Piss, meet cornflakes.

I agree with you the the chances of blocking the confirmation are slim, but I also think we shouldn’t give up hope! I just read (CNN?) that the Rethugs hope to force a vote on Monday; that’s a LONG time from now. I don’t know about you, but I can make a hell of a lot of phone calls between now and then. This is worth going to the mat for. If there’s any chance at all of success, I say we have to go for it.

Hey c’mon, Kerry threw his weight behind the fillibuster. Kerry never loses…

It’s pissing in the ocean, but plenty of props to any Senator who comes out on record supporting the filibuster.

Nice to see members of Congress rejoining the rest of us chordates finally.

Won’t happen- Feinstien’s looking shaky and Salazar is also against the action.
Still- like Jillian said, props to those who said they would.

Looks like we now know who to blame once Roe is overturned. Nice, Brad. You could have come down on the side of decency and righteousness, putting the full weight of the Sadly crew behind you. But you had to pick reality instead. Thanks for nothing.

Ben Nelson of Nebraska has said he will support Alito.

Bill Nelson of Florida, one of my senators will not vote for Alito because of Alito’s view of the President as King.

Worse, Kerry started this after it became clear that Reid didn’t have the votes for a filibuster, so it really does seem like just a bit of grandstanding.

Though let’s face it here: what we’re seeing is an improvement over the Democrats’ behavior on the Scalia nomination (the Dems were in the minority at the time, but they didn’t even vote against him let alone filibuster) or the Thomas nomination (eleven Democrats voted for him). It’s not a Borking, but Bork was the wingnut supreme, and you just can’t make such a perfect situation happen again. I still see this as progress.

And I still think Roberts is as bad as Alito, and people let him through ’cause he’s so nice. What a way to pick judges.

Worse, Kerry started this after it became clear that Reid didn’t have the votes for a filibuster, so it really does seem like just a bit of grandstanding.

Of course it is. Kerry is simply pandering to the activist base, hoping to get some street cred for his run in 2008. See also his stint blogging at Kos.

I voted for Kerry last election, but I do. Not. Want. Him. Running. Again.

The Democrats are horribly screwed up right now. We need to develop some kind of coherent message and not have the left and center wings of the party constantly sniping at each other. The truth is, the Dems are really two different parties- you’ve got a large left-wing base and a wimpy centrist minority. But the unfortunate truth is that we need both sides in order to win elections- America is simply a two party system, and there’s nothing that can be done about that.

The question is, how can there be reconciliation? I’ve gotten extremely frustrated with a Democratic Party that is filled with so much goddamn infighting that they’re blowing the best opportunity they’ve had in years.

The centrist and activist wings need to come together, iron out their biggest differences and create a unified message for November. The country simply cannot survive another two years of GOP one-party rule.

But again, is the split between the liberal and “centrist” wings really worse than it was in 1992, when eleven Democrats helped confirm Clarence Thomas? That was a blunder that makes the Alito follies look like a shining moment. (Though the Thomas confirmation may have helped the Democrats win that year, because Thomas almost helped overturn Roe and scared women away from voting Republican.)

I’m not saying the Democrats are great, but their problems are heavily magnified by the fact that they’re out of power. They’ve had two bad election cycles (2002 and 2004), and one of those bad cycles can be explained as a fluke (2002 followed the year when Democrats actually won — 2000 — so they lost the ground they gained in 2000, but because of the botched 2000 election it looked like two losses in a row).

Dean, Pelosi and Reid have all been added to the leadership since 2002 and all in their varying ways are doing a better job of reconciling the different wings; Pelosi’s become good at holding votes together, Dean at articulating a message, Reid at reaching out to the blogosphere without coming off as a “wacky lefty.” Whether things will get better instantly, I don’t know, and it’s small consolation after five sucky years, but the party is not as bad as it’s made out to be. We’re seeing it at its worst right now because a) The judicial nomination process sucks and b) The Senate is, had been, and always will be a collection of appalling blowhards [how many really first-rate people are there on either side?]. Grit your teeth and remember that the Republic survived a court that included Thomas, Scalia, Rehnquist and Kennedy-appointed wingnut Byron White.

this is bullshit guys. we want people to stand up and fight a losing fight to show that we maybe stand for something, then we do not also call that grandstanding!

Am I the only one who thinks Alito has crazy, glinty, pushed-together little eyes? He looks like a freakin’ Inquisitor.

