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Alito Filibuster update

by: Cos

Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 12:01:44 PM EST

The day the New York Times published a blistering editorial, "Senators in Need of a Spine", Senator Kerry announced that he would organize a filibuster of Samuel Alito.

Reaction on lefty blogs was mixed, with many lamenting that it was too little, too late. Some concluded that it was not worth the effort, and questioned Kerry's motives. But a large and growing group of bloggers and activists came to a different conclusion. While also lamenting that it may be too little too late, and criticising Senate Democrats for not laying the groundwork for a successful filibuster, we concluded that this is too important not to fight.

georgia10 on dailykos laid it out in her essay, "Dear Senators":

You dropped the ball. Before the hearings, you failed to establish a clear strategy approaching this nomination. At the hearings, you tried, but failed to convey to the American people how disastrous Alito's record really is. After the hearings, it became each member for himself. And finally, you let the media confirm this man without question.

You dropped the ball, and it would have been easy for us to heed the Republican call and give up. But when you dropped the ball, Senators, we picked it up. [more...]

On Saturday, Senator Kennedy appealed to the netroots for help in a conference call with bloggers. And we picked up the ball. Among the notable developments of the past few days...

Democrats.com reported Sunday that Senator Diane Feinstein of CA, who opposes Alito but had previously opposed a filibuster, changed her mind and will now support it.

Senator Robert Byrd of WV had previously said he will vote yes on Alito. He hasn't changed that position, but is now strongly hinting that he'll support a filibuster, especially if Frist threatens to use the nuclear option.

Senator Lincoln Chafee announced he will vote no on Alito, the first Republican to do so. Chafee hardly ever votes against presidential nominees for anything.

the latest updates

Is it still too little, too late? Probably. But not definitely. And it's worth the fight to try to stop a judge who may put Bush above the law. Senator Kennedy today put out a list of Senators he urges his supporters to call. Their contact info is below the fold. Please pass this link around, and make the calls. You might also want to email them a couple of those articles I linked to.

Cos :: Alito Filibuster update

Sen. Mark Pryor (202) 224-2353, (501) 324-6336, FAX (501) 324-5320
http://pryor.senate.gov/contact/

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (202) 224-4843, (870) 382-1023, (870) 910-6896, (479) 251-1224, (870) 774-3106, (501) 375-2993 FAX (202) 228-1371
http://lincoln.senate.gov/webform.html

Sen. Maria Cantwell (202) 224-3441, (206) 220-6400, (360) 696-7838, (253) 572-2281, (509) 353-2507, (509) 946-8106, (425) 303-0114, FAX (202) 228-0514
http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/

Sen. Patty Murray (202) 224-2621, (425) 259-6515, (360) 696-7797, (509) 453-7462, (206) 553-5545, (509) 624-9515, (253) 572-3636, (425) 462-4460, FAX (202) 224-0238
http://murray.senate.gov/email/index.cfm

Sen. Max Baucus (202) 224-2651, (406) 756-1150, (406) 586-6104, (406) 449-5480, (406) 329-3123, (406) 761-1574, (406) 782-8700, FAX (202) 224-0515
http://baucus.senate.gov/contact/emailForm.cfm?subj=issue

Sen. Tom Harkin (202) 224-3254, (515) 284-4574, (563) 322-1338, (319) 365-4504, (563) 582-2130, (712) 252-1550, FAX (202) 224-9369
http://harkin.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm

Sen. Carl Levin (202) 224-6221, (586) 573-9145, (989) 754-2494, (231) 947-9569, (906) 789-0052, FAX (202) 224-1388
http://levin.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

Sen. Evan Bayh (202) 224-5623, (317) 554-0750, (812) 465-6500, (260) 426-3151, (219) 852-2763), (812) 218-2317, (574) 236-8302
http://bayh.senate.gov/LegForm.htm

Sen. Frank Lautenberg (202) 224-3224, (973) 639-8723, (856) 338-8922, FAX (202) 228-4054
http://lautenberg.senate.gov/webform.html?Email=Email+Senator+Lautenberg+Your+Comments+on+an+Issue

