I woke up this morning feeling so damn proud of John Kerry.

[Island Blue]

(Okay, I also went to sleep feeling proud of JK, but that's beside the point.) This filibuster he's called for may or may not work out, but by standing up and speaking out, he is REFUSING to be the lap dog of the right-wing. If we as Democrats don't start standing up to Republicans more often (even if we lose), we will continue to be beaten down and thought of as weak and ineffective. This is a line in the sand - no more! We the people are worth fighting for and John Kerry knows it! Rock on John!

[Mass]

1. Me too, and I have to say I am disappointed by some Democrats

I understand Mark Pryor, Mary Landrieu, or Conrad opposing the filibuster. I dont agree, but they have made clear again and again they were opposing filibusters and they come from red states.

What I dont understand is the "wimpy" attitude of some democrats who at the same time tell us that they strongly disapprove of Alito, but that they do not want to filibuster "because the vote is not there". Does that mean they would filibuster if the vote was there. I am particularly bothered by Harkin and Obama. May be they will end up voting no on cloture as Reid does (and he gives a pretty good reason for that: show that we disagree with Alito and are serious about it), but Harkin and Obama are those who are supposed to be the good guys.

I am sure Kerry is able to do the math as well as them, but he is right: why are we in such a hurry to confirm this guy?

[Inuca]

2. About Obama

Read somewhere (don't remember where, during my first sips of coffee, not fully awake) that Obama is on-board, announced on the NewsHour, I think...

[globalvillage]

3. That is great news.

I will have to e-mail him!

[FreedomAngel82]

12. Really?

[Island Blue]

4. I agree Mass

I don't understand some people's reluctance to filibuster "because the vote is not there". How will the votes ever "be there" if people are only willing to take a stand if the votes are already there. I keep hoping that some folks will abstain from voting on cloture all together, thereby not giving the Repukes the 60 votes they need. Dream on IB. :crazy:

[wisteria]

6. Yeah, Reid claims the Republicans gave us plenty of time to debate

supposedly, he even thanked the majority leadership for all the generous time given, yet, all we actually got was, that poor hearing which played out badly for us. I wondered during that hearing why we didn't hear a thing from Reid.He feigned outrage when Bush chose him after Harriet Meyers withdrew. A bunch of smoke and mirrors. IMO, some deal was made behind the scenes, and Kerry has put a wrench into it.

If Alito's ideologies go beyond being Conservative, and he is such a threat to civil liberties and a balance of power, why are the other Dem's not outraged enough to support a filibuster?

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06028/645824.stm

"Republicans and some Democrats ridiculed the Kerry filibuster effort, which was announced Thursday when Mr. Kerry was attending the World Economic Forum in Davis, Switzerland. On Thursday, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., undercut the filibuster effort by publicly thanking the Republican majority for affording "adequate time to talk about this most important nomination."

I want to know who the other Dem's were that ridiculed him. I want to express my "outrage" at their lack of integrity and honesty.

[Inuca]

7. A couple of comments

"supposedly, he even thanked the majority leadership..." Yes, he did, I heard it, did not like it.

The committee hearings: I was not able to really follow, heard/read only a bit, what I know I did not particularly like. More of a gut feeling, too little information for a real opinion. But it did seem somewhat unfocused and lacking coordination. Maybe because there was already division as to what to do once the vote comes to the floor....?

The Myers thing: IMHO the Dems put too much emphasis on this. True, what happened to her nomination speaks volumes about the attitude of the right. But it was a ridiculous nomination, no matter what her views on Roe, etc. might have been. Crocodile tears over poor Harriet who did not get the chance for an "up&down" makes them less credible in their opposition to the professionally qualified Alito. Dilutes the substance of the opposition, if that makes any sense...

[FreedomAngel82]

11. Being from a red state doesn't give them a pass

They know damn well that majority of Americans would not want Alito on the bench if he would overturn Roe v Wade and we know he will/would. It does not give them excuse being from a red state.

[ProSense]

5. Me too. I know

it's an an uphill battle, but the time to take a stand is now, not a couple of months before the election. Look at what the RW and media is doing to derail the effort and imagine this happening two months before the election.

The Republicans are going to try to browbeat the entire Democratic Party in the media (with its help), so better to have it out now, and better still on one of the most important issues, one that has defined and changed America: civil rights.

I specify the "in the media" because the reality is the Republicans are mired in scandal, trying to gloss over the indictments, and Bush is still hasn't told the truth about his actions---from Abramoff to war.

This is the fight, as Kerry said:

“I am proud to join my friend, the senior Senator from Massachusetts, in taking a stand against this nomination. I know it is an uphill battle. I have heard many of my colleagues. I hear the arguments: Reserve your gunpowder for the future. What is the future if it changes so dramatically at this moment in time? What happens to those people who count on us to stand up and protect them now, not later, not at some future time?

That man and his friend are my heroes. :loveya:

[Blaukraut]

8. Same here

I could hardly sleep all night, kept tossing, thinking about the day, and was alternating between pride for JK and TK and wanting to throttle the holdouts. lol

[globalvillage]

9. It's not over yet.

Keep calling.

http://firedoglake.blogspot.com/2006_01_22_firedoglake_archive.html#113847675409572464

[FreedomAngel82]

10. Yep yep!

My president! *sigh*

[XanaDUer]

13. Me , too

:patriot: