for all, education for all, veterans benefits, etc.. Most americans don't watch the sunday morning shows or watch C-SPAN and see how this congress votes on important issues. Different democrat organization continue to ask for donations for video's of Bush. We need to focus on congress. Why can't we put together video's of how the republicans voted. Take video's of C-SPAN and show the american people how the republicans voted down the Murray amendment on increasing veterans benefits. Show the american people how the Republican congress cut Medicare for our mothers/fathers/grandparents. People said that the last presidential election was "the most important election of our time", I say no way, this upcoming election in November is the most important. Dems, focus on the republican congress.

I apologize! On further research, I found that the long list of votes I'd pasted above represents NOT the cloture vote, but the vote on the Patriot Act reauthorization.

Sorry. Also, my "75-25" vote count in an earlier posting was wrong. Though I got that figure from CSPAN2, I may have misread it. The actual vote was 72-25, as three Senators did not vote on cloture.

Senators Kerry, Kennedy, Clinton, and all those who couageously voted against cloture have my respect, and will have my support. (Before cursing the Party entirely, note: MORE DEMOCRATS VOTED AGAINT CLOTURE THAN VOTED FOR IT!) Those "Democrats" who voted for cloture have my undying contempt.

Thank you Senator Kerry!

Thank you for standing up for us. Thank you for showing us who we can trust, and sadly, who we cannot trust.

All my contributions go directly to Senator Kerry from now on. Harry Reid let us down. He should have been a stronger leader. He should have shown the courage of Senators Kerry, Kennedy and Boxer. I'm bitterly dissapointed by many Demoratic Senators and their lack of action today. At least now we know.

I'm never sending another god damm dime to you people until the DNC cuts off any and all support to any democrat that voted against the FILIBUSTER!

I'm with DynamicDems and Co-Conspirator. No more money to the DNC. I will only give to candidates that truly represent the democratic party!

To ALL of the dems who failed to filibuster this neo-con fanatic to the supreme court.

You are nothing but TRAITORS. You are COWARDS. You BETRAYED the American people.

You think I am some extremist. WRONG. I am informed. I read Alito's record. I watched the hearings. I was active on this for months because I care DEEPLY what becomes of this nation. There is nothing fanatical about being able to face reality. To call a spade a spade.

Today, YOU abandoned me. I realize that I have NO representation. ZERO. ZIP. NONE. The criminals that inhabit the White House and his zealots in Congress now control EVERYTHING. These tyrants who have bankrupted our treasury, thinned our military to the breaking point, lied to start a war, spied illegally on innocent Americans, and perpetrators of a thousand other crimes...YOU JUST HANDED IT ALL RIGHT OVER TO THEM. You think you are going to take back the Congress in 06. FORGET IT! TWO STOLEN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS - COUNT EM' TWO! Why on earth would you think they wouldn't CHEAT again, especially if King George could face impeachment and criminal charges.

I have given you money. I have given you hundreds of volunteer hours. I was reduced to PLEADING with you this week to do the right thing.

YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES. ASHAMED. ONE DAY YOU WILL HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT YOU LET HAPPEN TO THIS NATION, AND WHAT YOU COULD HAVE STOPPED WHEN YOU HAD THE CHANCE.

History will record your names as the cowards and traitors that you are...Some legacy.

No honor. No courage. Nothing.

I will never give you my money or time again. I will give my money and time to progressive candidates that will knock you out of office. You ignore the millions of us at your own peril. You don't want us. You won't represent us. Don't ever stick your hand out to me, again. You can shove your democracy bonds where the sun don't shine.

You abandoned us today - ALL of the American people. Most don't realize it just yet. But, they will.

P.S. - Howard Dean - you are too good for this party. They won't listen to you. Only you could have lead the dems out of this dark place but they think of you as fringe and use you for your fundraising ability (which you just lost since the people who love you no longer support the democrats as a whole). This note is not a commentary on you. I still admire and respect you greatly!

Thank you Senator Kerry!

Thank you for "outing" certain Democratic Senators. Without you, there would only be a handful of Democratic infidels voting for Alito's confirmation because they are from red states and don't want to be "Daschled" in this year's elections.

You bravely stood up, and called for a filibuster, so that the Democratic Party could be split even further. Would Senators stand up and fight for abortion rights by voting against cloture? 25 Did. Yes, 25 courageous Democrats did.

And in the process, what did they accomplish? Did they stop the Alito confirmation? No, all they did was show all of America how truly out of the mainstream they are!

Thank you for outing them, Senator Kerry! Thank you for showing mainstream America which Senators are the ones who not only don't support their values but also will stop at nothing to obstruct the President who does.

Remember mainstream America re-elected this President who openly announced his intention of nominating judges like Scalia and Thomas.

Thank you for outing Hillary Clinton, who has aspirations to become Commander-in-Chief. You forced her to reveal that she's not the centrist she has recently pretended to be. She may have shored up her base for her Senate re-election, and maybe even the Democratic nomination in 2008, but she just lost any chance of winning the hearts and minds of mainstream America.

Again, Thank You Senator Kerry!

P.S. We're so glad you weren't the one making the last two Supreme Court nominations!

I will no longer be a democrat. I am changing parties or probably will not be affiliated with any. In fact, I probably will not even vote anymore. Except for a few democrats, none of them has done anything to stop bush and the crime family. I have had enough. It won't make any difference anyway between diebold and electoral votes. I am sick of it and am done. It is over for me!!!! This (Alito) was the straw that broke the camels back. Good-bye and good luck. You will all need it!

I will never vote again. This is all total BS. I am done with the democratic party. Except for a few good ones most are nothing but traitors. I have had enough and this Alito crap is the straw that broke the camels back. It won't matter anyway with the diebold machines and out dated electoral votes, integrity is lost in this country.

