Kerry to vote NO on Alito!

[RufusEarl]

I just received an email from John Kerry, it said that Kerry would vote NO ant the Alito nomination. Has anyone else received this email?

[ladjf]

1. I would certainly hope so, Unless he's ready to abdicate any

semblance of leadership in the Democratic Party. Every single Democrat should vote NO and more.

[shance]

2. Call his office. NO IS NOT ENOUGH.

n/t

[shance]

6. Just called Senator Kerry's office.

Was polite mentioned I was a contributor to Kerry's presidential campaign, and while I appreciate the fact he is going to vote no on the Alito nomination THAT IS NOT ENOUGH. I mentioned Alito is clearly unqualified for any position on the Supreme Court, he's an extremist, and a Federalist which should actually disqualify him right there.

I also said, Im not sure what it is going to take other than the Republicans to nominate Charles Manson for Supreme Court Justice to wake our Senators up and I hope they will not betray their country by supporting this nominee.

The person was very polite who answered the phone.

[shance]

8. Please call all Senators who have stated they will vote NO - [phone]

Tell them NO IS NOT ENOUGH, that Alito is an extremist who wishes to eliminate their power as Senators and further embolden the office of the Presidency and more clearly defined, that means tyranny.

[wisteria]

9. Reid would make the fillibuster decision, I'm sure if it is made

By Reid, Kerry wouldn't object.

[Lorien]

3. It was discussed this weekend

hardly a surprise-though if it is a surprise to some, then our expectations have certainly hit an all time low!

[Semi_subversive]

4. We need a filibuster!!

I sent an email to Sen. Feinstein requesting that she support one. A lot of good that will do, but I'm trying.

[tkmorris]

5. A simple no vote will still allow Alito through

The only way to stop him is a successful filibuster. Kerry knows that and is attempting to appear to oppose Alito without actually taking any risks. To be fair, he isn't the only Dem doing that, not by far.

[Fozzledick]

7. This means NOTHING without a filibuster!

Voting to pay lip service after ACTING to allow confirmation is just an obscenely cynical fraud.

Only a filibuster counts!!:mad:

[LittleClarkie]

16. Indeed. So sign his letter so he can take it with him

to the Senate floor, enter your name in the Congressional Record. The letter is addressed TO HIS FELLOW SENATORS. He wants us to help him put pressure on them. So, will you?

[wisteria]

10. happy that he has confirned this. Now, people should contact

Reid about fillibustering Alito.

[RufusEarl]

11. Kerry, No to Alito

Here's a short version of the email, no mention of a filibuster




Dear XXXX,
I've studied Judge Alito's legal record. I met with him one-on-one. After all this, I am left with one simple conclusion: if Judge Alito becomes Supreme Court Justice Alito, he will move the Court backwards.
I will vote against Judge Alito's confirmation, and I hope a majority of Senators choose to join us on the Senate floor, voting and speaking out against him. I know we face tough odds, but this is an important fight.
The bottom line is Judge Alito cannot be trusted on the Supreme Court. We can't trust him to stand up to government abuse of power. We can't trust him to ensure all citizens enjoy equal protection under the law. We can't trust him to protect our right to privacy. We can't trust him to defend mainstream American values.

[Tom Rinaldo]

19. Without mention of a Filibuster, there is NO news here

Only ONE Democrat has said he would actually vote Yes on Alito. I'm glad that Kerry agrees that Alito should not serve on the Supreme Court. It isn't worth sending out emails to announce this though, a short Press release would do the job if that is all Kerry wants to say. The question now is whether Kerry, and the other Democratic Senators who oppose Alito, are willing to do everything in their power to stop Alito from serving on the Supreme Court.If he wants to send out emails urging surrporters to contact their Senators to ask them to filibuster Alito, that would make good use of Kerry's mailing list.

[Blue_State_Elitist]

12. Prediction: No fillibuster

The normal milquetoast dems will vote with Bush. I don't expect a thing.

[patrioticliberal]

13. Always good to expect nothing

If something does happen, great, pleasant surprise. If not, it's normal.

[Blue_State_Elitist]

17. Unfortunately pessimistic strategy

but in the case of the dems, the only way to stay sane.

[Neil Lisst]

14. I feel that 90% of Dems will vote NO, if not more. BUT

BUT unless they are willing to filibuster, it's almost a meaningless vote to simply vote against Alito.

