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Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25

By Jeralyn, Section Sam Alito
Posted on Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 03:10:37 PM EST
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25 Senators stood proud today and voted to extend debate on Judge Sam Alito. They deserve your thanks and your praise. Here's the list:

Bayh, Evan (D-IN)
Biden, Joseph R., Jr. (D-DE)
Boxer, Barbara (D-CA)
Clinton, Hillary Rodham (D-NY)
Dayton, Mark (D-MN)
Dodd, Christopher J. (D-CT)
Durbin, Richard (D-IL)
Feingold, Russell D. (D-WI)
Feinstein, Dianne (D-CA)
Jeffords, James M. (I-VT)

Kennedy, Edward M. (D-MA)
Kerry, John F. (D-MA)
Lautenberg, Frank R. (D-NJ)
Leahy, Patrick J. (D-VT)
Levin, Carl (D-MI)
Menendez, Robert (D-NJ)
Mikulski, Barbara A. (D-MD)
Murray, Patty (D-WA)
Obama, Barack (D-IL)
Reed, Jack (D-RI)
Reid, Harry (D-NV)
Sarbanes, Paul S. (D-MD)
Schumer, Charles E. (D-NY)
Stabenow, Debbie (D-MI)
Wyden, Ron (D-OR)

One Democrat didn't vote: Tom Harkin

I think the blogosphere made a difference. Both Diane Feinstein and Barbara Mikulski originally said they would not support a filibuster even though they opposed Judge Alito. Both changed their mind and voted to extend debate.

< Alito Filibuster is Dead, Vote 75-25 | New Jill Carroll Video Released: Veiled and Weeping >

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    • Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 | 28 comments (28 topical)
    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 03:40:29 PM EST
    Although I am happy that the above-referenced senators tood their ground (especially my senators, Clinton and Schumer) I am so disheartened that Alito is getting confirmed. I believe that this is a pivotal event and truly feel as if this is the beginning of the end. We're entering a sad and sordid period of our history, and I'm sorry that it's occurred in my lifetime. This is not something that I normally say, but God help us.

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 03:42:44 PM EST
    And, by the way, I realize that my prior comment may be perceived by some as melodramatic, but I don't think it is. History *will* show that Alito's confimation changed the course of our country.

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#3)
    by Punchy on Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 03:59:41 PM EST
    I'm not so sure it's time quite yet to be announcing Armageddon. After all, there's now 4 die-hard conservatives, which still is the minority. Armageddon truly arrives the day any other justice not named Scalia, Alito, Thomas, and Roberts hangs up his/her robe or has God do it for them. Then yes, our country dies and I move north across the border.

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 04:50:38 PM EST
    Well look at it this way TL, even though your representatives and their party are inept, atleast you'll have lots to write about on your blog while the republicans run the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of this rouge government. I would suggest that the dems take the next couple of years when they are completely out of power and try to figure out how to win elections again, but we both know it will take alot longer than that.

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 04:51:33 PM EST
    I am happy that the above-referenced senators stood their ground (especially my senators, Clinton and Schumer) . . .
    Echoing Nicole, I have been supporting the filibuster effort by contacting Senators Clinton and Schumer, my senators too, and I thank all these senators for their commitment to principle. Assuming that now Judge Alito will be confirmed, I must say that my only hope is that perhaps being on the Supreme Court of the United States will free Judge Alito from his previous self-serving maneuvers taken in the context of his applications for previous political appointments. I hope that he will do the right thing. I hope that he will actually do what he said that he would do in the Senate committee hearings: Maintain an open mind; review the legal arguments wisely in every case presented to the Court; respect already-established legal precedents; and not review and overturn "settled law" on the basis of his own private personal convictions or biases or prejudices. In other words, I hope that he will be a truly fair-minded Justice of the Supreme Court. Let us hope that he adheres to his own promises to be that. I hope that the public opposition to his nomination and the consequent filibuster make him scrutinize the biases and prejudices that he brings to the Court, to take them into account, and transcend them in making just opinions in every case. I hope that once having once having attained the highest judicial position in the land, Judge Alito will no longer need to impress executive-branch politicos and will make his decisions independent of them.

