Robert Parry: republican ridicule may backfire

[whometense]

GD thread here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x266960

Rebellion

What’s happened over the past few days, however, has been a surprise to many Washington-based national Democrats. Rank-and-file Democrats across the country quickly saw through these tricky word games and rebelled, expressing outrage through the Internet and via talk-radio stations.

This Democratic base has demanded that Democratic leaders, for once, set aside political gamesmanship and recognize that Alito and his radical theories of an all-powerful executive are a serious threat to the future of the American democratic Republic...

...Sen. John Kerry, the party’s presidential standard-bearer in 2004, called for a filibuster. Other Democrats said they would join Kerry, although their earlier hesitancy to mount a full-scale battle against Alito may have doomed hopes of preventing Republicans from amassing the 60 votes needed to shut off debate.

Nevertheless, the Republicans may have added a complication to their expected Alito victory parade by ridiculing Kerry for making his filibuster announcement while at an economic summit in Davos, Switzerland...

...These insults added a personal element to the decision facing Democratic senators. With Republicans hooting down the Democrats’ last presidential nominee, as well as a longtime Senate colleague, crossing the aisle to support Bush’s Supreme Court nominee suddenly had the bitter taste of an act of political treason...

[JI7]

1. notice how those who do now support filibuster only said so after

Kerry led the effort. before that they weren't even doing that much.

if only Kerry was on the judiciary committee. i know Ted is which is why Kerry can't be on it, and i'm sure Ted Kennedy did try to get support but some probably just view him as the lefty Senator doing what he always does.

with Kerry, especially as a recent Pres candidate, he has a certain type of influence that KEnnedy doesn't. (and of course he has the mailing list also)

[ginnyinWI]

3. not only Senators, but the people are seeing it

I mean, how many times can the administration launch these talking points before the people get a sense of what their agenda is? If anyone has paid any amount of attention in the last few years they should be able to draw a few conclusions. And that will throw sympathy our way. With *'s ratings in the toilet, maybe more and more people will open their eyes.

Teddy mentioned the SBVT group on the floor--at least that fiasco can be used to illustrate to the people what's going on. I hope people are paying attention. Of course the main problem is that TV media isn't giving it much serious coverage.

[whometense]

2. True,

but look what they're saying at Democrats.com:
http://www.democrats.com/alito-48

10:55 am: AP's Jesse Holland is singing an entirely different tune: Kennedy leads final effort to block Alito. That means it's too close to call!!!! Kennedy offers the perfect filibuster sound-bite: "He is the wrong judge at the wrong time in the wrong place." Jeffords opposes Alito - but will he filibuster? Keep calling the undecideds!!!