NOT A Done Deal, NOT A Done Deal!

[mom cat]

NOT A Done Deal, NOT A Done Deal!


NEW ACTION PAGE TO FILIBUSTER ALITO: http://www.nocrony.com

http://www.nocrony.com /

CALL YOUR SENATORS RIGHT NOW at 888-818-6641, 888-355-3588 or 800-426-8073.

NEWS FLASH: THE ALITO VOTE HAS BEEN DELAYED A WEEK. WE CAN WIN THIS!!!

We've noticed the most curious thing. Publically Alito's supporters state pronouncements that his confirmation is a "done" deal. And yet behind the scenes they are stilly lobbying furiously for a vote as quickly as they can get it. What do we make of this?

It's con, folks. It's a great big honking corporate media lie. There is only one way the extreme right wing can win this one, and that is by discouraging the rest of us from speaking out. We'd have to be pretty stupid to go for that one, huh? We'd have to be total chumps, huh? Why else would anyone surrender a fight when they had the numbers to win?

And we do have the numbers. We are the majority. The president is back down to 39% approval rating and dropping again. And even if the majority did NOT oppose their radical dictator president agenda, and all we need are 41 votes to filibuster. We HAVE 41 votes. We HAVE 41 votes. We HAVE 41 votes. All we need to win is to exercise the power we have, the will to win!

[geiger]

1. Good job.

[mom cat]

6. Thanks....I can feel the energy building on this one. We have got

to screen out the dispariging MSM remarks...Reid still hasn't called it. I think that he is giving us time to work our magic!

[Pam-Moby]

2. I called both of my senators on doing a filibuster on Alito.

Plus I emailed both. I will also do it again in the morning. Keep up the good work and keep this kicked. Nominated

[mom cat]

7. Stay on top of them....and call their branch offices as well as any

other senators you can think of.

[Pam-Moby]

28. Will do.

[Kalisiin]

3. I'd Call Mine, But It Would Be A Waste Of Time

I'm in Pennsylvania.
specter's already publicly announced his support for Alito...and Santorectum...well, we know Ricky's just about to come in his pants at the thought of alito on the court, so I don't expect any favors from him or his office.

Y'all out there in other states, keep up the good work. I'll help in any way I can, if y'all can come up with something...but, calling my Senators is useless.

Can you think of something we all from Pennsylvania could do to help?

[mom cat]

8. Absolutely! Call Spector and ask him to vote against going nuclear or to

at least abstain from voting on any nuclear vote. Tell him you oppose Alito because you are worried about Alito's refusal to recuse himself with the Vangard case...and that it was clear conflict of interest!

[mom cat]

10. And then call out of state senators, esp: Dianne Feinstein, Lincoln Chaffe

Olympia Snow, And put pressure on Ben Nelson and Frank Lautenberg. You can reach all of them through the Capitol switchboard:
1-888-818-6641. Call them all if you can, Dems and Repubs.

[clitzpah queen]

11. I think you should call his office anyway to hear your protest

Write LTTE stating how betrayed Penn. has been by Specter who always identified and ran as Pro Choice. Specter must be told he has betrayed anyone who is not Rich- White- Male. What a legacy for him to go out on.....

[mom cat]

16. I like the legacy angle and to cite his "pro-choice" stance. Ask if

he said he was pro-choice just to get votes.

[welshTerrier2]

4. in the shadows of Gore's speech

Gore's speech focussed on abuse of power ... it focussed on bush's violations of the Constitution and his illegal spying on Americans ... it focussed on the separation of powers among the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government ...

with the laundry list of things that bush has done wrong, think how much better off we would be if the other two branches had done their jobs and acted as a check of bush's grab for imperial power ... bush has taken on kinglike powers and the other branches of our government have provided virtually no oversight at all ...

and along comes Smiling Sam Alito ... what a nice guy ... how could those mean old Democrats pick on such a good man? well, Smiling Sammy has been a long-time proponent of greater presidential authority ... no matter how many times he was asked during the hearings, all they could get out of him was that bush had to obey the law ... that's nice; it's also meaningless ... the issue is whether the law allows him to do whatever the hell he wants to do merely because he declares a war on terrorism ... Smiling Sammy didn't have much to say about that ...

some have said the Dems were weak during the hearings ... i often criticize Democrats because i think too many of them are afraid to take a bold stand ... but i think they did a good job highlighting the fact that Smiling Sammy is going to yield more power to the executive branch at a time where separation of powers has reached crisis proportions ... and it's not just bush i'm worried about ... Smiling Sammy will be there for life; bush is gone in three years (or hopefully sooner) ...

we cannot allow the erosion of checks and balances in our government ... we cannot allow a dangerous world to make a case for the suspension of civil liberties ... we cannot allow Smiling Sammy to get his paws on the throat of our Constitutional protections ... this appointment is about much, much more than Roe v. Wade ... don't be distracted ... this is about raw power and the final nail in the coffin of the legislative and judicial branches ...