Brad – It looks like I might be in for the same ride as you, we just elected our first conservative in 12 years and the liberal vote is split between 2 fairly disorganized parties so the one con party came out on top.

The man wants to spend billions to outfit huge fucking icebreaker boats to protect something as obscure as “arctic sovereignty”. Fuck healthcare.

30,000 Canadian troops mobilise on Axel-Heilberg in the High Arctic. Bring it on! They’ll exhaust themselves during the siege of Pangnirtung.

Joementum is a Democrat? Since when?

I hate to break it to you, Brad, but I don’t think the Democrats In Power are ever, ever, ever going to acknowledge that they are all so much farther to the right than their base that they might just as well be another party.

There’s been some research by political scientists on this phenomenon…I can’t fine the journal where I first saw the article I’m thinking of, but it talks about how a major political party in the U.S. can “trap” a political interest group – make them feel like they have no choic but to vote for the “trapping” party – and once they’ve done that, they can safely disregard anything that bloc thinks – and do disregard it.

Progressives are basically trapped by the Democratic party until some issue comes along that is stark and clear enough to provide a rallying point for a new party to coalesce – much like slavery destroyed the Whig party and created the Republicans in the 1840s.

What we really need, I think, is for people to simply leave the Democratic party en masse. But the bulk of the party simply won’t move, because for some reason they think “two party structure of American government” automatically translates into “Republican and Democrat structure of American government”.

Having the requisite gonads to vote your conscience really can affect the future direction of one’s party. I’d argue that it was millions of Republicans voting their conscience – albeit their ragingly insane conscience – for Perot in ’92 that helped to shape the Repubs’ current reactionary shift to the right.

Let’s face it: if the Democratic party sucks, is it the fault of the forty Dems in the Senate, or is it the fault of the millions of Americans who never, ever, ever, ever have let them know there are consequences for their behavior?

Let it go nowhere. Some politics is for show.

that said, Kerry and Kennedy have each been contacted, by me, a MA voter, to say that now is the time for that show.

You’re right, I’m left captured by the wimpy Dem middle. But the Republithugs have been successfully energizing their captured extremists and converting that into electoral wins. The Dems never seem to remember that 40% don’t vote at all and their best chance is to excite people. A doomed filibuster is a better demonstration of resolve than saying oh well, it wouldn’t work anyway. Did anyone see Pelosi get chewed up by the radical voters of SF?

A doomed filibuster is a better demonstration of resolve than saying oh well, it wouldn’t work anyway.

I think it makes you look weaker to say “I’m going to filibuster!” and then get slapped down seconds later when five members of your own party vote not to filibuster.

I don’t mind fighting, but you have to fight smart. Kerry’s gonna do this, get slapped down very quickly, and look like a boob. Just sayin’, folks. It’s reality.

Sometimes you just have to the little that you can do.

A failed filibuster is much better than no serious attempt to oppose Alito at all. Think of it as prologue to the next appointment, or for when Alito performs some gaffe or issues an utterly obnoxious opinion. Dems need to be on ther record as having vigorously opposed this jerk, even if not enough of them joined that opposition for it to be successful.

Jesus, Brad, will most folks ever see Kerry as anything but a loser no matter what the hell he does? He should throw a monkey wrench in every damn thing they’ve got going, no matter how long the odds, forcing them fight long and hard for what they thought would be easy victories. If the right is going to paint him as a failure, use it to make them hurt.

It’s not like the Republicans are hurting the Democrats by calling them obstructionist. When the Republicans are bent on turning our formerly free country into a totalitarian security state, obstructing that is a good thing.

A failed attempt at obstruction is better than no attempt at all. I want my Democratic representatives to kick the Republicans in the ass every chance they get. Especially if the chances are few are far between.

Jesus, Brad, will most folks ever see Kerry as anything but a loser no matter what the hell he does?

Yes.

I don’t mind fighting, but you have to fight smart. Kerry’s gonna do this, get slapped down very quickly, and look like a boob. Just sayin’, folks. It’s reality.

Bah, if the president has shown anything: Knowing that there’s no chance of success and doing it all-out anyway should bump up all participants like 15 points in one day.

I agree that something that appeared more thought out would be nice, but you go to politics with the old men you have, not Gregory Peck and the kickass choir.

It’s not like the Republicans are hurting the Democrats by calling them obstructionist. When the Republicans are bent on turning our formerly free country into a totalitarian security state, obstructing that is a good thing.

