Democrats have ZERO to lose by filibustering

[Proud2BAmurkin]

What, do the rePUKES think the American people are so LOYAL to SCALITO they'll vote against a democrat who filibustered? BWAAAAAAA

The democrats have nothing to lose by filibustering this freak and their base to lose if they don't.

[yurbud]

1. this could be said about just about everything. And those who have stood

up like Conyers and even Cynthia McKinney have survived and likely get campaign contributions from all over the country.

[maxsolomon]

2. they won't

but you're right

i'm having a fatalist day

[Coexist]

12. I'm back and forth between fatalism and hope

I will be ill tomorrow waiting to see what happens.

This is so much bigger than all of us. The consequences are so far reaching.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. brilliant. But then, stating the obvious requires accurate insight. Bravo

You are perfectly correct. Now, all we have to do is frame that idea to our senators. If Reid had a full-time spinal cord and supporting bony structure, it would be his job to do it or to assign that roll to an appropriate senator. If not him, the Durbin should pick up the slack.

[Coexist]

4. but.. but... they might look like obstructionists

because there is NOTHING else going on that might be able to DISTRACT from that talk.

Nope - no scandals - no bribes - no CIA leak case - no de-regulation causing the death of miners - nope. No way to avoid that stain.

I am getting really pissed.

[NanceGreggs]

7. Better to go down as a BIG-MOUTHED OBSTRUCTIONIST ...

... then to LAY DOWN AND DIE without a word!

[Coexist]

9. Thank you.

[depakid]

17. Just like Bob Dole did in 93-95

When the Republicans took back Congress.

[Amy6627]

5. Do you know if this is true? I heard on Ed Schultz (I know, I know, but

he is all I can get in my car). He seems to think that if we use the F option, that the repukes will use the nuclear option to push everything through, like Patriot Act II, permanent tax cuts, etc. I don't even know where to look something like this up.

[Coexist]

8. Legislation can be amended - lifetime appointments can't.

http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=18390

Furthermore, as a number of newspapers have editorialized<4> it is even more legitimate and important to preserve the filibuster for lifetime judicial appointment as it is for legislation. Proposed legislation can generally be amended and can always be repealed after enactment but a lifetime federal judge cannot be removed absent formal impeachment and trial by the Senate, a rarely invoked process. And the Senate must simply “take or leave” a nomination and cannot amend or repeal it as it can with ordinary legislation. The harder it is to undo a decision of the Senate, the greater should be the deliberation and debate that goes into the decision – not the other way around.

[Amy6627]

10. Great point! I back filibusters 1000% n/t

[Fovea]

25. If the Repubs do that

then they can kiss the Senate, the House, and several state govs goodbye for a decade or so.

They already smell so bad that most Americans can't stand downwind of them. AoL says 74% of Americans would rather kiss the south end of a skunk than believe their pResident about him spying on them already. It will only go down from here.

[NanceGreggs]

6. Agreed!

I'm really tired of hearing, "But if we do such-and-such, THEY'LL say ..."

Who cares what 'THEY' say about anything? Besides, THEY say we're all abusive, unpatriotic, etc. anyway, so why not go for it?

We've already got the NAME, as far as 'they' are concerned -- why not have the GAME? It just might catch the attention of a few traditional non-voters who don't vote simply because they feel that neither party STANDS UP for anything important ...

[oasis]

11. "Their base" better get up off of their asses and elect more Dems to the

Senate, which will put a halt to anymore of Chimpy's ultra right SCOTUS clones.

[shaniqua6392]

13. Ed Shultz even quoted what Lindsay Graham said today

about how they will slap down the Dems if they try anything to stop Alito...blah blah blah. It is hard to know what to do. But I do get sick of people saying if the Dems do this then the Repukes will retaliate, etc. The Dems in the Senate and House should just walk out and go home since they seem to be powerless to do anything anyway.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

15. Again, what the fuck are they gonna do about it?

bring it on.

[Ksec]

14. yea but 911 changed everything...

filibusters hurt the troops..

[depakid]

16. "....their base to lose if they don't."

add to that any chance of nationalizing (and winning) the 2006 congressional elections.

If they won't stand up now- if they roll over and let the Republicans crow about "a victory", they might as well pack their bags and go home.

[bowens43]

18. I respectfully disagree.

If they mount an unsuccessful filibuster , they have a LOT to lose. A filibuster may very well alienate those centrists who voted Republican in 2004 but are leaning toward voting Dem in 2006. Lose the base? Hardly. What are you going to do, vote Republican or stay home in 2006. The chance of a significant number of Democrats jumping ship if there's no filibuster is minuscule. The chance of those in the center , those who actually decide the elections, being turned off by a filibuster is high.

