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Damn Straight, Brad.

Amazingly, we've got people like Barbara Mikulski advocating that the Senate Caucus "wait" for 2006 and 2008. Meaning 2007 and 2009 MIGHT MAYBE yield a "majority" of like-minded Democratic WIMPS in the Congress who would STILL DO NOTHING to save our United States Constitution from a clear and present domestic threat. And Chuck Schumer is so worried, apparently, about the millions he raised for the DSCC, he's not far behind her.

And, worst of all --- Harry Reid is cowering in a corner as well. It took John Kerry to drag him back onto the battlefield, but he's whimpering "we've lost" as he comes...

[The above is based on a new AP story just out about the Caucus discussions.]

It all just looks SO pathetic... These people just do not seem up to the job. The word 'hacks', comes to mind. Glittering gems of rhetoric, incisive thinking, and creative approaches, are scattered for the TAKING all over the place for these Democrats to simply pick up and implement. And they behave as though they never heard of an internet...

And in their midst is Dick Durbin, firing on all cylinders, with his ear to the ground reading the will of the people for the benefit of the Caucus, to no avail. I simply cannot fathom who or what Reid, Schumer, Mikulski or Conrad are listening to. It's simply beyond belief at this stage of the game.

And it makes it that much more obvious that a Filibuster COULD SUCCEED, with just a little effort from people like Pat Leahy and Russ Feingold and Dick Durbin shoving on the backs of the clueless ones in the Caucus.

I simply want to know why ANY Senator is WILLING to risk our Constitution on "faith" in this Judge's current assertions, in the face of a long record demonstrating quite another story?? Too much work? Would you rather go off to Iraq and fight for THEIR Constitution? Because this is the EASY part, Senators. If you let this guy in, you're risking a whole lot more damage and conflict in this country than a simple, principled filibuster will incur.

PLEASE open your minds, your hearts, and your eyes. You OWE it to the country.

And Senator Conrad - if you honestly believe that ANYONE should "buy" what passes for a current "opinion poll" concerning Alito from the corporate media, you too are hopelessly out of touch. Besides the sponsors and wording of such questions, WHO informed the people about Alito? Those Americans who work certainly weren't able to watch the hearings. AND THERE WAS NO OTHER SERIOUS COVERAGE AVAILABLE TO AMERICANS, OF THIS MAN OR HIS RECORD, outside of the internet. Don't be disingenuous --- the voices of Americans are POURING into your office right now. Stop, look, and listen.

And then BLOCK Alito, "just in case." Otherwise, please find another job. Your oath of office is clearly too much of a responsibility for you if this decision stumps you.

alito is a (pull) political linchpin ! ! ! that will maintain neocon control Forever, 4 ever, Foreva . . . .

Even though I don't actually agree with one, I support procedural fillibuster on Sam Alito.

Call your senators, do what you must, support a fillibuster

Now's the time to stand up......and do it anyway.

Doug

I've called my senator (Nelson)'s office, signed petitions & sent emails to him, Martinez (the FL R senator) & Meeks, my congressman, to beg for support of a filibuster. This was the note I sent with one of the email petitions:
'It seems to me that we are living in the
"extraordinary circumstances" senators claimed were
necessary in order to justify a filibuster: the
consequences of a miles-long list of egregious harms
done by this out-of-control administration. Samuel
Alito's confirmation would be a huge step towards
legitimizing the cock-eyed and dangerous concept of a
"unitary presidency" and yet another hammer-blow to
the rule of law in this country.
In 1998, during the absurd fiasco that resulted in the
impeachment of a president, much was said about no
president being above the law. Now, however,
Republicans who put party loyalty over the security of
their country seem perfectly comfortable with the
notion that our current president need not bother to
obey the law.
If being a nation "of laws, not of men" is to remain a
genuine American principle and not a pathetic sham
(along with the quaint idea of "checks and balances"),
a filibuster of Samuel Alito is imperative.'

I've e-mailed many of the Democrat senators, and my own multiple times. It's 10:06 Pacific time, and I've been calling out of state senators at their DC numbers, and all of their mailboxes are full. So that's a good sign (maybe - unless the messages are Repugs). Perhaps people can post local office phone numbers of their senators?? I manag4ed to get through to Harkins Des Moines office. Let's ont focus on the DC numbers if the yare getting swamped with calls - their regional offices ma ybe even better because they are directly tied to their constituents.

