Rebellion by Rank & File Takes Washington Dems by Surprise

[radio4progressives]

Must Read! Written by Invesitgative reporter Robert Parry, most noted

Robert Parry broke many of the Iran-Contra stories in the 1980s for the Associated Press and Newsweek.



Alito Filibuster & Word Games
By Robert Parry
January 29, 2006


At Consortiumnews.com, we often criticize the Bush administration for its Orwellian language – “torture” and “democracy” being just two abused words – so we must note how Senate Democratic leaders slid into their own dissembling while trying to defuse rank-and-file demands for a filibuster of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito.


(snip)

The Democratic leaders tried to sound tough and principled when they were really acting soft and manipulative. For instance, they urged Democrats to cast a “strategic vote” on Alito’s nomination as well as calling on senators to “vote their conscience” – but neither phrase meant what it purported to mean.

(snip)

Rebellion

What’s happened over the past few days, however, has been a surprise to many Washington-based national Democrats. Rank-and-file Democrats across the country quickly saw through these tricky word games and rebelled, expressing outrage through the Internet and via talk-radio stations.

This Democratic base has demanded that Democratic leaders, for once, set aside political gamesmanship and recognize that Alito and his radical theories of an all-powerful executive are a serious threat to the future of the American democratic Republic.

The rank-and-file outrage appears to have stiffened the spines of some prominent Democrats.

cont...

http://consortiumnews.com/2006/012906.html

Robert Parry's latest book, Secrecy & Privilege: Rise of the Bush Dynasty from Watergate to Iraq, can be ordered at secrecyandprivilege.com. It's also available at Amazon.com, as is his 1999 book, Lost History: Contras, Cocaine, the Press & 'Project Truth.'

[saltpoint]

1. I hope the alleged spine-stiffenings are enough to sustain the filibuster.

Kerry's call to filibuster a man who is a throwback to Christ knows how far into the Dark Ages was necessary and refreshing. I don't really give a damn if the mainstream media think Kerry's a sour-grapes grandstander or not. I regard him as the legitimate winner of the Ohio electoral vote and thus the presidency.

Alito is a polished hit man and I hope his nomination goes down in flames.

[babylonsister]

6. "throwback to Christ"? If that's true, hopefully what is going on

will be an education! Finally, the internet is becoming powerful!

[ClayZ]

2. Kick!

:kick:

[WhiteTara]

3. I'm praying for the long shot.

My alarm is set so that I can start calling before dawn on the west coast to all those wafflers and fools.

[joemurphy]

4. Signs that we're getting somewhere. Parry's a good journalist.

This is progress, friends.

[O.M.B.inOhio]

5. Nice to feel our work is doing some good!

[whometense]

7. Fascinating.

I sure hope he's right.

[Presidentcokedupfratboy]

8. We have to stop layin' down sometime

And it might as well be now.

It's about damned time these guys noticed that we want them to act like a REAL opposition party, not like some submissive frat pledges who will bend over no matter what.

[wiley]

10. Amen!

They fillibuster or they join the Republican Party because the "moderate" Democratic and American response would be to prevent this grave and radical threat from becoming a tragedy. I already know that most of those Republican Senators would shriek and run like babies when something threatened their cash flow or perch of power. I want to see a Republican Senator with a spine stand up and vote no because it's not good for America!That will never happen so the people of America have only the Democrats to save them from this dismantling of the checks and balances that barely still exist since the greedmongering Repukes took over.

[nofurylike]

9. GREAT post and article, radio4progressives. thank you!

if people can, here's where to thank consortium news and mr parry for this article and recognition of our work:

http://www.consortiumnews.com/contact.html


peace and solidarity

[radio4progressives]

12. Welcome! Is everyone listening to Brad Freidman on Young Turks..

Some TERRRIFFIC ideas was just posited by a listener caller..

someone said that Senators need to do a REAL Filibuster and read the Constituion and the Federalists Papers and George Orwell 1984!

What a FABULOUS idea, no?