Democrats need to do more than just vote "NO" ... they need to make the case that there is a loss of balance in government and that Alito is the wrong man at the wrong time ... Democrats have no choice but to filibuster ... for the sake of the country, i hope they're up to the task ...

[mom cat]

17. These observations on Alito are so powerful Smiling Sammy is

no friend of the constitution and an absolute danger to America!

[newswolf56]

5. MC, I think you may be right. And you know I am neither optimist nor...

wishful thinker. All I can do is emphatically affirm your suggestion: increase the effort! Write your senators (even if they're known fascists). Here's another link that makes it easy:

http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/no_to_alito

Those of us who have functional major media connections should also make maximum effort to subvert censorship of anti-Alito sentiment.

[radio4progressives]

9. kick ( and please see newswolf56 thread above for links) N/T

:kick:

[mom cat]

18. I agree with you...I believe that the energy is building on this and that

by next week they will know that Americans are not going to accept Alito or an imperial presidency.

[LittleClarkie]

12. I emailed the Senator I'm worried about, Kohl

Feingold's gonna do what Feingold's gonna do.

[welshTerrier2]

13. I'm surprised ...

i thought Kohl was especially sharp during the hearings ...

has he said anything about how he'll vote?

[LittleClarkie]

14. No, but he's the more Conservative of the two

I dunno, really. Just figured I'd go ahead and contact one. I hadn't yet.

[welshTerrier2]

15. well that's always a good idea ...

let us know if he really is on the fence ...

[mom cat]

21. It seems like most are staying mum till next week. The extra week has been

good for us.

[mom cat]

19. Call Feingold anyway and tell him how good he looked in the hearings.

Tell him also how taking a strong stand against the Repukes now will help him in his presidential aspirations.

[LittleClarkie]

22. I'll call him, but I ain't saying THAT

He's got more integrity than that. Playing up to his vanity and/or his ambitions ain't gonna work.

I'll appeal to his basic decency, and ask him to make an exception to his "a president should get the people he wants" rule.

[mom cat]

25. Ok...You know him better than I do. He did sound good in the

hearings. I was very impressed and personally think that he could make a good Presidential candidate, so I was actually saying that from my heart.
I hope that he could go for a filibuster.

[LittleClarkie]

27. Oh, okay, sorry I misunderstood. I thought you wanted me to butter him up

I'll contact him tomorrow.

[mom cat]

35. Great. He is really quite impressive. He has such a command of

his facts and is so articulate. He is a rising star in my book.

[Hailtothechimp]

20. My Senators: Durbin will be on board, but Obama??

He's the wildcard. If he's on board, the filibuster has a chance. Without him, it's dead in the water. Strange that someone who has been in the Senate only 1 year has that kind of influence. But kind of exciting, too.

[mom cat]

23. Then keep up the pressure on him....He needs to hear loud and

clear how his constituents feel.

[sojourner]

24. we're onto them mom cat....i've begun thinking same thing.

they boast and strut confidently...but work furiously behind the scenes...it's to dishearten us, because truth is they are worried.
conversely, when they say they're worried/scared...we should be cautious, because they're sand-bagging.

[unkachuck]

26. I'm keeping my fingers crossed....n/t

[grasswire]

29. call your GOP senators too!

Tell them you expect them to vote for the Constitution and against the Unitary Executive. Tell them to stand up for the Constitution.

[newswolf56]

30. Expect nothing but treachery from Reid. Here's why:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2377688

If we win this one, it will be because Senatorial progressives are finally learning how to circumvent the obstacles laid in their (our) path by class-traitors like Reid, who showed his true colors by leading the Democrats who voted for "bankruptcy reform": the re-imposition of indentured servitude and therefore the most calculatedly vicious anti-working-class legislation in U.S. history.

[Freddie Stubbs]

31. Unfortunately it is a done deal

How may Republicans have even hinted that they have reservations about Alito? None. Nada. Zilch. Unless seven of them cross party lines, he is going to be confirmed. How likely is that to happen?

[0007]

32. bttft

I called Coryn & Hutchinson just to piss em off.

[watercolors]

33. I have signed every petition

and called my senators offices, what more can we do. I hope this has really gained momentum to fillerbuster!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

34. THANK YOU!!!!

The MSM all over the place is writing off the Dems as weak and incompetent and trumpeting Alito's confirmation as certain. The way that Newsweek was talking about the Aliton confirmation hearings this week made it seemed as if he had ALREADY been confirmed. I actually almost thought that he had ALREADY been confirmed and that I missed that piece of news. I listened to some of the hearings and felt that the Dems brought up some good issues for discussion during the hearings but I knew that Alito wouldn't give any answers with any real substance and that the hearings were more or less a farce, just like the Roberts nomination ended up being. I also knew that however they turned out the Dems were going to slimed by the process, which they did with Lindsey Graham bringing Mrs. Alito to tears (I still haven't figured out how the Dems ended up getting the blame for THAT but then again I have NO confidence in the MSM anymore). I agree with Biden's suggestion that hearings for Supreme Court nominees just get scrapped and the nominees get debated within the Senate because they have gotten to be a waste of time IMHO. I hope that Dems DO mount a filibuster against Alito even if the GOP does go "nuclear" but I will be satisfied if the Dems just vote "no" if they are forced into an up-down vote.

[mom cat]

36. Here is a great list of resources:

Filibuster Alito!!!
Actions & Crafts!
The Democrats need to pull together and filibuster Alito's confirmation. It only takes one senator to filibuster, but it takes 40 (out of 45 Democrats, plus the spare Republican here and there), to support his/her right to do so and keep the floor open.


**CodePINK Boston's urgent call for help!**

Here are the Senators to call, with the reason we think they should be talked with (for example, Dems who voted for Roberts, Bush's last nomination, are more likely to vote for Alito as well). They are roughly prioritized, but that of course depends on your personal priorities and approach. You might want to focus on CHOICE (expected to be the biggest issue in this confirmation). All you have to say is "I'm calling to register my firm opposition to Alito's confirmation and my support for a filibuster", although of course it's fun to dress that up with a rant about your favorite issue, the threat not to vote for him/her, questions about their voting plans, etc. Ask your representatives to be corageous and represent what they have worked so hard for and to stand strong for what they believe in.

Free numbers for D.C Capitol Switchboard (they'll connect you to any Congressperson, or give you their address):

1-866-340-9281

1-866-340-9279

1-877-762-8762

1-888-355-3588

OR go to http://www.congress.org/ for easy links to contacting your own senators.

OR order a telegram to be delivered to a senator for $12.95 at congress.com!

P.S. Don't see why this is important? Review information and issues on why the Alito thing is so crucial at Save the Court.org: here


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our Favorite Democrats
to Contact to Support a Filibuster
MA: Edward Kennedy
[phone]
Boston:617-565-3170
Kennedy is doing a great job opposing Alito, and is a strong candidate to filibuster. Call and support him!

MA: John Kerry
[phone]
Boston:671-565-8519
Calling our own representatives is probably going to be the most effective!

NY: Hilary Clinton
[phone]
website: http://clinton.senate.gov/

NY: Chuck Schumer
[phone]
Schumer has also done a great job questioning Alito, and is "not ruling out" a filibuster. Call and support him!

CA: Barbara Boxer
[phone]
website: http://boxer.senate.gov/

CA: Dianne Feinstein
[phone]
Feinstein voted against Roberts and plans on voting against Alito, but was quoted by Associated Press on Sunday as saying, "This might be a man I disagree with, but it doesn't mean he shouldn't be on the court." Call and tell her that YOU disagree with the man, and that DOES mean he shouldn't be on the court - we need a filibuster!
Update: Feinstein was quoted in the Washington Post recently saying she will not support a filibuster. Do your best to see if you can still convince her otherwise!
Update:How about also calling Sen. Diane Feinstein D-CA and telling her to stop stating self-defeating obits for the filibuster on Alito. Her husband is a big corporate guy (read as "conflict of interest") -- is Alito's long record of corporate bias a factor in her going light on Alito?

HI: Daniel Inouye
[phone]
website: http://inouye.senate.gov/
Inouye voted against Roberts, but is in the Gang of 14.

WI: Russell Feingold
202-224-5323
Feingold has said he plans to run for president in the next election. Show him he won't have your support if he supports Alito's approval!

NV: Harry Reid
[phone]
website: reid.senate.gov/email_form.cfm (includes a contact form)
Reid is the Senate Minority Leader. He is not planning to filibuster as yet.

VT: Patrick Leahy
[phone]
Leahy sits on the Judiciary Committee and voted for Roberts' nomination. On the bright side, AP reported that he is standing up for the Democrats' right to delay the committee vote a day so that the Democratic caucus can meet. Call and tell him that he's on the right track but that he needs to do more - FILIBUSTER.

