Reid on Alito--He's locked and loaded. Give 'em Hell Harry

[autorank]

OK, Reid asks the shit heads to apologize for screwing up our national security...nice one, they have no good choice.

Now he wants the Senate to find out "if the man replacing Miers is too radical for the American people."

That's a hint!

Rock on Harry. He knew Miers wouldn't pass and that's why he held back. The guy has some moves and we're going to see a lot of them in the coming months.


From Raw Story article http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Reid_hits_Bush_pick_Not_woman_1031.html


“The nomination of Judge Alito requires an especially long hard look by the Senate because of what happened last week to Harriet Miers. Conservative activists forced Miers to withdraw from consideration for this same Supreme Court seat because she was not radical enough for them. Now the Senate needs to find out if the man replacing Miers is too radical for the American people.
Advertisement

“I am disappointed in this choice for several reasons. First, unlike previous nominations, this one was not the product of consultation with Senate Democrats. Last Friday, Senator Leahy and I wrote to President Bush urging him to work with us to find a consensus nominee. The President has rejected that approach.

“Second, this appointment ignores the value of diverse backgrounds and perspectives on the Supreme Court. The President has chosen a man to replace Sandra Day O’Connor, one of only two women on the Court. For the third time, he has declined to make history by nominating the first Hispanic to the Court. And he has chosen yet another federal appellate judge to join a court that already has eight justices with that narrow background. President Bush would leave the Supreme Court looking less like America and more like an old boys club.
“Justice O’Connor has been the deciding vote in key cases protecting individual rights and freedoms on a narrowly divided Court. The stakes in selecting her replacement are high.

“I look forward to meeting Judge Alito and learning why those who want to pack the Court with judicial activists are so much more enthusiastic about him than they were about Harriet Miers.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. I've become a huge Harry Reid fan.

I was very disappointed at first when he was put in charge. I thought "Uh oh - another Senator from a red state that won't be able to fight."

Hot damn has that boy proven me wrong!

[Arkansas Granny]

3. My first assessment of Harry Reid was pretty much the same.

I've come to view him with a great deal of respect.

[autorank]

6. I think that this is just the beginning. Watch for the "ouitrage" and

"temper"...it will be great theater and very effective, I anticipate.

[rockymountaindem]

2. I tried to e-mail him on his "giveemhellharry" website, but...

he says to post on his blog instead. So I go to the blog and it's like 10 RW trolls and one Democrat. All the trolls are on there talking about how Democrats lost the election and we have to just do whatever the Republicans say. Just to overlook how whacked out that idea is, I don't want to deal with trolls.

The DNC blog is the same way. I don't know why, if DU can manage to keep trolls relatively under control, party blogs can't do the same.

Anyway, I sent him an e-mail on his Senate website. I encourage you to do the same.

[FreedomAngel82]

8. Oh yes

I'm sure they did whatever the democrats wanted when Clinton was president eh? :eyes:

[stevietheman]

4. Yes, Reid is proving to be a far greater leader than Daschle. n/t

n/t

[autorank]

5. He's playing chess, which is frustrating to watch, but ultimately more

effective. He can come out swinging and nobody can call him a hot head, after all he's tried to "cooperate."

Now we get an opposition!

[FreedomAngel82]

7. I think so too

I think that's why he came out in favor of her because he knew they would eat each other up. Now the democrats can really fight this one and show how radical they're being. Please give them hell Harry!

[NVMojo]

9. Reid knew what he was doing!

[autorank]

10. He had me worried, but then again, he's a better poker player than I!

Great avatar!

[texpatriot2004]

11. Give em hell Harry

www.giveemhellharry.com

[Nothing Without Hope]

12. An important element of strategy: Alito threatens MUCH MORE THAN ROE:

This extremist is on record for having opposed many basic civil rights and even many people who oppose abortion will be appalled by some of his radical positions. We must gather the documentation, organize it, and blast the public, the media, and ALL members of Congress.

See these two threads for more info as well as (in a reply) links to THREE PETITIONS to defeat Alito:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2204776
thread title (10/31): Why Alito? Booman explains: Roe destroyed, Bush’s crimes buried. Petition:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2206263
thread title (10/31): Not just Roe - Think Progress gives ALITO's awful civil rights positions:

And also the insight and advice in this piece at Steve Gilliard's blog:

http://stevegilliard.blogspot.com/2005/11/cry-for-help.html
(posted by gaije, Mon Oct 31, 2005 at 03:28:53 PM PDT)

(snip)

With this nomination, Bush is forcing Republican senators to go on record for or against Roe, as they enter the 2006 campaign season. Two thirds of Americans support Roe v. Wade. The Senate knows that. Any senator who votes for Alito will be saying good-bye to all those votes. Moderate republicans, swing voters, countless previously apathetic voters, will be going Democratic. The Democratic party will be galvanized around a single issue like it hasn't been in years, and its coffers overflowing. For a GOP senator, that's no good, it's no good at all.

Vote against him though, and they'll alienate the religious right. All that reliable fundraising, voter turnout & volunteer manpower down the drain. That's no good either. Apparently, someone forgot to tell Bush he's not supposed to put them in this position (Maybe that was Scooter's job.).

(snip)

Democrats are not going to be able to get behind this one, unless they're looking to retire.] Roberts they had to give a little benefit of the doubt, but this one's just impossible. The nuclear option's not going to fly on this one either. Frist's power is somewhat diminished, thanks to that pesky SEC investigation (so many investigations these days, so hard to keep track!). The GOP rank and file are caught between a rock & a hard, hard place here. They may just be thinking a fillibuster's their best out. How many do you really think are going to be willing to fall on their swords for the least popular (and worst) president ever? Their much vaunted "message discipline," has been slipping away for weeks, as they've realized Bush's ship is sinking, and they'd better jump off well before November 2006.

The thing to do here, is to base our opposition to Alito on everything but his anti-Roe potential. It'll take the GOP by surprise, they'll be all prepared with their "litmus test," talking points, and defenseless in the face of other questions. It also offers them some cover for a no vote.

(snip)

This blog piece ends with a suggested list of NON-ROE topics on which Alito has demonstrated extreme views that need to be publicized. It's much the same list, re-worded, as in the Think Progress list given in the opening post of this thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2206263
thread title (10/31): Not just Roe - Think Progress gives ALITO's awful civil rights positions:

Let's research, organize and frame talking points around the many outrageous positions Alito has taken. Then blast them to the media, the public, Congress, and take this to the wall. There are reasons to believe that if we give them an out (i.e., reasons besides Roe v Wade opposition), at least some moderate Republicans will join this fight.

And we must INSIST VEHEMENTLY that ALL the Dems stand against this would-be destroyer of civil liberties.