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 06:45:42 PM EST
    variable:
    I would suggest that the dems take the next couple of years when they are completely out of power and try to figure out how to win elections again.
    Really!! Got any more insights? I'm sure they never would have thought of that.

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 07:00:45 PM EST
    While I salute the 25 who voted to against cloture I suggest that the other list should be published--- those who voted for cloture. These senators should rate extreme excoriation. They essentially punted on one of the most important votes of their caree. The votes against the nomination are meaningless. We didnt' have enough to defeat the nomination outright. You have to fight with the weapons that you have--- not the ones that you wish you had. But, what am I saying? These senators don't understand that Americans are far more likely to support fighters who stand for something rather than spineless political hacks who refuse to fight out of fear of losing. BTW, I'm not giving Kerry or Kennedy any profiles of courage awards. They should have been preparing their colleagues for a fillibuster from the moment that Alito's record became clear. Their inability to land telling blows on Alito during the hearings certainly showcased their impotence. And, when research turned up damaging evidence of Alito's views the Grand Wurlitzer of wingnut propaganda cranked up to explain it away. We need our own media machine, but that's another story...

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 07:03:52 PM EST
    Here's the link to the NYT article article

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#10)
    by squeaky on Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 08:15:51 PM EST
    CarolinaLiberal-you may want to read this article by Michael Kinsley in Slate as it directly relates to your dem bashing. Here is a choice bit:
    There is always a pick-up game of Kick the Democrats going on somewhere. But something about the Alito confirmation--the pathetic and apparently surprising inability of 45 Democratic senators to stop 55 Republicans from approving anyone they want--seems to have made the game suddenly a lot more popular.
    Don't feel bad you are not alone. link via josh marshall

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 08:24:24 PM EST
    I set those hopes on the record for a reason. Here is the reply that I received today from the office of one of my senators, Hillary Rodham Clinton, in acknowledgment of my support for the filibuster:
    Thank you for sharing with me your concerns about the proposed filibuster in the United States Senate regarding the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to serve as an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court. As I explained from the Senate floor, I believe the key to American progress has been the ever-expanding circle of freedom and opportunity. If you look at Judge Alito's statements and his record, it is clear that Judge Alito would narrow that circle while endangering our nation's fundamental system of checks and balances.
    This is a vote of tremendous significance. History will show that Judge Alito's nomination is the tipping point against constitutionally-based freedoms and protections we cherish as individuals and as a nation. He would roll back decades of progress, and roll over when confronted with an administration too willing to play fast and loose with the rules. Because I do not think Judge Alito would advance the principles Americans hold most dear, I oppose his nomination and support efforts to block his confirmation.
    If any senator planning to vote for his confirmation has doubts that my hopes will be fulfilled, that senator should vote against confirming Judge Alito. If confirmed, Judge Alito needs to be reminded of what fair-minded people hope that he will do, and he needs to do it.

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#12)
    by squeaky on Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 08:41:06 PM EST
    Digby andJane at fdl are well worth reading. Evidentially we in the blogosphere really made a difference this time. The power elite responded to us and changed what would have been more politically convenient for them. They listened,

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#13)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 09:03:02 PM EST
    Yes, but a few senators like Barack and Schumer was reported to have criticized the filibuster over the weekend, Biden saying he would vote for cloture only once. There was a half-hearted flavor here even among a few of the 25.

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#14)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 09:03:27 PM EST
    that's vote against cloture

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#15)
    by Linkmeister on Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 10:59:01 PM EST
    Democrats in favor of cloture: Democrats voting to end debate (anti-filibuster): Akaka, Hawaii; Baucus, Mont.; Bingaman, N.M.; Byrd, W.Va.; Cantwell, Wash.; Carper, Del.; Conrad, N.D.; Dorgan, N.D.; Inouye, Hawaii; Johnson, S.D.; Kohl, Wis.; Landrieu, La.; Lieberman, Conn.; Lincoln, Ark.; Nelson, Fla.; Nelson, Neb.; Pryor, Ark.; Rockefeller, W.Va.; Salazar, Colo.

