RawStory: Democrats break silence on Alito: Filibuster unlikely,

[stevedeshazer]

...frustration high

Senate Democrats are buckling down for the final battle on conservative Bush Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, and senior aides say they will be unable to stop his final confirmation to the court.

Advisers to Democratic senators on the Judiciary Committee express a palpable frustration at being unable to stop the man who most believe will significantly shift the nation’s highest court to the right. In conversations over the last week, aides in various Senate offices have privately told RAW STORY of their consternation with how the Alito confirmation process has played out.

more: http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Democratic_aides_admit_Alito_filibuster_long_0125.html

[fooj]

1. What?

That's it. I'm done.

[samhsarah]

5. Me too.

Enough is enough already. This just too much, too far.

[fooj]

10. It's making me physically ill. I just can't fight anymore.

I'm heartbroken. WTF is the matter with these people?

Peace.

[samhsarah]

14. Heartbroken just about explains it

perfectly. So, so, sad and angry at the same time.

[flyarm]

47. I AM WITH YOU HERE..I AM DONE TOO..SEEMS THE SOB'S

don't give a damn about nation and our Constitution or our republic and democracy...fuck them all! thats how i feel!

i will give my money to anyone who runs against the sob's that vote for this monster!

and that is guaranteed!
thats all we have left if this mother fucker is confirmed..i will put every dime i have to give against any dem who votes to confirm this bastard! in any state..thats how i will spend my campaign money!

fly

[mom cat]

49. Keek fighting...If we lose, we consider our options.But don't give up

yet.

[katsy]

2. why buckle down for battle...

when you don't intend to fight to win?

[ixion]

8. exactly...

'bucking down' is apparently giving in to rethug whim. :crazy:

[katsy]

22. They didn't filibuster any policy...

no legislation, not one judge... nada.

What fight? When did they even fight for the average americans? Did they block bancruptcy reform? NO nothing so why should I believe they are concerned with the constitution?

[ixion]

28. they're only true concern:

is their jobs, and the power (albeit limited when in the minority) it affords them. There may be some exceptions, but this is the rule, IMO.

[katsy]

29. Agreed.

Average Americans are on their own.

[sasha031]

3. the end of Democracy is the US

:beer: Gawd I need a bear about now, maybe 10

[acmavm]

7. What are you going to do with a bear? And do you think it will

help?

Maybe I guess. Reasoning with those coward dems in Washington would be harder than wrestling with a bear. Or ten bears.

[calico1]

12. Then again, bears eat a lot.

But they can be cute. :-)

[sasha031]

15. I was kidding

cheez can't even spell it correctly (beer)

[Mountainman]

9. 10 bears might do the trick! Set them lose on the Senate and watch them

run out of the building!

[Beth in VT]

51. no, that happened in 2000. n/t

[ixion]

4. what an opposition

:sarcasm: :eyes:

[samhsarah]

6. KICK so everyone else can see this bullshit!

:mad:

[FloridaPat]

11. Let's send our sentors white flags if they don't stop this nomination.

This way, they can just put the flags in their seats and go home.

[Mutley]

16. That's a damn good idea, and I'm gonna do it.

I'll send one to every Dem senator. Two to the ones who vote for Alito. And you know at least one of 'em is gonna do that.

[MsUSA]

Yeah, it's just so sad.

We get the government we deserve. I'm so disappointed in the dems. They talk a good line, but when it comes to doing something about it, they're like wet noodles. No spine. Ugh, it's so disheartening. :cry:

[Mutley]

13. Alright.

Fine. Whatever. :grr:

[peacetalksforall]

17. As usual, I'm on a wait and see watch. We need Paul Wellstone.

I think Byrd may not be able to sustain one.

My dream is to have Feingold do it. But, I have a feeling that certain Presidential candidates are not going to put themselves out there. I can't see Sen Clinton leading a filibuster.

But, in looking ahead, if we can stop thefts of our vote and put a Democrat in office, anything they attempt to do could fail because of Alito, should he get in.

Still hoping they have the votes to stop cloture. Still hoping the Republicans with their heads on straight will act independently for the good of the country.

[rodeodance]

42. wish i could conjur up his spirit right now.

[acmejack]

18. They didn't get many phone calls, huh?

This is just a bunch of crap IMO. We already knew the story on this group and dared to get our hopes in up despite this knowledge.

[stevedeshazer]

19. Harry's counted the votes for a filibuster, and they don't have 'em.

<snip>

The Democrats’ inability to block Alito – the second conservative nominee President Bush has tapped to join the Supreme Court this year – has stirred frustration among Democratic members in the Senate. One longtime staffer went so far as to accuse the caucus of “myopia.”

“The myopia among too many Senate Democrats is stunning,” the aide said. “They can’t see this is the fight for the future of the Supreme Court. Three years from now if Justice Alito has rolled back the right to choose, Democrats should want to be remembered for fighting tooth and nail to stop this guy.”

“This is a fight for history, you can’t just take the issue off the table,” the aide continued. “Does the country understand what’s at stake right now? Probably not. But they will when Alito does damage to our Constitution, and if we don’t fight now, voters will say a pox on both our houses.”

===================================
See what this aide says?

[bigscott]

20. i expected as much

from one of my senators (Lieber-asshole) but not a lot of the rest- fucking republican lapdogs

[katsy]

31. Myopia,,,

it's myopia okay.

That's a condition suffered by the inbred "haves" and "have mores" that control congress, isn't it?

:puke:

[Reader Rabbit]

34. Has Anyone Named Names?

I, for one, would like to know which senators are selling their constituents down the river. I plan on doing everything in my power to get them out of office. Essentially, they are aiding and abetting the rape of the Constitution and the dissolution of the rights of individual citizens.

[Wordie]

21. Raw story says there hasn't been a groundswell of opposition.

That can't be true...

One aide said part of the problem is that Democratic senators haven’t felt a groundswell of opposition from constituents. Polls show that Alito’s nomination is supported by most Americans.

“People aren’t engaged in this fight,” one senior aide said. “The reality is this isn’t something that American people are calling in droves about. We’re getting more calls in on NSA spying than we are on Alito.”

Another longtime aide to a senator on the Judiciary Committee said Democrats feel they simply can’t win and are looking to focus their energy elsewhere.

“I think that people kind of saw the writing on the wall, and that doesn’t have a lot of energy. Oddly the whole hearing in the aftermath of Roberts and Miers -- everybody thought it was going to be the big enchilada because of the stakes, replacing a moderate rather than a conservative.”

“I guess nobody anticipated the dynamic. This has kind of sputtered out, and I think the Democrats are like, ‘Look, Is this the issue that we want to dominate the news, our attempt to present ourselves to the American public.’ I think that Democrats think that if there was a filibuster, if this thing went on for a few months, in the end we wouldn’t win... there are so many other things where we could take advantage of our strength relative to the Republicans here.”

How can that be right???


PLEASE, if you haven't already called, call NOW!

[OnionPatch]

30. What?!!

"We’re getting more calls in on NSA spying than we are on Alito.”

WTF!!!! Don't they know that Alito is going to make the NSA spying LEGAL???!!!

That's the main reason I oppose him! ::banghead:

[Wordie]

40. Well, rawstory frequently gets things wrong, from what I've heard.

Let's hope that's what it is this time, too.

[cynatnite]

45. From what you heard?????

What stories have been wrong? Have they been more right or less right than corporate media?

I trust Raw Story and HuffPo far more than I will of corporate media. At least with them I get the actual truth and not the white-washed bullshit corporate media spews out.

[Wordie]

41. Well, rawstory frequently gets things wrong, from what I've heard.

Let's hope that's what it is this time, too.

I personally have sent of tons of emails...I know others have too. I doubt that there has not been strong opposition.

[cynatnite]

44. Corporate media's complicity again...

Ask people what they know about Alito and chances are they won't know that much. Chances are they may not care that much either.

Corporate media has done next to nothing to educate the American public on Alito other than his 'crying' wife.

[stickdog]

53. So scandal fatigue leads to an asshole's lifetime confirmation???

[Wordie]

55. Nah...

This thread inspired me to call a whole bunch of Senators! Lit a fire...

And, remember...

The Dems did great in stopping
the Patriot Act!
They can do it again!

It ain't over yet!

[Javaman]

23. See it's like this, because moron* won't allow stem cell research..

the democratic senators aren't able to grow a spine.

Stopping scalito in his tracks sends a message to moron* that he's a lame fucking duck.

but now since they haven't the guts to filibuster, all that opportunity that is not knocking at the door but kicking and banging will just be left out in the cold.

You know, someone on here, yesterday, made a great case for socialism, it's starting to look appealing.

I hope for Al and I hope for a Democratically controlled senate or house or both. Then I hope Al runs.

If the first doesn't happen don't hold your breath for the second.

also if the first doesn't happen, kiss our rights and freedoms goodbye!! At which point, I move out of the country.

[bigjohn16]

24. A month from now we'll have moved on from Alito to the next Dem failure..

... there will be threats of leaving the party and kicking out the DINOs but in the end nothing will change. I guess we won't make our representatives pay until 150 million women lose the right to choose and even then I have my doubt that anybody will even care.

[stevedeshazer]

25. It's important to point out that most Democratic senators supported this

If blame and ire are to rule the day, it should be proper to point the bony finger of indignation at those Democrats unwilling to support a filibuster. We may never know who they were, but there must have been enough. It would only have taken four or five waverers. :(

[Dr Fate]

50. Well, they should have twisted their arms then.

They are just using those few DEMs as an excuse.

If anyone could convince four or five wavering DEMS, it would be the other 30 plus DEM who they have to work with.

If they cant do that, then they are not good leaders.

[stevedeshazer]

54. I can't argue with that

The Dems who did this deserve scrutiny.

[sweetm2475]

26. Unfuckingbelievable.

Who are they? Who are the weasels? The Democratic Party traitors? We need to find out who these fuckers are and kick them out of our party. IT'S OUR PARTY!!!! If they don't get that, they need to fucking go. No more money to the DNC. I love Howie, but not now, not ever till they find candidates to put up against these people in primaries and fund their campaigns. No more money for Lieberman, Nelson, and whoever else did this shit. My money and support from now on goes to individual candidates that have proven themselves worthy of the D in front of their name. Gawd I'm so fucking sick over this garbage.

[ernstbass]

27. I'm ready for a third party

this is pathetic!

[Disturbed]

32. If I were a Dem I would be ashamed.

I quit the Dem Party after they caved in 2000. I am in the Green Party. Yeah, it's Catch 22. The Greens cannot be effective on the Ntl. level because they don't have enough members and clout but Progressive Dems won't leave the Dem Party because they feel that the Greens don't have the numbers or power to affect real change. Catch 22!

[MadHound]

35. I suspect that the Greens will be picking up a lot of members here shortly

Too many people on the left are fed up with the lack of spine in the Dems, and Alito is their make or break point. We were conned into ABB in '04, and survived on a few slivers of hope last year, but if the Dems cave on this one, membership in the Greens is going to go way up.

[katsy]

36. you suspect right.

SO WHAT if a 3rd party vote is a vote for the gop. Maybe Nader is right. What's the difference between the gop and dems? They're all millionaires, trust fund babies, power brokers. What the hell have either party done for average working people? Nada.

Did the dems filibuster ONE phucking judge nominated in 5 years? Any legislation that hurts working people? WHEN? What did I miss?

It just feels as though a vote for a democrat is a vote for a puke right now. The bottom line is the same.

[MadHound]

37. Welcome to the two party/same corporate master system of government

This has been creeping up on us for the past thirty years, it is only in the past ten that it has become increasingly obvious. Time for people to unite behind a party that is for real change, not this good cop/bad cop charade that passes for change in today's political atmosphere.

[katsy]

39. good cop/bad cop...

how fitting an analogy.

I have vowed many many times in the past, on these boards, that I will die a voting Democrat.

I can move on now without guilt since I can't find ONE thing the Dems have fought to the death for. Things that mattered to me & my family & my country. I'm over it.

[MadHound]

43. It has been a long slow process for me

I've worked in all capacities for the Democratic party since 1972, from the street to convention delegate, and have watched with horror as the party moved ever rightwards, and become ever more corrupted with money. I worked for both the Kucinich campaign(one of the few remaining Dems I like and have respect for) and the Kerry campaign, sucked in by the whole ABB thing. But I wasn't enthusicastic about it, and really haven't been, even when Clinton was in office. Too much corporate money corrupting too many Democrats, and down the merry road we went.

This is just the last straw, and if they don't follow through on this, my talent, money and energy will be going to the Greens. They may be small, but they fight like hell, and I think that they'll be getting a lot bigger shortly.

[katsy]

46. I can see the Greens gaining soon.

It's been a long road... a disappointing road supporting a party that has left me. No more.

[liveoaktx]

33. They could at least do a SHOW -better to be someone that fought

and didn't make it than someone that didn't even take up the fight.

[hvn_nbr_2]

38. Rocky they ain't. More like Spongy. n/t

[no_more_rhyming]

48. Dems played to perfection.

I feel betrayed. We finally have the option to do so much more but our leadership is too afraid. I pity the rich bastards.

[stickdog]

52. Senate Democrats are bending down for the final battle on Alito ...