What's the Dems best move POLITICALLY re: Scalito?

[Doctor_J]

IMO, the man has shown himself to be unfit for the court - he lies and/or obfuscates about his opinions, he's inexperienced, and his only qualification for the court is his loyalty to Smirk.

But setting that aside for a minute, viewing it from a Dem's perspective, what's hte Senate Dem Caucus's best move? Would you like to see them filibuster? How will the ensuing nuke-u-lar option by the Repubs play? Would you rather they let the vote happen? Keep in mind that the Dems have no access to any friendly media. What do you see as the political fallout from the various options our Sens have?

[BuyingThyme]

1. I don't think they can/will use the rules to stop a filibuster before

it begins.

[TygrBright]

2. Unfortunately, the best strategy is also the one that doesn't seem....

...very likely.

If the Dems could get 41 Senators to ABSTAIN or vote NO on cloture, they could create a working filibuster.

This can ONLY work to our advantage, because the GOPpies are on very thin ice right now. Given the number of GOPpie leaders who are under indictment, investigation, etc., and the extent to which the fecal end product currently intersecting with the blades of the rotary air movement device is likely to be flung, they are getting pretty thickly covered with brown stuff.

Although Americans' sense of smell is historically poor, and has been quite astoundingly dull in recent years, at some point it WILL penetrate the olfactory nerves. The more stuff the GOPpie leadership does that makes it obvious they are motivated entirely by power and money rather than by the good of the country, its people, and its Constitution, the faster those olfactory nerves are liable to respond to the plentiful stimulation they've been getting for the past few months.

Proposing "ethics reforms" that are transparently toothless, self-serving attempts to deflect criticism, stonewalling investigations, and now doing something as blatant as changing rules that have been part of the Senate's operating procedure for decades just to eke out a partisan victory...?

So the filibuster option (if they could make it work,) would play to Dem advantage EITHER WAY:

1. Dems filibuster Alito, Reps nuke the filibuster option, American voters kick their butts and we end up with a Dem Senate, which promptly restores the filibuster; OR

2. Dems filibuster Alito, somehow put together enough support to keep 60 cloture votes from materializing, and get away with it-- no Alito, Dems look tough.

The scenario that worries most Dem leaders, I would guess, is the "worst of both worlds" scenario, in which Dems filibuster, WITHOUT enough support to prevent cloture. GOPpies push a cloture vote, confirm Alito, and decline to invoke the nuke, leaving the filibuster as is. Which, clearly, is perfectly okay since it obviously can't stop them doing whateverthehell they want to do anyway. Leaving GOPpies looking both tough AND magnanimous, and Dems looking principled but weak.

Since we apparently have too many Amazing Spineless Senators to make the fili work, the leadership is wringing its hands in worry and declining to hold their tootsies to the coals, more's the pity.

disappointedly,
Bright

[ulysses]

3. agreed and agreed.

Good to see you around again, Bright. :hi:

[cdsilv]

5. as for me? No filibuster, no $$, no vote.

Period.

[radio4progressives]

4. you're kidding right? have you paying any attention to our activism on

this question? read the postings, that ought to answer your question.

[NanceGreggs]

6. I realize this is a serious discussion ...

However, I just can't help weighing in with this:

Everytime I see the name 'Scalito', I can't help but wonder how many people out there HONESTLY BELIEVE there is a second nominee for the SCOTUS, and sit around the dinner table discussing the coincidence of Bush nominating TWO justices with such like-sounding names.

Such is the state of 'intelligence' in the country today ...