Maria Cantwell:

Seattle Office: 206-220-6400
Spokane Office: 509-353-2507
Tacoma Office: 253-572-2281

Patty Murray:

Seattle : (206) 553-5545
Spokane: (509) 624-9515
Tacoma: (253) 572-3636

I have called both of my senators and many others all week. I told Sen. Obama's voice mail that he asked for my vote in November and I supported him,I now expected him to support me by filibustering the Alito nomination. I also expressed my outrage that he was a holdout on this most critical decision. Here are his numbers: Chicago:312-886-3506 Springfield:217-492-5089 Marion:618-997-2402 Quad city:309-736-1217 I also called Sen. Durbin and I asked for the same thing,at least they answered the phone,Here are his numbers: Chicago:312-353-4952 Springfield:217-492-4062 Marion:618-998-8812 I will call tomorrow, Sunday, and Monday. I'll try to expand to other senators,I've got free nights and weekends I might as well put them to good use. Lets go get them,You know how they love to be lobbied!

How is it possible that Kerry could see the threat to the country from a Supreme Court justice who wants to grant the president extraordinary powers (a very real threat), but not see the threat to our democratic system that stolen elections represent?

When the history of this era is written, John Kerry will go down as the single most inscrutable figure of the period.

Pamela (and all) - That's a whopper of a list of filibuster supporters...if it's accurate:

Leading the Fight:
John F. Kerry and Edward M. Kennedy.

Committed to Filibuster:
Barbara Boxer (D- CA), Dianne Feinstein (D- CA), Christopher J. Dodd (D- CT), Richard J. Durbin (D- IL), Debbie A. Stabenow (D- MI), Robert Menendez (D- NJ), Harry Reid (D- NV), Hillary Rodham Clinton (D- NY), Charles Schumer (D- NY), Ron Wyden (D- OR), Russell D. Feingold (D- WI).

I see that Leahy is not on the list, strange. But Reid, Clinton, Feingold, Durbin. Rock on. And Boxer, the tower of power.

Anybody else tired of Joe Biden's self-aggrandizing bullshit? He did more than anyone else to make the Democrats look like jokesters at the confirmation hearings. He's pretty goddamned full of himself. I hope somebody wipes the floor with him in the '08 primaries.

I just heard back from Ben Nelson (D-NE). He still insists upon vote yes for Alito. DINO!!

I don't know why this man doesn't register Republican. He votes almost in lock step with the Rs every time.

I have to wonder what they promised him in exchange for his yes on Alito. Maybe someone should investigate Ben Nelson.

The Dems have rightly claimed that the Senate leadership has done everything to silence them. Now is the time to speak out on all the disasters of the neocon administration. Let us hear your thoughts about warrantless wiretaps, illegal wars, bribes from lobbyists, unchecked deficit spending, incompetent cronies, CULTURE OF CORRUPTION, attacks on Medicare and Social Security, unfunded mandates, leaked identities, lies and secrets, billions of dollars missing, and coffins without cameras.

Now is the time to talk about cabbages and kings.

I am appalled at the ignorance of the reality of the matter.

Justice is the act of blaming those responsible and exonerating those not responsible. The republicans have the power in congress and in the white house, and have the weight of accountability.

To blame the democrats or independents for what the majority republican party does is wholesale hypocrisy and lunacy.

To blame individual senators, whether they be republican or democrate, for their individual behavior is another matter.

But to blame wholesale the democrats or independents who do not have the power is lame.

The republicans are responsible for nominating and voting for Alito. Not one republican has said anything against nor voted against Alito.

Stop blaming the wrong party and wake up.

#9 Welfl,
Great letters. Very powerful.
It's so disturbing though. I feel as if we're groveling before Solomon...I picture him, dangling infant in one hand, sword in the other...and we're begging & pleading & STATING THE OBVIOUS over & over!

"Don't kill the baby! If you kill the baby you kill yourself too! If you kill the baby you kill all of us! You CAN'T kill the baby"

And Solomon is just oblivious, safely ensconced in his shiny little bubble of pomp & power, parading before the "little people" but not seeing them at all.

But maybe Solomon is a bad choice for comparison. He was wise, supposedly. We're stuck with a motly bunch of bribed & threatened poseurs who wouldn't recognize wisdom if it bit them in the ass.

#11 Robert,
"How is it possible that Kerry could see the threat to the country from a Supreme Court justice who wants to grant the president extraordinary powers (a very real threat), but not see the threat to our democratic system that stolen elections represent?"

Yes, exactly. I repeat: kerry's credibility is a shriveled raisin. joe biden, too (#12).
God, I remember biden during the clarence thomas hearings in '91. He was amazing. I thought "THIS is a man I can respect!"
Whatever happened in the past 15 years, he's not that man anymore.

The Stockholm Syndrome is when a captive audience, such as hostages, come out in favor of their captors (link here).

Blaming democrats for the crimes of the republican controlled administration and congress that has taken American government hostage is a symptom of the said syndrome.

I heard yesterday on t.v. that Kerry and Clinton were doing the filibuster to gain support from the Dem Left and not because they believe in the filibuster.