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#16)
    by phat on Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 11:52:34 PM EST
    I live in Nebraska and I can't find any story explaining why Hagel didn't vote today. Anybody here heard anything? phat

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#17)
    by Andreas on Tue Jan 31, 2006 at 01:57:59 AM EST
    The WSWS writes:
    Support for the filibuster among a few Democrats reflected a combination of cynical calculation and disarray. Since Alito has always had the support of over 50 of the Republican senators, a filibuster would have been the only way that the nomination could be halted. As late as last week, the possibility was being dismissed. Late on Thursday, however, Senator John Kerry initiated a filibuster campaign while he was attending an economic summit in Switzerland. The move by Kerry came in response to concern within sections of the party that it was necessary to make a show of a filibuster attempt in order to shore up their liberal credentials and lesson the appearance of abject capitulation to the right-wing nominee. The Democrats have come under attack from within their own supporters, including from various liberal blogs and in town hall meetings, for refusing to put up even the shadow of a fight against the Republicans and Alito. ... From the beginning, however, Kerry's campaign was a complete farce--a flailing attempt to make a gesture that was doomed to impotence. Kerry's initiative only came after it was clear that it would not succeed.
    With the help of the Democrats, Alito to be confirmed as US Supreme Court Justice By Joe Kay, 31 January 2006

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#18)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Jan 31, 2006 at 06:11:11 AM EST
    From the beginning, however, Kerry's campaign was a complete farce--a flailing attempt to make a gesture that was doomed to impotence. Kerry's initiative only came after it was clear that it would not succeed.
    Exactly my evaluation all along but I did my bit to stiffen the spines of craven Dem senators who didn't even feel the compunction to even go through the motions. When Kerry starts campaigning for a shot to lose the presidency in 2008 I hope that we all remember that we need more than grand, pointless gestures. "I voted for it before I voted against it..." Enough said.

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#19)
    by Lora on Tue Jan 31, 2006 at 06:18:05 AM EST
    Better to have filibustered and lost, than never to have filibustered at all. I think the WSWS post rather sums it up in terms of Kerry. He has acted that way ever since the election, IMO. As for more principled democrats, if there are any, I'm really trying to resist the temptation to beat them up any further. Our elected democrats are afraid, and ashamed to admit it. It's time for the Loyal Left to go to war. If we want them to do their job, we have to apply pressure, yes, but also provide cover and decent body armor. The trojan horse in the Seige of the Constitution is the Malicious Mouthpiece Media. There is no "mainstream" media, and it's time we recognize that and fight them on every front. We need to stop swiftboating, ferret out falsities, murder misrepresentations, incinerate inaccuracies...(okay sorry I'm in an alliterative, uh, storm.) But seriously folks, we underestimate the power of the smear campaign and the utter collusion of the media in furthering the agenda of the Repressive Right. This is where we have to act, immediately and relentlessly.

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#20)
    by Slado on Tue Jan 31, 2006 at 06:56:43 AM EST
    Lora you are right except for the rant about the "utter collusion of the media..." Try to wrap your head around the fact that the country did not support a fillubuster. You were on the wrong side of this argument. Just like Republicans are on the wrong side of Terry Schivo. The sooner a party stops listening to it's radical base and stops pretending to support an issue that it's going to lose the better of it is. Blaming the media etc... is lame. Alito was going to be confirmed. Once the dems were unable to unearth anything in the hearings it was over and delaying the confirmation only put egg on their face. win elections and you'll get more Souters and Ginsbergs. The media has nothing to do with that. Oh I forget Kerry really won the last election.

