Durbin said he had 37 votes to support a filibuster

[kpete]

The Filibuster Fight
by Armando
Sun Jan 29, 2006 at 10:55:57 AM PDT
From Markos via e-mail, this count from Durbin from a week ago:


The day before the Senate Judiciary Committee's vote on Sam Alito, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said he had 37 votes to support a filibuster -- not enough.

Have Kennedy and Kerry held those votes? Added? The point here is that Durbin saw that he was close then. This is still a long shot, given the folks who anoounce either their support for Alito or lack of support for a filibuster, but the sitaution seems fluid.

For example, this morning Senators Joe Biden (D-DE) and Barack Obama (D-IL) announced they are voting No on cloture. Or to put it another way, they are voting Yes for an Extended Debate on whether Alito will respect the Constitution.

So the fight continues. Back to work.



http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/1/29/125557/318

[Wordie]

1. SO close!!! We only need 4 more!!! K&R everybody!!!

[Halliburton]

2. I know we are in the 30s

we just need to swing a few senators and we should be able to pull this off.

[Slit Skirt]

4. we may be tired but not defeated....let's go everybody....

we must keep pressure on
on Thursday we had two ...Kennedy and Kerry

[Wordie]

5. This is terrific! The fence sitters should be told right away!

Strength in numbers...this will help convince them!

Thanks so much for the info, kpete!

Recommend this everyone! It is EXCELLENT news!

[radio4progressives]

3. k&r

[Wordie]

6. Need one more Recommendation for this to get on the Greatest page!

[debbierlus]

7. What four do you think we have the best chance of turning?

I am not sure.

[doublethink]

8. Okay back at it ......

Whew ..... fight on ....... does that above count include Obama and Biden? Would that make it 39? Somebody help me here. It ain't over, till it's over ..... Peace. :patriot:

[Mass]

9. You mean that they had 37 votes last week and were not ready to

try.

What are these guys thinking? I dont know what the vote will be as it would have been a lot easier with Reid's open support, but it would have been criminal not to try. I understand why Durbin wanted to try and cant understand why Reid was hesitant.

[Halliburton]

17. maybe he didn't think we'd flood their offices

with calls, faxes, and emails

[twenty4blackbirds]

10. go team!

so proud :woohoo:

[Rose Siding]

11. Has anyone on the gang of 14 agreed to vote no on cloture?

Maybe those are the missing votes. Aren't there 7 dems in that group?

[Cocoa]

12. Lieberman

[Rose Siding]

15. Right- here are the 7 dems on that list.

Is Salazar a no?

Joseph I. Lieberman, Connecticut
Robert C. Byrd, West Virginia
E. Benjamin Nelson, Nebraska
Mary Landrieu, Louisiana
Daniel Inouye, Hawaii
Mark Pryor, Arkansas
Ken Salazar, Colorado

edit- found it. Salazar is no on Alito, yes on cloture

http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/2232606.html

[jsamuel]

13. feinstein? wasn't she in that group?

[Inuca]

14. WHAT????

37 votes BEFORE the committee vote? Does not make any sense!

[Mass]

18. I agree - Why did Reid wait in this case?

He should have pushed and led this filibuster, not waited and said it was not worthwhile. I am sure a number of people decided to wait and see or even oppose the filibuster when they saw the leadership was not fully behind.

[Inuca]

19. Oh... to have been

a fly on the wall of the room where these things were discussed! More modern wiretapping methods also acceptable under the circumstances.

[druidity33]

39. strategy?

As a plan of attack, it's better if your opponent has as little time to prepare for what you're going to do as possible. Maybe he was bluffing the Rethugs... let them get comfortable and feel secure... then pull the rug out! Just a thought...

[katsy]

16. Withdraw campaign cash to any Dem not falling in line.

Isn't that the gop way?

:shrug:

[ananda]

20. Yesterday 13, today 37, ...

... tomorrow 41 or more.

Here's hoping.

[mydreamcametrue]

21. Short the gang of 14 (7) +1.

It is easy to see why everyone is saying that this is a done deal.

[jsamuel]

22. feinstien switched sides

[mydreamcametrue]

29. Yes, but I think Conrad is the other one.

And I do not see any of the following voting against cloture. This IS a done deal.

Joseph I. Lieberman, Connecticut
Robert C. Byrd, West Virginia
E. Benjamin Nelson, Nebraska
Mary Landrieu, Louisiana
Daniel Inouye, Hawaii
Mark Pryor, Arkansas
Ken Salazar, Colorado

[redacted]

30. Who's paying you to say that?

Stop spreading disinformation, especially about Salazar and Lieberman. This ain't no done deal, no way, no how. With only 28 posts so far you need to be careful about putting out statements like that here on DU.

[mydreamcametrue]

31. I wish someone would pay me for calling it the way I see it.

I'll see you Tuesday.

[redacted]

33. You'd know that Salazar was in play had you been listening to the

Young Turks last night at 2 AM like I was. The "way you see it" is based on outdated or bogus information. The "way you see it" is neither accurate, constructive, helpful, nor appreciated by those of us who now understand that a few votes either way could decide cloture and are fighting like hell to nail down those votes.

[kiteinthewind]

32. NOTE: Mydreamcametrue just joined DU on the 25th??? Just

so he/she could "give up" ??? I smell a troll!!! :hide:

[redacted]

34. Yep. Can you spell "paid GOP operative?"

They're all over Thom Hartmann's message board. Don't kid yourself--they're here at DU too, right in this thread, actually. Thank you kiteinthewind for also spotting the psyop, too.

[kiteinthewind]

36. The fact that they are crawling everywhere this weekend

means they are scared!!!! :scared:

Too Sweet!!!

[Coexist]

35. Is that what that is? I was just going to blame the dog!

x(

[ArmchairMeme]

23. K & R

[Pachamama]

24. Maybe the Dems are finally effing w/ the minds of the GOP & purposely

trying to make them sweat and worry and then be unsure of who is in and who isn't?

Just saying.... :shrug:

[drm604]

25. I've been wondering the same thing.

Keep them off balance making it more difficult for them to "go nuclear" before enough of them are indicted to make a rules change impossible. It almost makes sense, issue a bunch of indictments the morning of the SOTU. Then Bush has to make the address with part of his party indicted and Alito uncomfirmed. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

[Pachamama]

26. After what Reid did re. how he suggested the Harriet Miers nomination

and the way he sat back and let the far right eat its own, I actually have to say that I gained a new found respect for Harry Reid and that he is probably (coming from Nevada) an awfully good poker player.

For so long we have watched how the Dems played by the old rules while the nasty current GOP led Majority is corrupt and changing the rules, but always with a strategy. I think that finally some folks in the Dem leadership realized if they are going to be in this game and fight the fight, they need to go in with a strategy. My guess is that nothing, including the timing of Kerry's announcement of a filibuster was by chance. It is thus my guess that they have some interesting strategic moves to win this one....

Yes, it would be wonderful and I keep visualizing it happening in the next 72 hours....

[annabanana]

27. Oh pachamama...

I ALWAYS hope they're up to stuff... but there seems to be no guile in them...

[Pachamama]

28. Oh Annabanana, I know....but I can't give up hope or belief in the Dems...

I agree with you, but I just have to keep hope alive.... :hug:

[Vektor]

37. K&R n/t

[Stand and Fight]

38. Going to have to read this tomorrow. n/t