First thing the morning we need to advance that notion big time to the Senators - I'll be calling Boxer, Feinstein in my state to ask them to do that.. and also Kerry's office and Senator Reid's.

what d'ya guys think? think that's a good idea?

I sure the hell do!

This is a SAVE the CONSTITUTION REBELLION!!!

Veto Alito!!!

[nofurylike]

14. thank you, radio4progressives! great ideas there, too! yes!! i believe

that Kerry is planning to read all the names of signors of his letter, into the congressional record, too.

keep on, radio4progressives! ALL!


peace and solidarity!

[liberalla]

18. I heard that too! Wish I had cable so I could watch C-SPAN and

hear my name read into the record!

Kerry be strong! The people are with you!

[nofurylike]

30. i have slow dial-up and CSPAN works surprisingly well. why do

you think you're not getting it?

you know it's streaming online, yes?

http://www.c-span.org/watch/index.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS&ShowVidDays=30&ShowVidDesc=&ArchiveDays=30

the senate is on CSPAN 2 - see right column to select which CSPAN.

i hope you can hear this! it is huge history.


peace and solidarity!

[blm]

26. Kerry's reading out our names on the Senate floor today?

Whoa....I need to keep up better.

[nofurylike]

31. that is what his letter said he will do. wow, ah! eom

[wiley]

11. Kick this thread!

[art3]

13. kick

kick

[wiley]

15. Try this kick!

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[The Magistrate]

16. Excellent, Ma'am

The officials must be reminded of the ultimate creed of their trade: "Where are the people? I must hurry there and lead them!"

[radio4progressives]

17. Send This to the Senators: " It's The Constitution Stupid! "

A listener calling in from England, an American Air Force service person, has been calling and faxing all the Senators, connecting the issue of the unitarian theory, "It's the Constitution Stupid" ...

any way just thought it had a certain ring to it...

[Stand and Fight]

19. Wow... About damn time they heard us! n/t

[Wilms]

20. kick

[spuddonna]

21. Good! I want to see some fightin' Dems!! n/t

[Binka]

22. I Want To See Some Repukes Teeth On The Pavement

Hatch, Kyl, Sessions, Santorum just for starters. I would pay $10,000 for the privilege of smacking them in the kisser!

[spuddonna]

23. Hi Binka!

:hi: How are you?!

How's your beautiful Ben? I hope he's mending and feeling better...

My little Ben is probably going to be home sick from school tomorrow... He's been hacking and coughing all night, keeps waking up. Gives me an excuse for being up, sending letters to these chuckleheads to do their damn job...

[Binka]

25. Hi Sugar!

Ben is back at 29 Palms and feeling good. Hope your little guy feels better soon!

[spuddonna]

34. Thanks!

I went in to check on him and fell asleep on the bottom of his bed! lol

I should learn to appreciate these moments more... :)

[ScreamingMeemie]

24. Gosh, I feel like "We" the People are finally shouting loud enough.

The silent majority has found its voice...and it is our own. :hi:

[autorank]

27. Memo to Washington insiders -- Retire, Adios, Adieu, So Long

These are the people who brought you SURRENDER after two stolen elections and not one action to prevent it from happening again and again. It's time for the DC Democratic "insiders" to go away or be sent to their room without desert.

[Joe Chi Minh]

28. I've no proof for it, in fact, no certainty in respect of it, but when

stalwarts like Give 'em Hell Harry and others were talking negatively about the filibuster, it occurred to me that they did so precisely in order to get all those phone calls, e-mails, etc, to support their true intention, i.e to filibuster.

[gkhouston]

29. yup. Now when someone screams that they're playing

partisan politics, they can counter by saying that they were inundated with phone calls, emails, faxes, and letters. Heck, didn't even some Republicans get a few? So what were they supposed to do, ignore their constituents? On one side, we've had Kennedy, saying "go go go" to the base, to make the calls and letters happen, and on the other we've had Reid saying, "eh, looks unlikely" to downplay expectations in case things don't come off as hoped.

