National Clergy Council: Alito filibuster "WOULD BE IMMORAL!"

[Bluebear]

WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 /Christian Wire Service/ -- President of the National Clergy Council Rev. Rob Schenck made this statement today outside the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing room where members voted 10-8 to report Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, Jr., to the full US Senate for a vote on confirmation:

"If any senators are contemplating abusing the filibuster to deny the President a vote on his nominee they must know that the American people will not stand for it.

"Abusing the filibuster rule is immoral because it requires lying about what is being done. A filibuster in this case would mean denying the American people a vote through their senators. Opponents of the President and his nominee should say so honestly by simply voting No. Anything else is disingenuous and therefore immoral."

Joining Rev. Schenck in condemning the possibility of a filibuster was Rev. Pat Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition who said, "Denying this nominee a vote is a slap in the face of all Americans. President Bush was elected after campaigning on a promise to appoint strict constructionist judges. The American people want a vote on this nominee."

Rev. Schenck and Rev. Mahoney are available for comment: Dane Rose of the National Clergy Council, 202-546-8329 ext. 106; Rev. Rob Schenck, 703-447-7686 cell; Rev. Patrick Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, 202-547-1735, 540-538-4741 cell

http://www.earnedmedia.org/ncc0124.htm

[niyad]

1. aren't christians supposed to tell the truth and not pander to political

machines?

[FreedomAngel82]

4. Matthew 5: 37

"Let your yes be your yes and your no be your no. Anything else comes from the evil one."

[UrbScotty]

5. That's what I was taught as a Christian (nt)

[UrbScotty]

2. Time to revoke their tax-exempt status (nt)

[FreedomAngel82]

3. So what about Clinton's judges?

Damn hypocrites.

[jsamuel]

6. THEY ARE GETTING SCARED!!!

[AX10]

7. This only applies to Republican appointees.

:eyes:

[Erika]

8. But the fringe right wing wouldn't give Harriet Meirs a chance

Was she immoral or why was she condemned by her own?

[Erika]

21. and I sent an email to them asking why

Why wasn't she allowed a hearing.

[Trevelyan]

9. Sen. Lautenberg has an excellent video on front page of his site defending

the filibuster. He all but calls the repukes liars when they say that the filibuster has never been used for SCOTUS nominees and reads the front page of WaPo at the time the repukes filibustered Abe Fortus under LBJ and lists the many times ON THE SENATE WEBSITE ARCHIVES of how many judicial filibusters there have been.

Sen. Lautenburg demolishes all of the repukes talking points and has posters of Jimmy Stewart filibustering in MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON and an evil guy in the just released new Star Wars who is doing the same time of evil lying the repukes are doing in an Intergalactic Congress. Sounds like George Lukas was getting the jump on the repukes.

Please watch and than Sen. Lautenburg who is very progressive and spoke out very angrily when Karl Rove was appointed to the reconstruction after Katrina (what happened to that?? and the poor people Rove was responsible for helpin) when Rove immediately went off to a repuke fundraiser instead of doing anything to help these people who had AN IMMEDIATE NEED.

[Trevelyan]

16. Oh, and Lautenberg had a great chart showing the DEMOCRATS Represent the

MAJORITY of Americans. The Democratic Senators come from the most populous states so despite the repukes funnelling hundreds of millions from taxpayers into phony corporations that go directly in repuke re-election coffers (Cunningham scandal - http://www.Cannonfire.com/), Blackbox stealing of votes, Rovian lies.... The CURRENT Senate:

Democrats represent 148+ million Americans
Repukes represent 146 million Americans

Great work by Launtenburg!!!

[mitchum]

10. Why should I care what those superstitious fuckwits think?

[Bluebear]

11. Because it further demonstrates the right wing's goal of a theocracy

[mitchum]

18. I agree with you, but their pronouncements on EVERYTHING...

delivered with the "authority of their Gawd" really does get maddening after awhile.

[Bluebear]

19. I agree with you too.

Like my friend says, 'Go to heaven for the food but go to hell for the company.' :)

[TankLV]

12. Uh - he was ILLEGALLY put in OUR White House the 1st time around,

and there is ample proof he WASN'T elected the 2nd time around either, you fuckwad!

And the illegal vote was only a squeaker by YOUR counts, too - so he NEVER did have any sort of imagined "mandate" - except with Jeff Gannon!

[EST]

13. Just which one of you bitches appointed

this fool the representative of "all Americans?"

[Lars39]

14. Notice Schenck says, *his* nominee, not *this* nominee.

So an objection to any Bush nominee would not be acceptable to these pseudo-christians.

[DanCa]

15. Uhm does anyone have the number to the IRS?

[Gman]

17. Immoral on THIS!

[TechBear_Seattle]

20. The "National Clergy Council" is a right wing Talibangelical org

So OF COURSE they would assert that any opposition to the Talibangelical agenda -- even the use of traditional privileges such as the Senate filibuster -- is inherently immoral.

[Erika]

23. Send them an email

They have an email contact. It's about time we stood up to these Taliban like organizations who dare call themselves Christians.