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#21)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Jan 31, 2006 at 07:49:34 AM EST
    win elections and you'll get more Souters... question: Is Souter really a liberal judge? I know that the activist right wing has portrayed him as a liberal. But isn't it possible that he's actually a moderate conservative? Just asking.

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#22)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Jan 31, 2006 at 07:52:40 AM EST
    Wrong on so many points, Slado. The wingnuts have intimidated the MSM to such a point that you might as well say that the press colludes with the right. "the country did not support a filibuster" Guess why? First, it's because the Dem leadership did a piss poor job of exposing his extreme views. You're right in that the senators were ineffective in questioning and wasted time in lenghthy self-aggrandizing speeches instead of collaborating on incisive questions that would have exposed Alito's ridiculous philosophy. Then it was because the opposition had a "war room" (including the same PR firm that produced the Swiftboat smear) at ready to counter any effort to derail Alito on any front--- media, political etc. Third, it was because the right wing has spent 40 years and hundreds of millions of dollars to inject their memes into the conciousness of the masses of people. They had a strategy to win no matter which of the 18 wingnut judges that Bush proposed. They had tactics, organizations and media vehicles developed over 25 years ready to be activated. The right wing has moved the reference points so far to the right that the Bill of Rights would be rejected by "centrists" today as too "radical." The battle is usually won or lost far before the actual engagement. You've got it exactly backwards. The Dems will win when the base adopts a strategy, a long term vision and the will to persevere. This will generate on-going organizations that work on every front, every day--- not just elections. Then, when the battle arises, we can mobilize our base and swing public opinion--- just like the Republicans did.

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#23)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Jan 31, 2006 at 10:28:30 AM EST
    Strategy, strategy, strategy... Yes, all kudos to 25 who should be remembered for Alito's full term. They can say, "I told you so..." The Alito-allowing Dem's reasons for allowing the right to choke off the last check on Republican ogliopoly are simply that they were afraid of election repercussions in Red states, per Kos ("So now what? 1/30/06). That the call for filibuster came late and weakly shows poorly for Dem leadership, whether it be lack of coordination and/or of will. One need only read Sen. Feinstein's reasons to oppose Alito to truly understand how right-wing he is, repeatedly being the lone dissenter. This never came out. Even Sen. Kennedy was unable to drive these home. Not a peep in the mainstream media. Here, in Blogosphere was the passion, and its affects were felt. As a layperson newbie to this arena, my take is a progressive groundswell is ripe, but not given. The blog startpoint of discussion and sharing is critical and prerequisite. - 1)Coordination of effort is another step. Clear focus upon the make-or-break players and battles is needed. I'm looking for a list of supporting/affilated organizations and its list of critical tasks. If it was here in the Alito challenge, where was it? 2) Another step is breaking it out the "Progressive agenda" into mainstream TV. Where are our challengers to the CNN's? (someone please inform me). Here's one that I found: Democracy Now. We need a TV attack dog that the Average American can relate to, who can go for the throat and show the middle the real meaning of giving up liberty for cronyism, fundamentalism and corporatology. Our best champions in TV are comedians! Think Jon Stewart with an axe to grind. Per kos, take the energy and focus it into action. NSA is now in the spotlight. Drive home the point. GWB+NSA=KGB. Someone tell me, who's leading the charge? What's the strategy? Who is the TV spokesperson? FWIW... - Rand (rdwrobel@comcast.net)

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#24)
    by Slado on Tue Jan 31, 2006 at 10:31:36 AM EST
    I will never defend the radical right wing but I will say that to blame the situation progressives are in on the messenger not the message is to miss the point of what happened in 2000, 2002, 2004 and yesterday. One cannot simply say the right is better orginized or is winning through intimidation. It is selling a product that the American public is buying. Many factors contribute to what they want but the simple analysis is when given a choice more Americans buy Republican. The Dems should drop the extreme positions on hot button issues like abortion, death penalty, war etc.. and learn to compromise. The more removed they become from average Americans the more they will lose their ability to be a realistic option to the Republican majority.

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#25)
    by Slado on Tue Jan 31, 2006 at 10:34:11 AM EST
    GWB+NSA=KGB. This is a perfect example of an "extreme position" There is nothing wrong to saying this program may be out of bounds or requires oversight but when you compare the POTUS to the KGB you automatically turn off 51% of the public and half of those left while concerned can't take you seriously.

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#26)
    by Lora on Tue Jan 31, 2006 at 12:35:24 PM EST
    Slado, A filibuster has only become a far left rad act in the past year or so. Republicans used to filibuster, and threaten filibusters. It was not that big a deal. Why is it now such a terrible thing to contemplate? I say because the media has made it so. Look at the owners of the media. They are huge corporations and they know which side their bread is buttered on. There was plenty of grassroots support for a filibuster. I don't know how strong that support actually was, but I do know that every day in the so-called mainstream media I see critical issues being ignored or covered up, I see people's characters being smeared with insinuations and accusations that are often found to be uttlery false...and are never retracted, I see world-wide accepted science being put forward as highly controversial, I could go on and on. And there was collusion on Alito. There was nothing I found on Mon in the NYT about Alito, nothing obvious, anyway. In my local paper there was just a mention about how there wasn't support for a filibuster. Nothing about the massive grassroots effort to bring one about. They ignored it. I know, you know, we all know it happened! You'd never know, reading the papers. So they are telling us that America wants Alito, but we who were a part of a widespread fight to not confirm him might as well not have existed as far as the media are concerned. So...yeah. Collusion. What else would you call it? We have to fight back, and be heard. Counter the silence!

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#27)
    by glanton on Tue Jan 31, 2006 at 12:50:25 PM EST
    Lora, Keep posting. At times you, and a few others that come here, almost reinvigorate the hope that America as a whole hasn't totally caved, that something yet may be salvaged.

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#28)
    by Slado on Tue Jan 31, 2006 at 02:47:19 PM EST
    I hear what you're saying Lora but remember you are looking through rose/far left colored glasses. The right wing has just as many complaints about the media's tendency to only cover bad news in Iraq, give more positive coverage to democrats then republicans, their voting habits blah, blah, blah. The media is conviently available to bash no matter who you favor. Lets all agree that no matter your political persuasion that the blogoshpere and internet are the only reliable sources to get every angle of the story these days. Sure watch the news etc. to get the basics but to get the scoop log in.

    Re: Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 (none / 0) (#29)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 01, 2006 at 01:19:35 AM EST
    If GWB+NSA=KGB is an extreme position, and I don't deny that it is intended to provoke, is it any less extreme than executing a domestic spy program in clear violation of established law, and being unapologetic about it? I consider the unchecked, unaccountable and intrusive program, and its "I can do anything, because its military and we are in an indefinite war" rationale to be a huge first step onto a slope leading to totalitarianism. Sure, data mining cyberspace isn't jailing people without warrants (oh, we're doing that), and Americans don't torture people (oh, we did that, too), but what is to stop GWB, et al, from continuing his path of trashing the constitution and human and civil rights? Extreme position? Its provocative because, "where is the outrage?". I hear "concern" from the Dems, with Gore's speech at least calling a spade a spade. I'm mad as hell at one of the fundamental constraints of the constitution, prohibiting the military from operating within the US, being tossed out with the bath water, like FISA is soooo inconvenient. Its so "1984", with our computer monitors literally being Big Brother's eyes. Oversite? How about a legal basis? Its long past the 15 days granted in the AUMF. Extreme government actions call for extreme characterizations. If it turns off some of the public-- those who don't care about the constitution, maybe it will resonate with others, and provide "cover" for less incendiary descriptions, like criminal or felony. That seems to have worked for the right. I have a message for GBW and the NSA: TAP THIS OUTRAGE!

    Send Your Thanks to the Alito Band of 25 | 28 comments (28 topical)