I suppose we'll just have to wait and see how they play it out. Maybe it is a charade to them, but it's a very real nomination and the consequences of the Right having 5 Bushite justices on SCOTUS would be very very real.

Call it what ever you Like. The Fact is the Democrats have to get thier Shit Together! it's long overDue.

WHO. . . Wants to see Adolf bush with his Shit Eating Grin and His arm around Benito alito at the State of the Union?

It's Like Deja Vous All Over Again. . . . .

Thank you, Joan.

MarkH, of course it's nothing more than a charade for Kerry and Clinton. I personally believe Kerry would not have called for a filibuster if he hadn't received thousands of emails and calls telling him to keep his promise of two or three years ago in which he stated he would not allow an anti-abortion judge to be confirmed. He acted positively reluctant to be playing this part when interviewed after his speech yesterday. Did he think people would forget?

As for Clinton, she's just an embarrassment. Even if she went on the 700 Club and confessed that she has always secretly worshipped Jesse Helms, the right would never vote for her; and now that she has leaned toward the right in every wrong way possible, she has alienated almost everyone in the center and on the left who would have voted for her (including even far-left, perpetually self-defeating, diehard, single-agenda democrats). She is so set on getting the presidency for herself that she is perfectly content to lose the election for the democrats again.

There, I feel better now.

Don't laugh, but Alito's nomination is part of the PNAC agenda to control the courts and put the executive branch above the law, now that they have a vehicle (electronic voting machines) to keep a puppet Republican the president. Cabinet members are not elected, remember.

PNAC Timeline

9/11 Timeline

Robert #11 --- We need to take (and exploit) what we can, but I think MarkH at #19 is right. Kerry is still "calculating". There have been a number of strong signs recently that democratic anger has reached a serious, focused, and implacable level that can't be ignored. Two that come to mind are Al Gore's speech and Molly Ivins column saying she will not support Hillary Clinton and explaining why in no uncertain terms. These were both milestones, IMO, and prominent enough from a "triangulating" Democrat's viewpoint to get the attention. (And they may wake up some people to what is actually happening "out there" epitomized by internet news and activism.)

I think Kerry is trying to contain any possible "progressive" support and, frankly, he may be getting a little concerned about Al Gore, who will soon be a subject of a documentary, will have a new book out, etc. Gore may be taking the field again and is taking a bold stand.

Please understand that I don't doubt for a minute that Kerry is opposed to most of Alito's views and probably considers him dangerous. Trouble is, some people, Kerry included, have been following unacceptable, weak, and exasperating political strategy --- and he may consider himself to be almost forced to the action of filibustering - or at least advocating it.

But we are in a battle and our best strategy is to be fully attuned to the moment (at every moment) and take advantage of it as well as we can.

DREDD said, "Stop blaming the wrong party and wake up."

I don't believe this is a matter of "blaming the wrong paty," Dredd. It is expected (by now) that the Reps would rollover and do as they are told by their "President". They have been a rubberstamp since Day 1.

But the Dems are supposed to be the opposition party. They are supposed to be doing all they can to defend against the tyranny (literally, in this case) of the "Majority".

("Majority" is in quotes, because though they are the Majority in the Senate, they represent, in total, a minority of American's compared to their Dem counterparts who represent far more voters).

Much as penalties for Law enforcement officials who break the law are often much harsher than penalties for regular criminals, so is the condemnation of Dems who fail to fulfill their duties of fighting against the party in power.

We expect that criminals will break the law, but we're always far more shocked to see the Police doing so. Similar is the outrage towards Democrats who fail to do their "duty".

I got the word Paul Sarbanes supports the fillibuster here in MD.

Still waitin on Mikulski . .I even visited her office. What is up with her?

I emailed the following to Senator Ben Nelson, here in Nebraska (and a nearly identical version to Tim Johnson of my home state of SD):

"It amazes me that so many democratic senators are more concerned with keeping their senate seats than in keeping their oath to protect and defend our Constitution. Veterans have lost their lives defending it against short-lived foreign threats. Do you think it was easy for them to do that? The least you could do is risk losing your senate seat to defend our Constitution against a much more insidious domestic threat (one that will continue to threaten it long after you have retired from public life). More Nebraskans will respect your courage than you realize. For those who will be angry with you, tell them in no uncertain terms exactly what I have told you here. It's really as simple as that. A show of convictions may even impress a few of them, too.