I agree, but I think the best way to end the GOP hegemony is by winning elections. Right now, I don’t see a lot of focus in the blogosphere about this (except at Kos’ place). I see a lot of justifiable anger, but I don’t see much in the way of election strategery.

Then why not use it, as I said? Who cares what they think, as nothing he could do could ever change their opinion? I don’t want him to lick the hand that strikes him, I want him to bite the hell out of it.

Let me see if I have this straight: Byrd will support Alito because this shouldn’t be seen as a party-line decision, yet no Republican–Snowe? Collins?–will vote against Alito or for a filibuster?

If there isn’t a filibuster, you can forget 2006, and probably 2008 as well. There’s no motivation to vote.

American culture amazes me. Kerry’s biggest sin was that he lost, and for that he can never be forgiven. This attitude pervades your society at all levels, most obviously in sports. I remember the unseemly triumphalism of many Americans at the prospect of their obscenely-paid basketball stars demolishing European semi-pros.

The society that doesn’t appreciate the lessons (and value) of losing, cannot hope to appreciate the true value of fighting.

American culture amazes me. Kerry’s biggest sin was that he lost, and for that he can never be forgiven.

Naw, it’s that he lost to Worst President Ever.

This attitude pervades your society at all levels, most obviously in sports. I remember the unseemly triumphalism of many Americans at the prospect of their obscenely-paid basketball stars demolishing European semi-pros.

It is fun to watch, I’m not gonna lie.

Though in Europe’s defense (or is it “defence?”), Ginnobli is one hell of a player.

The society that doesn’t appreciate the lessons (and value) of losing, cannot hope to appreciate the true value of fighting.

Spoken like a true Frenchman 😉

Seriously, though, I take your point. But I’m still insanely bitter that Dubya got elected to a second term. It still stings. So forgive me if I’m not always irrational.

Sorry, should read “not always rational.”

There’s no motivation to vote.

Not having these assholes run the country isn’t enough for you?

How does rolling over for the Alito vote translate into winning an election?

Make the Reps. fight for what they get. It gives you a platform for stating what you believe in and why you oppose the president.

People think the Dems. don’t stand for anything because they do not see them stand up. Remember the thrill that resulted from Reid pushing back on Frist? We need more of that energy, not less. If you worry about being civil, you have just bought into the Republican talking points.

Exactly. Kerry should lead the fight because, well, someone might try to shoot Ted Kennedy if he did it.

either way, count on both of them being re-elected.

Byrd saying that is unfortunate, but Byrd is not known for Kennedy-like predictability.

Progressives are basically trapped by the Democratic party until some issue comes along that is stark and clear enough to provide a rallying point for a new party to coalesce.

So unilateral military action, off the board corruption, ignorance of climate change, domestic spying, indefinate dentention without charge, the complete fudging of a major disaster, biligerence in the face of major threats, and laughing about it all aren’t major issues that can get the American electorate together?
What does he have to do, kidnap the commissioner’s daughter for christsake?

Well, so far, in the history of the United States, the only thing that’s ever been egregious enough to serve as the seed crystal around which a new party could coalesce was chattel ownership of other human beings. And even that only managed to produce a fairly moderate, reformist party (the original focus of the Republican party was not ending slavery, but preventing the spread of slavery – a subtle but significant difference).

So, I’d have to imagine that in order for Bush to do something that would get the fat, lazy American public up off their fat lazy, collectively ginormous ass would be something equivalent in its unmistakable evil. Killing brown people eight thousand miles away doesn’t really count – it’s too far. And people of today often don’t realize the full extent of the moral depravity of slaveowners – something the average abolitionist of 1840 would have been well aware of.

Another big problem we have is that somewhere in the last hundred and fifty years, Jesus became a free market capitalist, instead of the quasi-Socialist he was for the evangelicals of the nineteenth century.

I’m ready to pronounce a pox on both the parties. Getting Democrats elected does fuck all when they go right on doing shit like voting to confirm Alito and bitching that the President needs to take a *tougher* stance on Iran *coughHillarycough* – and they never suffer any consequences for doing stupid, dumbass shit like that.

This is the part where I get off. You’re a Canuck, aren’t you, Timmah? You wouldn’t by any chance be single, would you? I’m a fine cook and have a wonderful library and make great conversation – and I have never once thought that great sex ruins anyone’s life, either.

If that doesn’t work, I’m open to gay marriage proposals, as well – just drop me a line!

Bill Nelson is on record opposing Alito. It’s Ben Nelson who supports the guy.