LAT: Liberal Groups Vow to Dig In (in Alito battle)

[DeepModem Mom]

Liberal Groups Vow to Dig In
By expanding the battle against Alito even though a filibuster is unlikely, Democrats hope to make the GOP pay in November.
By Ronald Brownstein, Times Staff Writer


WASHINGTON — Liberal groups pledged Thursday to expand their uphill campaign against Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr., saying this week's hearings provided fuel for a sustained lobbying effort against his confirmation....

***

"There is going to be a significant effort to defeat this nomination inside Washington — but more importantly, outside Washington," said Ralph G. Neas, president of People for the American Way, a liberal advocacy group leading the opposition to Alito.

Democratic senators, however, appear unlikely to enlist in an all-out effort by party activists to thwart the nomination.

Although Alito is expected to draw significantly more opposition than Roberts, party leaders seem unwilling to pursue a filibuster against him, which probably represents their sole option for blocking the nomination.

"Based on everything I've seen so far, while is not out of the question, the more likely scenario is we try to maximize the 'no' votes and we try to build a case designed to highlight the differences between the two parties on key issues such as privacy and civil rights and women's rights," said a senior Senate Democratic congressional aide who requested anonymity when discussing the party's strategy on Alito....


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-liberals13jan13,0,2882744.story?coll=la-home-nation

[rodeodance]

1. it is the American people that will be affected--but looks like Dems are

more interested in putting together their platform for next election???

......"There is going to be a significant effort to defeat this nomination inside Washington — but more importantly, outside Washington," said Ralph G. Neas, president of People for the American Way, a liberal advocacy group leading the opposition to Alito.

Democratic senators, however, appear unlikely to enlist in an all-out effort by party activists to thwart the nomination.

Although Alito is expected to draw significantly more opposition than Roberts, party leaders seem unwilling to pursue a filibuster against him, which probably represents their sole option for blocking the nomination.

"Based on everything I've seen so far, while is not out of the question, the more likely scenario is we try to maximize the 'no' votes and we try to build a case designed to highlight the differences between the two parties on key issues such as privacy and civil rights and women's rights," said a senior Senate Democratic congressional aide who requested anonymity when discussing the party's strategy on Alito....

[PATRICK]

2. No votes, no fight

If Alito was successfully sunk there would be another one crafted to make the Dems bleed even more. But not much will be gained by not fighting- now- and hoping fro trickle down support in November.

Remember dems, this is the smart stuff that got you into this mess in the first place.

[ecoalex]

3. If Alito is Confirmed it's all over, and Imperial Presidency wins

More powers for the president

Gutting of any corporate regulation

Gutting of Civil Rights laws

Gutting of enviornmental laws

The return of the robber barons unfettered.

[PATRICK]

5. Then radical solutions

might be. Forget polite parity parties and go for the entire pie. Get massive majorities. Bully out all election crookedness. Get Congress in toto. Impeach the tainted judges, whom we are probably let in with some dirty laundry hanging out. Cut out the entire fraudulent legitimacy of anything the fraudulently elected GOP has done. Work hard at encouraging participation and more parties with honest agendas.

Of course the other radical things people would wring their hands about, violence, nationalization of anything in the public domain, hobbling money influence in civic affairs, socialism, etc. will be trotted out as "bad things" but obscure the naked power struggle engaged in now by privileged tyranny over the- dare we utter the word?- masses AND the individual per se.

In fact total defeat or continual decay will lead always to the same choices. Only a compromised victory would disable the progress toward radical response to radical criminality. It seems the Dems may succeed in removing the danger of moderate compromise all by themselves.

If you can afford despair you can afford a spade to dig your grave. The people determine a democracy, not
a bad generation of leadership. The civil contract undercuts all this crap and it has been violated and dangerously ignored.

[John Q. Citizen]

4. This is a good thing. If the Dems decide to filibuster there is

no reason to telegraph it to the Repos.

And a strong campaign by ancillary groups will help set the stage for a successful filibuster.