Backroom Politics: Trading Alitio for Impeachment?

[LeftHander]

Is this the politics behind the scene?

A vote for Alito means support for impeachment?

If so the Dems are playing right into the GOP hands....again.

Dems trade votes and support for things all the time. Are they making a deal with GOP to initiate a investigation into NSA spying and a impeachment if the DEM don't block the Alito confirmation with a filibuster.

It is a dangerous thoguht and I think it is the wrong tack to take. This is THE battle for the future of this nation. the GOP are liar and will not longer honor backroom negotiatiations.

[BuyingThyme]

1. I don't understand.

[LeftHander]

3. Dems allow Alito confirmation...

by not filibustering if the GOP supports a impeachment of Bush on NSA spying.

It's called politics.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

5. No. n/t

[renie408]

6. Thank you for your gracious response. That's what I love about

the DU. Everybody is so nice if you don't understand something.

BTW...It's called being civil.

[WI_DEM]

7. No.

Impeaching Bush would be a bigger calamity for the GOP than Alito being confirmed. They would never trade Alito for Bush.

[renie408]

2. Sorry...can you explain that?

I didn't get the memo on this one.

[Imalittleteapot]

4. Sounds like wishful thinking.

[Sammy Pepys]

8. That sounds inbcredibly unlikely.

For one, impeachments originate in the House....Alito gets voted in the Senate.

Secondly, I can't imagine any deal like that even being proffered by either side, even if there was some way to trade votes like that.

[RaleighNCDUer]

9. No, no, no, no, no!

As poisonous as * may be, in three years he's gone. Alito will be around for 30, if he's confirmed.

The corporatists know that * is about used up, but if he gets Alito on the court he'll have served his purpose and they can afford to throw him away.

BAD DEAL!!!

[Orangepeel]

10. That doesn't make sense

For one thing, it is the House that impeaches.

The Senate could initiate an investigation of the NSA spying, but no reasonable republican is going to trade confirmation of Alito for that.

HA! on edit, I realize that "reasonable republican" is a bit of an oxymoron! Change that to "politically savvy!"

[LeftHander]

11. since when are Republicans resonable?

It makes some sence to me that we will see Alito get confirmed, senate calls for an investigation, house launches impeachment, then the GOP will doublecross the Dems and fail to convict in the senate. All the while everyone will keep respective jobs and the TV will make people forget about Bush's NSA spying. Impeachment and filibuster are now political bargining chips. that is what our legislative branch is reduced to.

So the GOP will win again. Bush will be afforded the SCOTUS and his policies will be vindicated in the public eye. All under the guidence of the MSM. Who will spin the DEMs as disruptors.

this is the only reason I see any DEM not wanting to filibuster. Becasue they are afraid of the public backlash if they fail. And they will get nothing out of the bargin.

If they don;t filibuster it is becasue they made deal.

Period.

[Sammy Pepys]

13. Consider the time frame though

How long is an NSA investigation going to last, and how long is it going to be before the House hands down articles of impeachment? You're probably talking about the tail end of 2006 at the very earliest, and who knows what the makeup of the House and Senate will be after the 2006 races. You'd be trying to make a deal relying on an unknown timeframe with unknown players.

[LeftHander]

17. No big revalations will come out in time to sway voters....

With a long investigation in process. the district maps will prevent any real meaningful change in the power. And if anything is close luck will have a "small plane crash" go in thier favor again.

SO America will go to the polls looking at pretty much the same thing they saw last time.

The GOP controls the message. they control the debate. the agenda and the election and now the courts.

Tell me it isn't over.....

Filibuster was the last spine in our back. And now it will be broken.

[Orangepeel]

16. they won't filibuster because they don't have the votes

I wish they had made a deal, because at least then they might have gotten something out of it.

[LeftHander]

12. Fiengold made the deal. Russ says no Filibuster

On NPR this morning.

And he is pushing for investigation.




Dear xxxx,

A few weeks ago, the President confirmed news reports that he directed the National Security Agency to wiretap the phones of American citizens without court permission as required by law. When I stood up against the PATRIOT Act, it was because I feared that the government would use the few questionable provisions to harm our rights and freedoms. Now, in light of the disclosure of the government's warrantless wiretapping, I am more resolved than ever to keep the PATRIOT Act from being reauthorized without fixing these same broken provisions. In addition to fixing the PATRIOT Act, however, we also need to hold this administration accountable for these apparently illegal wiretaps, and to discover the facts about how President Bush justifies taking these drastic actions in violation of existing law. That's why I need your help calling for a full, unfettered investigation of the administration's wiretapping of American citizens:

http://www.progressivepatriotsfund.com/wiretapping

I want to be clear here: we should do all we can to keep our country safe from terrorists, whether they're in the United States or outside our borders. But these wiretaps are being conducted without any meaningful court oversight, apparently in violation of the law. And we need to learn what the Bush administration knew, and when they knew it. Please sign my petition, urging an investigation into this program:

http://www.progressivepatriotsfund.com/wiretapping

Just as I fought to protect our rights and freedoms when I felt that parts of the USA PATRIOT Act endangered them, I also pledge to take a leading role in investigating these illegal wiretaps. You helped keep the PATRIOT Act from being reauthorized, and now I need your help again to protect our civil liberties.

Sincerely,



Russ Feingold
United States Senator
Honorary Chair, Progressive Patriots Fund

[Innocent Smith]

14. No

Absolutely not. Baring new revelations that put more pressure on them, the Repubs are not going to impeach Bush.

Also, look at the successful filibusters over the last four years. In all cases they were talking and talking often about the need to filibuster way ahead of the vote to place it in the public's mind as neccessary to do. If they do not hear loudly from the base over the next week - they will not filibuster.

[LeftHander]

15. I am afraid I have to disagree...

It is over.

Done deal. If there was going to be filibuster it was going to be acknowleged by Fiengold this week.

So it is not happening. Alito will be confirmed and a senate investigation into NSA spying will go ahead according to GOP plans.

The result will be a few heads will roll, President will fire someone and will state he had "bad advice" and everyone will move on. yet the NSA will keep on spying and the President will further erode the constitution more and more each day.

[KoKo]

18. No....The House brings Impeachment Charges...The Senate Can't.

So Alito has nothing to do with the Fillibuster and Impeachment.

[meow2u3]

When will the Dems learn?

that making deals with the repukes is selling your soul to the Devil? :shrug:

The repunks will always go back on their word.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

19. Impossible. What are you on?