[LittleClarkie]

15. Here's the email.

With the interesting bit bolded. I like the thought of him going into the Senate with our names entered into the Congressional Record to put pressure on the rest of the Senate.

Think about signing up.

Dear Erica,

I've studied Judge Alito's legal record. I met with him one-on-one. After all this, I am left with one simple conclusion: if Judge Alito becomes Supreme Court Justice Alito, he will move the Court backwards.

I will vote against Judge Alito's confirmation, and I hope a majority of Senators choose to join us on the Senate floor, voting and speaking out against him. I know we face tough odds, but this is an important fight.

The bottom line is Judge Alito cannot be trusted on the Supreme Court. We can't trust him to stand up to government abuse of power. We can't trust him to ensure all citizens enjoy equal protection under the law. We can't trust him to protect our right to privacy. We can't trust him to defend mainstream American values.

To muster enough Senators to defeat Judge Alito, the American people have to make it clear that they are against his nomination. That's where you come in. By speaking out, you will help us convince other Senators to join our fight.

Stand with us today against Judge Alito:

http://www.johnkerry.com/action/alito/

If you want to understand why Americans don't want Judge Alito on the Supreme Court, just take a look at his record. It paints a disturbing picture.

When it comes to standing up to the abuse of executive power and protecting our right to privacy, he barely has a record. Judge Alito refused to hold the government accountable for excessive force when an unarmed boy was shot and killed, or when an innocent 10 year old girl was strip-searched.

In a speech in 2000, Judge Alito even endorsed a theory suggesting that independent agencies like the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which holds companies responsible for making products safe for kids, and the Securities and Exchange Commission, which stands up to corporate abusers like Enron, are unconstitutional infringements on the President's power.

With this record, how can we expect Alito to stand up to the President when he breaks the law to eavesdrop on American citizens or authorizes the torture of detainees?

Judge Alito's record on civil rights is no better. He saw no legitimate question of discrimination in allowing an all-white jury to sentence a black man to death for killing a white man. His own colleagues have criticized him for ignoring employees' rights to be free from job discrimination. Judge Alito's clear bias is to keep victims of discrimination out of the court system - and to rule in favor of corporate interests.

Judge Alito's record on privacy rights is worst of all. In 1985, Judge Alito actually wrote a memo outlining a strategy to undermine Roe v. Wade by slowly chipping away at its protections. That same year, Judge Alito wrote in a job application that he did not believe in the constitutionality of the right to privacy. Judge Alito's views on privacy rights are not ambiguous; they are openly hostile.

Stand with us today against Judge Alito:

http://www.johnkerry.com/action/alito/

Your voice is essential in this fight.

We have no reason to be hesitant in fighting to keep Samuel Alito off the Supreme Court. None of our fears are based on inference, speculation or assumption. His record speaks for itself -- and it speaks on behalf of extreme ideology and powerful corporations -- not the rights guaranteed by our Constitution.

To join this fight, please sign our letter. When I go down to the Senate floor to speak out against Judge Alito, I'll enter your name in opposition to Alito into the Congressional Record as well. And I'll show my Senate colleagues that as far as the American people are concerned, this is not some inside the beltway conversation; this is a landmark struggle for the future of our nation.

Please join us in this fight for our most cherished rights and freedoms.

Sincerely,

John Kerry

P.S. Please pass this letter on to your friends. We need as many voices as possible joining us and speaking out against Alito.

[WildEyedLiberal]

18. Link

http://www.johnkerry.com/action/alito/

I have a feeling the petition is being gathered to show public support for "stopping Alito via any means necessary" - AKA a filibuster.

CALL THE SENATORS ON THE FENCE NOW. CALL FEINSTEIN, NELSON, LINCOLN, PRYOR, LIEBERMAN, AND JEFFORDS NOW - URGE THEM TO SUPPORT ANY MEANS NECESSARY TO STOP ALITO, UP TO AND INCLUDING A FILIBUSTER.

Also PLEASE CALL MODERATE REPUB SENATORS - SNOWE, CHAFFEE, AND COLLINS. Urge them to protect the seperation of powers so vital to the survival of our democracy and to not be blinded by partisan loyalty into allowng Alito to pass!