IL: Richard Durbin
[phone]
Durbin is the Senate Minority Whip, and he should be pulling together the Dems. But he seems unconvinced so far: "We can only afford to lose five senators favoring Judge Alito before a filibuster is impossible. It's a very tight margin, and I'm not going to presume one way or the other whether my colleagues are even interested." (1/13/06)

NJ: Robert Menendez
[phone]
Menendez is being appointed to replace Jon Corzine, and will take office January 17th - just days before the Alito vote. It will be his first important vote as a Senator, so call and tell him to make it a good one! (He's also up for re-election this year)

CT: Joseph Lieberman
[phone]
Voted for Roberts and is up for re-election in 2006. He has pledged not to support a filibuster unless under "extraordinary circumstances." Tell him this is extraordinary!

WV: Robert Byrd
[phone]
Byrd voted for Roberts and is up for re-election in 2006. He has pledged not to support a filibuster unless under "extraordinary circumstances." Tell him this is extraordinary!

AR: Mark Pryor
[phone]
Nelson voted for Roberts and has pledged not to support a filibuster unless under "extraordinary circumstances." Tell him this is extraordinary!

NM: Jeff Bingaman
[phone]
Bingaman voted for Roberts and is up for re-election in 2006

WI: Herb Kohl
[phone]
Kohl voted for Roberts and is up for re-election in 2006.

NE: Ben Nelson
[phone]
Nelson voted for Roberts and is up for re-election in 2006. He has pledged not to support a filibuster unless under "extraordinary circumstances." Tell him this is extraordinary!

CO: Ken Salazar
[phone]
Salazer voted for Roberts and has pledged not to support a filibuster unless under "extraordinary circumstances." Tell him this is extraordinary!

ND: Kent Conrad
[phone]
Conrad voted for Roberts and is up for re-election in 2006.

MI: Carl Levin
[phone]
Levin voted for Roberts and is up for re-election in 2006

These twelve Senators all voted for Roberts and are likely to be swing votes on Alito:

AR Blanche Lincoln
[phone]

ND Byron Dorgan
[phone]

CT Christopher Dodd
[phone]

OR Ron Wyden
[phone]

SD Tim Johnson
[phone]

DE Thomas Carper
[phone]

FL Bill Nelson
[phone]

WA Patty Murray
[phone]

LA Mary Landrieu
[phone]

MT Max Baucus
[phone]

WV John Rockefeller
[phone]

WI Russell Feingold
[phone]



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Our Eight Favorite Moderate Republicans
To Convince to Accept a Filibuster
These have pledged not to support the "nuclear option" (changing Senate rules so that a judicial nominee filibuster could be overcome with only 51 votes):


NAME (State) PHONE EMAIL WEBSITE &
OTHER INFO
McCain (Arizona) [phone] see website http://mccain.senate.gov/
Graham (South Carolina) [phone] see website http://lgraham.senate.gov/
Warner (Virginia) [phone] see website http://warner.senate.gov/
DeWine (Ohio) [phone] see website http://dewine.senate.gov/


These have pledged not to support a filibuster unless in "extraordinary circumstances":


NAME (State) PHONE EMAIL WEBSITE &
OTHER INFO
Specter (Pennsylvania) [phone] see website
http://specter.senate.gov/

Specter is Chair of the Judiciary Committee and pro-choice.

Update: Why not also call Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee,and remind him of this quote from his 2000 book, Passion for Truth: "he Senate should resist, if not refuse to confirm Supreme Court nominees who refuse to answer questions on fundamental issues. In voting on whether or not to confirm a nominee, senators should not have to gamble or guess about a candidate's philosophy, but should be able to judge on the basis of the candidate's expressed views."
Chafee (Rhode Island) [phone] see website
http://chafee.senate.gov/

Chafee has considered switching parties, is pro-choice, and is up for re-election in 2006. He has pledged not to support the "nuclear option" (changing Senate rules so that a judicial nominee filibuster could be overcome with only 51 votes).
Collins (Maine) [phone] see website
http://collins.senate.gov/

She is pro-choice and has pledged not to support the "nuclear option" (changing Senate rules so that a judicial nominee filibuster could be overcome with only 51 votes).
Snowe (Maine) [phone] see website
http://snowe.senate.gov/

Snowe is pro-choice and up for re-election in 2006. She has also pledged not to support the "nuclear option" (changing Senate rules so that a judicial nominee filibuster could be overcome with only 51 votes).

[newswolf56]

37. Here's another No Alito petition we should all sign:

http://ga3.org/campaign/opposealito

This one is being sponsored by John Edwards and goes to EVERY Senate Democrat.


Edit: additional info.