[AntiFascist]

32. Parry should point out the connection of Alito with Iran-Contra k&r n/t

[Coexist]

33. Kick! n/t

[PATRICK]

35. Political therapy counseling

It was apparent by Kerry's apparent belated sudden call for a filibuster, after thinking things out a bit(me), that the blitz that so enervated the Democratic Senators, came too late.

The timing for the raw emotion, the numbers and intensity, always minus access to the nation's raped public media, was at the decisive closed meeting they had weeks ago. Then it was a done deal. Not enough votes. The battle lines with principle of temerity skewed and on the wrong side had been erased with an "oh well" of well concealed, if existent, frustration. I would have to guess those suggesting filibuster presented their case weakly, too politically, or too off the point. Shumer provided a clue in saying he "proposed" a new idea, years late by the way, that given the stonewalling, the general views of the candidate should be the main issue. That revealed a philosophical debate way late that could only serve to raise the hackles of people sticking to the old system. Unless it's an obvious monster like Bork(for which timid Dems paid a heavy emotional price in the slavering slant media) confirm it. Use the usual Marquis of Nazibury rules which allows anyone to get in so long as they keep the jackboots covered politely.

Like 2004, it was over then at that meeting, too little too late even then. There would be no challenge or realignment in the light year of impossibility it would take to get from appeasement to being an actual opposition party defending democracy, itself, and the walking dead people who pay for their failure.

There should have bee NO bush judges at all for several salient reasons, or slapdown challenges, not the least of which is Bush's dictatorial attitude toward Congress(far far far worse than Hillary's comment would have suggested to a deafened populace). Hundreds and hundreds of signing statements on top of a rubber stamp Congress no less(whose uppity members like Trott have been let go or dumped) make all these posturing the squeakings of simpletons or cowards who won't, can't let the citizens know there is only One. The "weak" governor of Texas just imported the notion that if the exec has not enough power, just do it anyway. The dangerous outbreak of signing statements from Reagan to now setting the dangerous precedent in order to reverse the taming of the Watergate Presidency. Before that, in all crises and times, the signing statement had been employed 75 times. From Reagan to Clinton
hundreds. In Bush 2, matched and surpassed all predecessors WITH a majority in both houses and most of what he wanted in all bills that he routinely ignores anyway. It WAS the conscious takeover of America that the cynical proponents of Pearl Harbor 2 had envisioned, without hesitancy or moderation at all.

And for the Dems, since the long retreat since FDR maybe, it was not noticed??? Not a part of thought or action? You can scan some fine speeches on "issues" rendered moot by dictatorship, like the remaining noble senators during the time of the dissolute and mad emperors.

The revolution will not come from the Senate. I think we knew that with many many confirmations(and I don't mean judges). Keeping their institution on life supports like the treacherous, useless media going through the frantic motions to the side of everything critical and every other leading institution of this forsaken nation crawls under the shadow of asses, real ones not symbolic donkeys, led by despotic madmen the people- not the courtiers- are allowed by virtue of irrelevance(voting machines) to whisper about outside of electronic communications of course.

I would suggest we recommit to political partisan warfare outside the failed leadership, outside the big stages where the national media lights are routinely turned off. Instead of massive demonstrations at great cost we should divide into many many demonstrations on every street corner possible. A lot of people get no coverage. They are so big few outsiders get to see them. Subdividing now, with the populace plainly turning to our side, will get many more people and communities, and maybe their local fishwrappers to build America.

[MsLeopard]

36. I like that idea

"Instead of massive demonstrations at great cost we should divide into many many demonstrations on every street corner possible."

It's true - I remember in the run up to the Iraq invasion, our peace and justice group here stood on a street corner every weekend. 20 or 30 people at a time, and it go a lot of attention. Like Patrick said, more people will see it and then know they, too, do not stand alone.

Great post. I agree with much of what you say.

[mmonk]

37. Too late now.

We've been hung out to dry. My heartfelt thanks to Kerry, Kennedy and others who fought to preserve what was decent about America, its checks and balances to protect minority opinion and the Bill of rights.