"Yes, there are people in this state who would gladly sacrifice a number of our freedoms in order to impose their political and religious ideologies on all of us. Would you really cater to their whims in order to keep your senate seat for a few more years? The damage that will be done by Alito will probably be irreversible. Your grandchildren and their children will pay the price for the rest of their lives. They will never know the America we know. Please don't take the short-term easy way out. Why are you there, if you aren't going to stand for anything?"
-----
Believe it or not, because I have nothing to lose, I wrote the following to Senator Chuck Hagel:

"I know that this is a lost cause, but I must try: You served in the military and put your life on the line in order to protect and defend this country and our Constitution from foreign threats. Many others gave their lives in the same defense. Now party loyalty is more important than defending the Constitution against an insidious domestic threat in the form of Samuel Alito (you must see how dangerous he is). As a result, your grandchildren may not enjoy many of the freedoms that we now enjoy. For their sakes, please stand apart from this president once again. If you could put your life on the line for this country, certainly you could put your senate seat on the line, too. What sort of country will our future soldiers be defending if you don't?"

Thank you Brad! Thank you to everyone here who is fighting for this. Our future is now, the time to stand is now. Kerry had that so right today.

This fight has been going on behind the scenes, the time to pull the rabbit out of the hat was not last week, but yesterday. I'm hoping that all of the Dems who have not committed their votes yet, are doing so for a reason - cards close to the vest...

Keep the pressure on! I have a list of who to keep pressuring here.

Put maximum pressure on Mikulski that it is time to stand up, because the executive power question is not satisfactorally answered.

#11: Kerry knows all about it and knows they completely stole it...He has quite a bit of proof but not enough. Did you know he's still going to court in Ohio this april and august? Of course they know. They can't come out in front of it because of how the right wing will destroy Kerry. They need someone much stronger who can't be defamed like Jack Murtha to take the Election Fraud issue by the bullhorns......Or Senator Barbara Boxer/Dick Durbin!!!!

Doug E.

Thanks to everyone for their responses to my post at # 11.

Kerry goes one way, then the other. Hillary Clinton, whose husband said "Bush won fair and square," plays both end against the middle. Al Gore makes a great speech, but only after not being heard from for two years. Howard Dean? Harry Reid? Barrack Obama (yuck!)?

Sorry, folks. I just don't see the Democrats as the solution to the country's ills. Except for Barbara Boxer, John Conyers and a few back-bench Congress people, none have had the guts to call the 2004 election a fraud (which we can now say with certainty it was). It's time for a third party.

The good news is we have plenty of time to develop one before 2008. The bad news is that Corporate America and the lobby culture have the two major parties by the you-know-whats and won't let go.

I started my e-mail and telephone campaign to Senators the day the Alito nomination was announced. I realize filibuster opens Democrats to charges of partisanship (the GOP makes that charge about toothpaste selection, for God's sake) and that it may not be effective in preventing confirmation. But in the name of mercy, let's at least go down fighting for our principles!

The short pitch for our Senators:

"Please have mercy on America. Filibuster Alito."

Notice that in #24 I said "democratic" anger, not "Democratic" anger.

#27
I can't help but believe that Kerry is still fighting this in his own way,as you said.I'm certainly glad to hear he's going back to court,and it's understandable that he would have to do these things under the radar screen.These ruthless thugs will destroy anyone to have their way,especially since they control the media,most of talk radio,and they must be beaten at their own game.Kerry has my respect,for I do believe he is leading the filibuster for the right reasons,to save our Democracy!!

Going to court in Ohio in April and in August? What does that mean? I'm confused. Are there two separate issues here? Trial dates three months away and seven months away? For what?

Is this Kerry's suit, or in his behalf by an organization? Does it challenge the election outcome in 2004, or is it something else? Please provide details. Thanks, RLM

RLM #28

I don't think we should forget the November election this year, to focus on '08 now.

Nor do I think we should hold the minority party guilty for what the majority party has done. It is the Stockholm Syndrome all over again.

One of the fundamentals of elections is the process of holding politicians accountable. If the majority party, which is the republican party, is held accountable big time, and heads roll, it is a healing. It is a message from the people.

We can't go straight from hell to Nirvana all at once. We have to get there thru accountability. It is not a matter of who is better ... it is a matter of who needs an ass kicking.

No, forget Nirvana this year and focus on punishment of the fascists. Resist the Stockholm Syndrome.

Judge of Judges #20

And the republicans don't? Where do you get off hitting the minority party that is out of power to the extent the can't even get meeting rooms when they want to investigate a matter and call witnesses? When they have to use the basement ... not because they are weak, but because the republicans will not be civil and assign them meeting rooms?

Learn how congress works before you blame the victim for the wrongs of the perpetrator.

RLM - I see what you are saying, but I fear a 3rd party breaking off and taking much needed votes. I would normally be for a third party (there are plenty around), but 2008 I feel we need to garner all of our strength for change. I know this is really off the wall, but what about Dennis Kuzinich(sp)???

Stamp a big "VOID!" on that one.

Dems had no reason to filibuster anyway. you lost, get an agenda and a candidate and win the next one. That's how it works.

I also oneself something would want to find out on this theme. Very attentively
I will read every post.