My wife just called me from work about Alito

[Nightjock]

She asked in a weak, almost scared voice, "Will they really take away a womans right to choose?"

I replied, "I don't know. Maybe...Probably...eventually."

Her voice was rising an octave. After 14 years of marraige I instantly know that means she is getting pissed off.

"Why didn't they (the Dems) fight? Why... do... we... give them FUCKING MONEY EVERY YEAR IF WE CAN'T COUNT ON THEM TO STAND UP TO THIS?!"

I paused for a moment and said sheepishly, " I don't know. But if they overturn Roe vs Wade the republicans will have hell to pay."

"Right now," she said, "I don't give A SHIT! WE ARE NOT SENDING THEM A FUCKING, SINGLE PENNY ANYMORE!"

Wow, I thought. The "F" word TWICE inside 10 seconds. She rarely uses that word. I knew that only a two word answer would slightly calm her down.

"Yes dear."

My friends at DU. Almost every one of you are more politic savvy than I. She is on the train home right now from Manhatten and I sure would like to give her a better answer....

Will they REALLY go against 70% of the population and overturn Roe v Wade?

[gkhouston]

1. probably not explicitly

they'll just gut it from the inside out, so that it will be utterly meaningless. Same end result.

[jfern]

24. Yes, they might try take small steps at a time

The path to fascism works better that way.

[IndyOp]

2. Overturning Roe v Wade means that it will be a state by state issue...

It is a possibility, though it isn't clear that it will happen for sure (at least until one more robot is appointed by Bush).

It is an outrage that it is a possibility. Some states will keep abortion legal.

[Maat]

8. This Juris Doctor used to think that it would just be a state-by-state

issue ... until I thought about the so-called "Partial Birth Abortion Act." Believe it or not, Congress used its COMMERCE POWER to justify its ability to pass that Act which bans the D&X procedure NATIONALLY, and is the law of the land due to the Supremacy Clause.

Then, I hear the rumblings of the religious right, who does not want to leave marriage/partnership rights to each state, but wants to pass an amendment to the U.S. CONSTITUTION.

What is to stop the Hardright Bullies from passing a law against birth control, once there is no clear right to privacy (if Roe v. Wade is overturned)? They would again base it upon the Commerce Clause.

You see, these Bullies aren't concerned with states' rights, but are intend are establishing a combination theocracy/fascist-state.

[punpirate]

9. Unless a decision is written establishing...

... the primacy of the Federal government in the matter. Let's be realistic about this court (and how it will be with Alito on it). They've always selectively interpreted the Federalistic notions about states' rights (the Bush v. Gore decision stands at the forefront in this regard), and they might just write a decision taking the matter out of state hands (that's what Roe v. Wade did, after all). And it won't matter whether it's right and proper or not.

[Maat]

14. This is what I mean.

I think that a Rethuglican-controlled Congress would attempt to pass national legislation, basically forcing a hardright, fundamentalist viewpoint onto the rest of us, and the Courts would uphold it.

[rurallib]

10. Some maybe for a while

but you can bet your sweet ass that each of those states will be the focus of incredible anti-choice campaigns that will also serve to poison minds on many issues. Life could get very ugly when these assholes are really unleashed.

[carolinalady]

3. i do not think so-Shrub appeased his Christian RW base by

nominating him and getting him appointed, but if they lose Roe, they lose a great deal of their young female votes to the Dems. They do not want to do that.

[Left Is Write]

16. But WILL they lose those young female votes?

There appears to be a large group of young women these days who consider themselves "pro-life" (and I fear they really have no idea what they'd be losing).

[wryter2000]

4. You're in New York?

Clinton voted no. I plan to support the Dems who voted the right way. That's both my Senators.

I don't know what to tell your wife. I remember the days before Roe. I had to go to Japan for an abortion. I just don't know what to tell your wife.

[Maat]

11. Wow.

I certainly don't want the expense of traveling to Japan - when it's not a vacation. How miserable. I'm 47, and my childbearing days are over. But I certainly fear for my daughter's future.

I'm glad my senators, Boxer and Feinstein, voted appropriately.

Sorry you're sad; I'm sad too.

[GemMom]

26. No trips to Japan.

Just make sure your daughter knows she is always supposed to carry condoms. Always. My sister works in a womens health care clinic. She hands them out like candy.

[tanyev]

5. They will certainly make a whopping dog and pony show out of it.

Nothing better to keep money flowing into Republican and Fundie PAC coffers.

[punpirate]

6. Yes.

They will. That, and more, now that they have the leverage to do so.

Their object, from now on, will be to diminish the citizen and strengthen the state, and the Executive. The patently unconstitutional will become legal. This is how it will be made palatable to the citizenry--by keeping the appearance of legal, constitutional institutions, all the while gutting individual rights, the heart and soul of the Constitution itself.

