Sen. Leahy opposes Alito nomination

[hang a left]

Sen. Leahy opposes Alito nomination

8 minutes ago


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (news, bio, voting record) of Vermont, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced his opposition on Thursday to Supreme Court nominee
Samuel Alito.


Leahy charged that
President George W. Bush's 55-year-old conservative candidate failed to demonstrate at last week's confirmation hearing that he would bring a needed independence to the nation's highest court.

"At a time when the president is seizing unprecedented power, the Supreme Court needs to act as a check and to provide balance," Leahy said in a speech prepared for delivery at Georgetown University Law Center.

"I have no confidence that Judge Alito would provide that check and balance," Leahy said. "I cannot support this nomination."

Other leading Senate Democrats planned to declare their opposition later in the day to Alito, who nonetheless appears headed toward confirmation in the Republican-controlled Senate.


end>

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060119/pl_nm/usa_court_alito_dc

[Straight Shooter]

1. There is another thread on DU indicating Max Baucus will not support, too.

Now we can add two more Dems with spines. :thumbsup:

[babylonsister]

2. Add Feinstein- info here:

Feinstein reiterated that she planned to vote against Alito, a federal appellate judge from New Jersey, because of his conservative statements on congressional power and on Roe vs. Wade, the decision that legalized abortion nationwide. Before becoming a judge, Alito wrote that Roe was "wrongly decided" and laid out a strategy to dismantle it.

Feinstein and others cautioned that it was too soon to be certain how Democrats would vote on the nomination, because many members were not back from the winter recess and hadn't made up their minds.

However, most Democrats appeared to be against approval, although few expressed enthusiasm for a filibuster.

"I'm not a fan of Alito," the chamber's Democratic leader, Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, said Wednesday. He deflected a follow-up question on the possibility of a filibuster: "No decision has been made on that."

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-alito19jan19...

[rodeodance]

9. and Reid is still sitting on the fense!!

[mom cat]

12. I think that he is giving us time to raise hell! Lets keep up the pressure

[wordpix]

14. I thought she was goign to vote for Alito--glad she changed, thanks, DiFi

[AndyTiedye]

31. She Never Said She Would Vote FOR Alito

She did poo-poo the filibuster a few days ago,
which earned her another phone call and another email from me.

[rodeodance]

5. Read his transcript--he laid out wonderful points of why NOT to support

alito. send to all Senators (i do not have it)

[rodeodance]

6. kick and recommended

[jsamuel]

3. He gave the right reason too! GREAT JOB!

[leftupnorth]

4. AWESOME!

sniff, sniff

Do I smell a filibuster sandwich with impeachment cobbler for dessert?

mmmmmmm....impeachment cobbler.......mmmmmmmmmm

one can hope, can't one?

[bliss_eternal]

10. Just keep thinking those positive thoughts--

you never know!

:woohoo::hi:

[rodeodance]

7. my gawd, the Dems just have to stand together on this one!!!

[rodeodance]

8. see this thread also

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x182268

[mom cat]

13. It is certainly looking better all the time.

[Judi Lynn]

11. I hope Senator Leahy realizes this could mean he'll get his SECOND

anthrax letter....

[wordpix]

15. good move, don't roll over, Dem Senators! Stand and fight the cabal!

[f-bush]

16. Way to go Patrick

I love it when a Democrat shows some balls!

[Justitia]

17. Yea! Keep rejecting the fascist wannabe!

:bounce:

[pberq]

18. Excellent speech

Concentrated on abuse of power by Bush.

rtsp://video.c-span.org/archive/sc/sc011906_leahy.rm

[bettyellen]

19. called Shrub his "patron"

well said!

[barb162]

20. Leahy: Alito wouldn't check presidential power

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/19/alito.vote/

Leahy: Alito wouldn't check presidential power
Democrats Durbin, Kennedy also to oppose high court nominee



Sen. Patrick Leahy said he does not believe Judge Alito will be an effective check on executive power.WATCH Browse/Search

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Patrick Leahy, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Thursday he will vote against confirmation of President Bush's Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito.

"I'm not going to 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," Leahy said during an address at Georgetown University.

Leahy devoted much of his speech to the recent acknowledgement by Bush that he authorized warrentless eavesdropping on Americans in an effort to combat terrorism.

snip

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

21. The reason this nomination should be filibustered

I fear for the future of my country because Alito appears to support a dictatorship under the guise of unitary president.

[barb162]

23. I didn't like the way he answered women's rights issues also

Sorry, I meant to write: did he answer anything clearly

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

24. I didn't either,

but so many people around here dismiss any objection to Alito by saying "All you're interested in is killing babies", so I don't mention it.

[barb162]

25. I missed those threads

The guy answered just about nothing. It was frightening. He couldn't "remember" why he joined organizations, he couldn't "remember" what he did on decisions, he kept saying he didn't mean something way back when, etc.

I think he'll end up being to the right of Scalia or Thomas, if that's possible

[katsy]

22. Did he mean to say...

alito wouldn't check a gop president's power?

[pop goes the weasel]

27. he wouldn't check DLC power either

With Alito on the Court, corporatist government will have no check whatsoever. Say goodbye to the division of power that the founding fathers worked so hard to create to preserve our freedoms.

[Vinca]

26. Thank you, Senator Leahy. If only every senator was as wise. nt

[Turn CO Blue]

28. Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO) will oppose Alito as well. Info here:

<http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/1/19/142038/998>

I called Salazar's office yesterday and left comments. Perhaps my voice was some small part of helping him move in this direction!

Salazar has a problem with Alito's deference to Presidential power.

---
tcb

[DrZeeLit]

29. Bravo, Leahy, my senator from the great state of Vermont!

I am bombarding Jeffords, who is questionable, maybe.
I haven't heard his views in awhile.

Yippeeeeee for VT.
(altho the ski season is going belly-up at the moment ... darn)

[democrank]

32. Mine too!

Gimme a P
Gimme an R
Gimme an O-U-D!

[nautibits]

30. yesssssssssss

:party: :toast: :bounce:

[mvd]

33. Good - keep em' coming

:thumbsup: