Alito update
Just heard: Robert Byrd has decided to vote in favor of Alito. No further explanation is available yet. Meanwhile, John Kerry has openly declared his support for a filibuster.
Robert Byrd and Mary Landrieu should both know better-- Byrd for having been pilloried over his criticism of the treatment of (uncharged) detainees at Gitmo, and Landrieu for the appalling job that's being done to help her state in the aftermath of Katrina.
If there's one lesson the Democrats should've learned by now-- especially those who've been worked over by the neo-fascists-- it's that we'll never get a fair shake from this administration. Every effort to appease their tyranny is met with bolder attempts to claim even more power for themselves.
Bush might be a lame duck whose policies are massively unpopular, but after five years we've seen that there is no deterrent to the GOP's relentlessly pro-corporation and anti-civil liberty agenda.
The Alito nomination should be the last straw. After much thought, I've decided that this should be the line in the sand. The bullying tactics of the Republicans are just like those of any playground thug. The only solution is to stand up for ourselves and expose their greed and cowardice.
Even the creeping-ever-rightward New Republic is opposed to this nomination. The center-right Democratic Leadership Council is opposed. There's no excuse for any Democratic senator to break ranks on an issue with such grave implications for the future of the nation.
Please keep writing letters and calling senators. It matters.
UPDATE: I've just heard one explanation of Robert Byrd's unwillingness to oppose Alito's nomination. Although he might be under pressure from Senate Republicans holding the purse strings that could mean no aid for the mining accidents in West Virginia, a caller to the Randi Rhodes show pointed out that the religious right has run an intensive ad campaign on right-wing talk shows urging listeners to demand that Byrd support Alito. My reaction was to write a letter of my own to Byrd. Any takers?
UPDATE: John Kerry is seeking signatures on his website from those in favor of a filibuster of Alito. Follow the title link to sign on, then pass it on to everyone you know. We're up against a cloture vote proposed by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (currently under investigation for criminal actis). It'll take you all of one minute, and it could change history.
Robert Byrd and Mary Landrieu should both know better-- Byrd for having been pilloried over his criticism of the treatment of (uncharged) detainees at Gitmo, and Landrieu for the appalling job that's being done to help her state in the aftermath of Katrina.
If there's one lesson the Democrats should've learned by now-- especially those who've been worked over by the neo-fascists-- it's that we'll never get a fair shake from this administration. Every effort to appease their tyranny is met with bolder attempts to claim even more power for themselves.
Bush might be a lame duck whose policies are massively unpopular, but after five years we've seen that there is no deterrent to the GOP's relentlessly pro-corporation and anti-civil liberty agenda.
The Alito nomination should be the last straw. After much thought, I've decided that this should be the line in the sand. The bullying tactics of the Republicans are just like those of any playground thug. The only solution is to stand up for ourselves and expose their greed and cowardice.
Even the creeping-ever-rightward New Republic is opposed to this nomination. The center-right Democratic Leadership Council is opposed. There's no excuse for any Democratic senator to break ranks on an issue with such grave implications for the future of the nation.
Please keep writing letters and calling senators. It matters.
UPDATE: I've just heard one explanation of Robert Byrd's unwillingness to oppose Alito's nomination. Although he might be under pressure from Senate Republicans holding the purse strings that could mean no aid for the mining accidents in West Virginia, a caller to the Randi Rhodes show pointed out that the religious right has run an intensive ad campaign on right-wing talk shows urging listeners to demand that Byrd support Alito. My reaction was to write a letter of my own to Byrd. Any takers?
UPDATE: John Kerry is seeking signatures on his website from those in favor of a filibuster of Alito. Follow the title link to sign on, then pass it on to everyone you know. We're up against a cloture vote proposed by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (currently under investigation for criminal actis). It'll take you all of one minute, and it could change history.
posted by Matt Sandwich | 3:33 PM
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