[leesa]

22. These phone numbers work folks...give these fascists a jingle, eh?

[Trevelyan]

24. Sign petitions AOL made it sound like Alito had already been confirmed

http://www.emailtocongress.com/no_rightwing.htm
http://www.workingforchange.com/activism/action.cfm?itemid=20173

Tell Your Senators: Alito Not Fit for Supreme Court; Reject Him

The United States Senate is currently holding hearings to assess the suitability of Samuel Alito to replace retiring justice Sandra O'Connor on the Supreme Court. If confirmed, Mr. Alito would undoubtedly turn our nation's highest court in a radically conservative direction. This is an extraordinary case; our Senators must reject this nomination and tell the President our nation does not need radicals sitting on the Supreme Court.
http://ga4.org/campaign/alito_petitionSign Here to Stop Alito!

Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr., has demonstrated that he is a devoted ideologue who would, in fact, roll back, rather than defend, hard-won constitutional freedoms. He has opposed reproductive rights and the legal autonomy of women. He has even stated that he "personally believes very strongly that ... the Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion." In numerous rulings he has voiced a restrictive view of anti-discrimination laws protecting minorities, women, working families, and persons with disabilities. Based on a cramped view of congressional powers, he would limit Congress's ability to enact social and regulatory legislation. And he favors the display of religious symbols on public property. NCJW opposes Alito's confirmation.

http://www.naral.org/ http://www.emailtocongress.com/no_rightwing.htm

DEMAND THAT THE NEXT SUPREME COURT APPOINTMENT BE A TRUE MODERATE
In the wake of even more revelations of unchecked presidential power, many are looking to our Supreme Court as the ultimate arbiter in their headlines today...of what a chief executive can get away with. This makes the next nomination that much more critical. Should Bush be permitted to install another vote to consolidate his power grab?

http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/ccr/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2104

Stop the Alito Nomination!
President Bush is stacking the Supreme Court with the worst type of right wing ideologues. First it was John Roberts, and now he is attempting to appoint the even more extreme Samuel Alito. Please join the Center for Constitutional Rights in urging your representative to reject the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court and for an independent judiciary by clicking here.

http://ga3.org/campaign/opposealitohen calling Republican Senators.....

A walkout sure would make the Democratic response to the speech more interesting than usual! Remember, the Dems will have 30-45 minutes to explain what happened before anyone in the media has a chance to spin what just happened.

"If the minority party is not allowed to speak in Congress, let our silent protest speak for us. When they leave the chamber, they should all go down to the basement where they've been driven to have the committee meetings that the majority refuses to hold.

Someone tell Bush's speechwriters to have Sen Byrd's question ready - "Why is this chamber empty?" Please represent us already! I agree with Will Pitt.

You have to take a stand on our behalf. Stand up and leave. Show our collective disdain for this admin and its crooked policies!

Will Pitt been known to deliver his articles, along with DU's comments of support, to our elected Reps. Brilliant article Will - Has it been Sent to the Dems?

and the vichy DLC? :argh:

Democrats, now is the time to stand up (and walk out)on principle. Remember, you are the only thing standing between your constituents and tyranny."

I am a Christian and this whining from a group I've never heard of makes me mad enough to vote to tax all purported religious groups who are using their religious groups to mess with our rightful political means to protect ALL Americans.

:nopity: :thumbsdown: :dem:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

25. The "who we are" section of the National Clergy Council's website

"The National Clergy Council is an informal network of conservative and traditional Catholic, Evangelical, Orthodox and Protestant clergy, members of religious orders and societies, religious educators, journalists, and heads of para-church organizations who share a common concern about the moral integrity of our American culture.

"Members of the National Clergy Council believe that the clergy and all religious leaders have a critical role to play in returning and upholding the moral order to society.

"We use our pulpits, pens, faxes, phones, and E-mail to communicate biblical truth and to persuade men, women and young people to adhere to the good-sense instruction of the Holy Scriptures concerning the liberties and obligations that inform and govern human relationships.

"The National Clergy Council maintains a national office in Washington, DC, directly across the street from the Supreme Court, from which we make our concerns known to government officials, lawmakers, public policy analysts and the national media."

http://www.nationalclergycouncil.org/whoW.html

They're not on the list of Moonie front groups that may be found at

http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/m/moonies/front_groups.htm

but they sure sound like the type of organization that the Unification Church funds.

[Erika]

26. and they sure sound like they need their tax exempt status

removed. They want to be lobbyists of far right wing groups, let them accept the money, and declare it.

[niyad]

28. thank you, I was going to ask who the H*** they are.

[Trevelyan]

27. Jesus pronounces woes against religious leaders

Jesus pronounces woes against religious leaders of his day (23:13-32) and then hints about judgment against the temple, the ultimate symbol of the religious establishment's power (23:38; compare 21:13). As in many Old Testament prophets, nearer judgments foreshadow the final judgment; Matthew recognizes in the temple's destruction in A.D. 70 a vindication of Jesus' prophecy and an assurance that his other prophecies will also come to pass.

And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many...

Get thee behind me, Satan.

[e-mail]