Sen. Robert Menendez (202) 224-4744 (no other info available)

Sen. Joe Lieberman (202) 224-4041, (860) 549-8463, FAX (202) 224-9750
http://lieberman.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm?regarding=issue

Sen. Olympia Snowe (202) 224-5344, FAX (202) 224-1946
http://snowe.senate.gov/Webform.htm

Sen. Susan Collins (202) 224-2523, (207) 493-7873, (207) 945-0417, (207) 622-8414, (207) 784-6969, (207) 283-1101, (207) 780-3575, FAX (202) 224-2693
http://collins.senate.gov/public/continue.cfm?FuseAction=ContactSenatorCollins.Email&CFID=34244571&CFTOKEN=65432278

Sen. Lincoln Chafee (202) 224-2921, (401) 453-5294, (401) 845-0700
http://chafee.senate.gov/webform_original.htm

Sen. Ted Stevens (202) 224-3004, FAX(202) 224-2354
http://stevens.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Tags: National, Alito, (All Tags)

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Alito Filibuster update | 4 comments

Email/web forms to Senators (0.00 / 0)

Here's what I've been emailing to Senators on the above list, or posting to their web forms:

A vote for Alito is a vote for letting President Bush get away with believing he is above the law. And a vote against cloture is effectively a vote for Alito.

Please read these articles...
----------

New York Times editorial:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/26/opinion/26thur1.html?_r=1_

"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."

----------

Checks, Balances, and the Duty to Filibuster (The Nation):
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?bid=1&pid=53470

"Samuel Alito has established himself [...] as the consumate judicial activist. He seeks a place on the Supreme Court in order to advance his vision of an imperial presidency that does not obey the laws of the land or answer to the Congress. [...] He has gone so far as to advise past presidents on strategies for expanding executive power and, as a judge, he has erred on the side of even the most reckless abuses of executive authority."

Jonathan Turley, the George Washington University law professor and Constitutional scholar, explained: "In my years as an academic and a litigator, I have rarely seen the equal of Alito's bias in favor of the government. To put it bluntly, when it comes to reviewing government abuse, Samuel Alito is an empty robe. [...] The Alito vote might prove to be the single most important decision on the future of our constitutional system for decades to come. While I generally defer to presidents in their choices for the court, Samuel Alito is the wrong nominee at the wrong time for this country."

----------

Thom Hartmann, "It's the Constitution at Stake":
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0129-26.htm

"Samuel Alito not only would support such expansions of Presidential power on the Supreme Court, he was the author and/or principle proponent of several of the devices used today by Bush to secure such power (including the argument that the power of the Presidency is "unitary")."

"As our legislators vote, we must carefully note their positions on this issue. Their oath of office is not to the President or even to "protect the people," but to the Constitution. And it is the Constitution - and the future of our democratic republic - that is at stake here."

----------

Samuel Alito, Executive Assistant:
http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20060130&s=rosen013006

by: Cos @ Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 13:17:09 PM CST

by: you @ soon

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for cloture (0.00 / 0)

Too bad there's no way to edit a comment once posted. Obviously it should be "a vote for cloture is", not "against". Sorry 'about that.

by: Cos @ Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 13:27:00 PM CST

[ Parent ]

This should be interesting to watch (0.00 / 0)

Good luck on getting Lautenberg to vote for a Fillibuster against Alito. It'll be hard since Alito is from his State (NJ) and spoke for him at the Judiciary hearings.

by: politicalfeminista @ Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 13:23:51 PM CST

by: you @ soon

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Lautenberg (0.00 / 0)

According to one of the people on democrats.com who's been making calls, Frank Lautenberg is planning to announce he will vote No on Alito, and hasn't made a statement about filibuster yet. But if he's going to vote No, and hasn't made anti-filibuster statements, I think it's not much of a stretch to think he'll vote for the filibuster too.

by: Cos @ Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 13:48:40 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Alito Filibuster update | 4 comments

The 2010 Governor's race, per Pollster.com