Another thing, since when and where in America is it written that only a rich man can become president??!! You can all take your greed and your money and put it where the sun doesn't shine. In the end good will win, whether it be here or in the after life and you will all pay for what your are doing to this country and the people in it. Sooner or later evil falls.

As with many others I am heartily disappointed in the Senators that failed to vote against cloture and for a filibuster today. One of my Senators, Herb Kohl, was guilty of this offense, but our wonderful Senator Russ Feingold, did us proud.

I have sent both a letter expressing my feelings. I will support the Senators who did the bidding of the people, the others can drift in the wind!

I have to agree that only the Senators that follow the will of the people should be supported with money and votes. It is what I plan on doing. 25 Senators get my Thanks and my support.

ShiningTheLight, how about this deal?: If you can keep your snide pro-Bush comments out of here, I will continue to leave the Republican blogs to crepulate in their own nascent neo-fascism.

Sorry Timesurfer, no deal.

Wasn't it only a few short months ago that the Democratic leadership was laughing at how the Miers nomination was dividing the Republicans?

Now look at how the Alito cloture vote has divided Democrats.

Who's laughing now?

Of course you wouldn't take up my offer of us both staying in our own bailiwicks, ShiningTheLight. Your beloved Bush has created one of the greatest crises any President has ever seen. The polls clearly show the people are onto his lies. The smarmy monkey responds with yet greater whoppers, and by taking further unconstitutional powers unto himself.

So your ilk is desperate to butt in where you are unwelcome, to try disrupting the one Party that can, and will defeat you. Your time is up, barring an outright rightist coup. We Democrats are proud of our diversity. We know that strong debate within our ranks makes us a stronger Party.

Just keep demonstrating the Bush camp's desperation for us, ShiningTheLight. It's funny, refreshing, and ultimately unifying. You guys are going DOWN.

good bye democratic party. Hello independents. From this point forward, I no longer consider myself a democrat.

Period.

The best thing for the Democrat Party would be for you DU folks and other loonies to stop supporting them. You do nothing but force them further out of the mainstream and their performance filibustering Alito is simply a reflection of your own insignificance and inability to pursuade normal, rational Americans to your cause.

It's time to un-divide the Democrat party. The DNC needs to pull its support from the sell-outs who claim to be Democrats and support candidates who will respect their true base which is the working people of this country. If the DNC won't do it, then we have to, by supporting candidates who will stand up for the people and not for the current culture of greed and corruption, and by voting in the primaries.
Either way we need to keep up the pressure, not drop out. If we drop out we will have no leverage, and the Republicans will continue to turn this country into a third-world dictatorship.
Third parties have no chance of winning, we have to restore the Democrat party and return it to its true base. Identifying the sell-outs and withdrawing support for them is the first step.
It's not going to be easy, but our Democracy is worth fighting for, and we need to hang in there and kick-start the DNC. Hoooah!!!

It's not over until the fat lady sings! (that can be 1 day from now or 1 year from now, but she will sing.) Evil always falls!

The effort by Senator’s Kerry and Kennedy was in my opinion a useless gesture that in the end will not gain more support from independent voters such as myself. I also have concerns about Judge Alito , but after a certain point
opposition begins to turn people off as opposed to convincing them of your argument. This is especially true when you know that you can not win and you begin to be looked at as just wasting peoples time. What people most want in government is politicians to stop arguing and start solving problems. It is obvious that most of the republicans led by President Bush can not do that. The question then becomes whether the democrats can do better. To do so means more than useless rhetoric about a nomination when you know that the battle has been lost. You can not just be against something. You also have to have your own ideas that people want to buy into. The more that the democratic party candidates can put forth and sell their own ideas, the more votes they will get. This is true even when there is agreement with some of the republican ideas if you can convince people that you can do it better.

Nomination: PN1059-109
Date Received: November 10, 2005 (109th Congress)
Nominee: Samuel A. Alito, Jr., of New Jersey, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, vice Sandra Day O'Connor, retiring.
Referred to: Senate Judiciary
Reported by: Senate Judiciary

Legislative Actions
Floor Action: November 10, 2005 - Received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Committee Action: January 09, 2006 - Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings held.
Committee Action: January 10, 2006 - Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings held.
Committee Action: January 11, 2006 - Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings held.
Committee Action: January 12, 2006 - Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings held.
Committee Action: January 13, 2006 - Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings held.
Committee Action: January 24, 2006 - Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported favorably.
Floor Action: January 24, 2006 - Reported by Senator Specter, Committee on the Judiciary, under authority of the order of the Senate of 01/18/2006 without printed report.
Floor Action: January 24, 2006 - Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar No. 490.
Floor Action: January 25, 2006 - Considered by Senate. By Unanimous Consent.
Floor Action: January 25, 2006 - By unanimous consent agreement, debate set for January 26, 2005.
Floor Action: January 26, 2006 - Considered by Senate. By Unanimous Consent.
Floor Action: January 26, 2006 - Cloture motion presented in Senate.
Floor Action: January 26, 2006 - By unanimous consent agreement, vote set for 01/30/2006. Cloture vote only. Vote on confirmation set for 01/31/2006.
Floor Action: January 27, 2006 - Considered by Senate. By Unanimous Consent.
Floor Action: January 30, 2006 - Considered by Senate pursuant to an order of the Senate of 1-26-06.
Floor Action: January 30, 2006 - Considered by Senate By a unanimous consent agreement on January 27, 2005.
Floor Action: January 30, 2006 - Cloture invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 72 - 25. Record Vote Number: 1.
Floor Action: January 31, 2006 - Considered by Senate. By Unanimous Consent.
Floor Action: January 31, 2006 - Confirmed by the Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 58 - 42. Record Vote Number: 2.
Organization: Supreme Court of the United States