To answer your question, yes, those we need the most in November are quite likely to vote against the democrats if we filibuster.

[stepnw1f]

19. We Expect You to Disagree

:rofl: nice try!

[bowens43]

22. Laugh if you must , but you're not thinking.

Hopefully , our senators will look at the big picture and not have a knee-jerk reaction that leads us to two more years of republican control of the house and the senate.

The mistake most DUers are making is thinking that we represent the base. We don't. We are as far left as the free republic is right. Most people are somewhere in between. Without those in center who don't necessarily vote for the party and the independents, we're not gong to win in November.

Winning back control of the house and the senate is far more important then waging a feel-good battle that can have only one outcome. I want to see this administration prosecuted for it's crimes. That won't happen if we don't take back congress. We have nothing to win by mounting a filibuster that can be defeated by 51 republicans. If Sen Reid can find 6 republicans who will not support a rules change, it's a different story.

[DefenseLawyer]

28. The average "centrist"

couldn't name a member of the supreme court on a bet. The average "voter" couldn't either. The only voters that this fight would matter to is the Dobson crowd, not soccer moms, and I hate to tell ya, but we lost them at "hello". Upon what do you base your opinion that this alito fight will be a huge issue among swing voters. I certainly haven't seen any polling at suggests that.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

21. Those centrist rePUKES aren't loyal to Scalito.

That's the flaw.

[bowens43]

23. It has nothing to do with being loyal to Alito.

[Fovea]

26. And I respectfully disagree with your point

We need to get the base back energized, the swing voters are already in that 74% AoL group that does not trust the pres, and this is the president's wet dream pick for his dream dictatorship for life job. What we can't afford is for any Dems to either give up, or move to the Greens for 08.

We need to be seen as fighting for labor (and future labor) and middle class Americans... that we are fighting for their interests, not sitting on our tutus.

And Scalito has proven that he is a corrupt son of a bitch like Scalia who wouldn't know a conflict of interest if it left a ring of lipstick on his dick. He is willing to obfuscate to Congress about any and everything to get past the committee. In short, he is Scalia with a reptilian game face.

Sorry, what we lose for the sake of a rightward leaning swing voter is our raison d'etre. What we win is the backing of a large group of dispirited former Democratic voters.

[Jim Sagle]

31. Defeatism and appeasement. Rubbish!

[Coexist]

20. Ed Schultz is all filibuster all the time today

total debate on whether or not to do it.

Leahy was just on. He was awesome.

"THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DEM SENATORS THAT WILL NOT ATTEND" the SOTU

[Just Me]

24. I agree. I mean, damn, I'd rather witness this nation go down with the,..

,...Democrats fighting for the nation every step of the way. Besides, in spite of all opinions otherwise, I sincerely believe that the Democrats will GAIN respect and support (not lose it) if they choose to locate their passion and courage and take an unequivocal stand against any further deterioration of our form of government by those who deceive, exploit and violate our people.

Enough already. Fight, gaddamnit!!! FIGHT!!!

[AuntiBush]

27. DC Democrats...

Filibuster. Nothing to loose at this disgusting point.

[pat_k]

29. . . . and EVERYTHING to gain!

. . . and EVERYTHING to gain

A "protest vote" on the floor is NOT enough. Every member who opposes Alito has a MORAL Obligation to commit to a Filibuster.

There is no middle ground. It is hypocritical and morally indefensible for any Senator to sit on their hands and obstruct a Filibuster, and then make a sham Vote Against Alito on the Floor.

From Jan 15 post

If you know the fascists are a menace, YOU MUST DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER to make the Alito Filibuster a reality. We have no choice. We must fight. We must open their eyes to the fact that they have no choice either.

It's not about any issue. Nope -- not even abortion. It's not about any legal argument, unless you want to talk about the Bush v. Gore treason. It's not even really about the next election. It's about our own self-esteem/sense of empowerment and whether we can foster any in the near future -- or ever.

Clearly, there is no downside here. This one is black and white.

Prove Their/Our Strength, Conviction, and Courage
OR
Prove Their/Our Weakness, Equivocation, and Cowardice

We/They have no choice This is it. Do or Die.

Alito is emblematic of unlimited executive power. The fight against Alito is our Normandy in the campaign to drive out the Bush regime and the ever-expanding dictatorial powers they claim.

[Inland]

30. I agree. nt

[IndyOp]

32. You got it! (nt)

:kick:

[Pachamama]

33. Little to lose by filibustering - Everything by not filibustering....

I think that alone should be their decision.....more to lose by not filibustering....