[lastliberalintexas]

Thank you

God I get so tired of seeing posters say that the republicans won't overturn Roe because they need it to fire up their base. Their base is by god demanding results, and they won't be pacified until Roe is overturned. The republicans can keep them galvanized and motivated with the fear of the Return of Roe, gay marriage and the state by state fight over abortion that will ensue once Roe is overturned.

And all the while, Corporate America makes out like a bandit as more and more of the New Deal and original Progressive legislations are struck down and emasculated by the most pro-corporate Court in 75 years.

[mcscajun]

7. Yes, but probably not until after the mid-term elections.

They need it as an issue; Bush's coattails are pretty short, muddy and slippery right now.

[Doremus]

12. I wouldn't count on it. That's their biggest drawing card.

Outlaw abortion and the GOP would shrivel up and blow away.

[ScreamingMeemie]

13. Yes....Reagan cut a deal and the Fundy Freeps are exacting payment

on the sane majority. How many times have we said, "It couldn't happen?"...and then it did.

[Missy Vixen]

15. You are a very wise husband

>"Yes dear."<

I'd like to believe that overturning Roe v Wade would deprive the Republicans of the last thing they have to whip their base into a frenzy of donating and phone calling, but hell, I never believed that the Democrats would actually sit back and allow the conservative domination of the Supreme Court, either.

She needs a kiss and a hug when she gets home, IMHO.
Julie

[Orangepeel]

17. not until another Justice passes away or resigns

I believe that Justice Kennedy supports R v W, even though he is not in the usual more "liberal" camp of Stevens, Ginsberg, Souter and Breyer.

Scalia and Thomas absolutely, Roberts and Alito most probably, would vote to overturn.

[Sydnie]

18. Not so you'll notice as it happens

It will be like the mold growing in NOLA. Slow, creeping slime, until it takes over completely. Alito said as much in his speech before. Taking it down, one small brick at a time.

[Justitia]

19. I am a mbr of several pro-choice orgs - they will definitely overturn it.

However, if you are lucky enough to be in NY, the state will surely retain her rights.
Most everyone else is screwed.

[flpoljunkie]

20. One more vote needed to overturn Roe v. Wade with Alito on the bench.

This is the conventional wisdom-- that a liberal justice must be replaced with another conservative like Alito in order to overturn Roe.

The votes to confirm Roe are said to be 6-3, without Alito. With Alito, the vote to uphold Roe would be 5-4.

__________________

"Fortunately, even if both Roberts and Alito did vote to overturn Roe--a prospect that Alito supporters, such as Charles Fried of Harvard Law School, think unlikely--the decision to uphold Roe would still be 5-4, and Republicans would need another appointment to allow restrictions on early-term abortion."

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20060130&s=editorial013006

[seabeyond]

21. "Yes dear." lol lol. you guys are consistant anyway

abortion laws have been being gutted out for a while. three states have only one place for abortion. there are other laws that can be turned now that he is in. i dont think it will be totally illegal right now, but i think it will continue to be eroded to the point of being nonexistance. kinda like what they are doing with our rights and so much more. killing education. killing our health care. not one hit and it is gone. slow and not realizing

[insane_cratic_gal]

22. They will probably give it back to the states

Which in some red bible thumping states will make it illegal. Hell, it's almost to that point now.. they've been eroding choice for awhile now. It's their (RW freaks) main agenda

I'm not gonna lie, Alito's pending confirmation is a threat to the very basic, personal, act of a Woman having the right to control her own body.

I wonder how the freepers would of felt if we appointed a a Huge Anti gun Judge.. and lost! Maybe they'd have a small idea of how we will all feel.

[GetTheRightVote]

23. If they do try or even succeed they will strengthen the Dems all over

again, and we will learn to participant again in our government, and we will once again run into the streets to demand our rights, the Repubs will provide for the Dems what they could never create themselves and once again the Democratic party will come into power for many, many years but we must first protect our right to vote in this nation, we must make sure that this is what happens as history has taught us it can, it will as long as we the people are the power not the government.

We must be active and stayed informed always ready to attack and protect our rights as citizens.

I feel the liberal revolution is approaching us and soon ............

:kick:

[KitSileya]

25. You know, one question that needs to be asked,

is how many women in America has the right to an abortion right now? Before R&W is or is not overturned? How many women in the US has access to legal abortion right now? That's what these 70% should think about. If the state of Mississippi has only one abortion provider, if some women have to take 2, 3 days off work to have an abortion (and consequentially lose that job), if they have to travel 700 miles to have an abortion, if they have to notify others before their abortions - how many women in America can say that they have the right to an abortion apart from on paper?