Friday, January 13, 2006

Now the Stop Alito Campaign begins...

I just got done watching CSPAN who had the Stop Alito group on live urging action against Alito.

The television ads are going to start this afternoon. Millions of dollars will be spent by both those for and against Alito's nomination. A stall is being attempted to delay the vote one more week to give these groups more time to create enough support to prevent Alito from being confirmed.

The cries for a fillibuster are getting louder from some of the left parts of the blogosphere. This is all a part of the process and is of course expected given the huge divide in US politics right now and I am not faulting anyone who believes they should be heard.

However, just as I asked when this was being done on a smaller, yet similar scale with John Roberts...What happens if you win? What happens if Alito is not confirmed? You can bet your bottom dollar that right now at this very moment there is another candidate in mind if Alito should not be confirmed. Do you think this one would be any less conservative? I don't.

President Bush made a mistake in nominating Harriet Miers, she didn't have enough of a track record. Yet now he has nominated a candidate with a very long judicial history. He will get someone in that he selects before his term is done. It will be someone who feels the same way John Roberts and Alito do, and probably someone with less of a record who will be highly qualified and realistically more of a threat than Alito. Is this worth creating the nuclear option?

I can't help thinking, sure it might be possible to win the battle, but is it worth the cost of the war? How far can this division go before it is impossible to heal? I realize many democrats are angry that they do not have the presidency and that they do not have the majority in Congress, I understand the frustration in seeing candidates you want not win an election. I read some comments today on Kos such as this one "Just wait till we take back the Congress then it will be yummy". This isn't supposed to be some giant payback time. It's supposed to be about trying to continue to do the business of running this country in a manner that benefits all of us. It is this nasty part of human nature that wants to win at all costs that I have a problem with. One of the very reasons our founding fathers warned us against allowing this type of political party powerhold to even exist.

That scares me more than Alito.....

As an OT, it's not related to the Alito nomination/confirmation, but David Remer at WatchBlog has written a letter that he and several of us have sent to our Congresspersons. I'd appreciate your taking a look at it and supporting this if you agree.

13 comments:

T. F. Stern said...

“. . .and realistically more of a threat than Alito”

I know we stand on different sides of the Conservative/Liberal isle on many issues; but is this how far we’ve tumbled in a society? Do you see this man, Sam Alito, a man of impeccable integrity and one well qualified to hold any position in this country, elected or appointed; do you see him as a threat? Then the next natural question would have to be, a threat to what? Please tell me I’ve read this wrong.

Unknown said...

I probably wasn't clear enough, some do view him as a threat. So I was responding to those who seem to think he is a huge threat in pointing out that the next candidate could very well one that was more extreme. As well as doing a better job in hiding that. Alito's record stands for itself. If you look at it without bias, he's a conservative judge. Which is not a surprise given that is what President Bush stated he was looking for.

I do fear the divide more and it bothers me that this is where we are at.

I'm sorry I wasn't clear. Still dealing with lack of sleep issues and it made sense to me until you wrote that.

:-)

Unknown said...

You're very right. If the Dems fillibuster, they look like they are whining and nitpicking. Alito gets dropped, and the next neocon in line gets nominated. It's a lose-lose proposition.

Scott G said...

The Dems can't filibuster without risking any chance they have at gains in the next election.

I personally don't care one way or the other on Alito. Bush won and he gets to nominate someone in line with his ideas. I would prefer someone more on the liberal side of the spectrum, but I did not get consulted.

Unknown said...

Well at least I'm not the only one who doesn't see the fillibuster as some sort of a win.

I'm not a fan of Specter but he did try to run the hearings fairly, and he was told there would be no week delay. Just get the vote over and get it to the floor and be done with it. Either vote him up or down. We already know it's going to be a partisan vote.

Scott G said...

I am still hoping for conservative control over every single government institution because all I have heard most of my life was Republicans saying, "If we were in control." It has gone as well as they made it sound with the Executive and Legislative branches under their control.

Turns out they are just as corrupt, if not more so. They aren't tax and spenders, but they are the cut taxes and spend party.

Alito is more than qualified and anyone who is fighting him on one issue doesn't belong in politics. If that was the largest issue that a more favorable Court to Bush might decide on, I would be pretty happy.

Anonymous said...

Mainly checking in---Good post, Lisa. What are you gonna do about it? Why waste energy when one side has total control of everything (even entire television news networks)? They are just going to ram through whoever they want, and they have a chorus of flunkies in the public cheering on their every move.

Anonymous said...

I missed this, even being the fan of David's that I am. Thanks!

Hooda Thunkit (Dave Zawodny) said...

Lisa,

Well, I don't know about you, but I'm sick of it all. Petty, whining children playing politics and expecting to win every time.

The whole bunch could use a good old-fashioned ass whuppin from the taxpayers whose time and money they have been pi**ing away.

Take the vote and get on with the nation's business boys and girls...

Hooda Thunkit (Dave Zawodny) said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Hooda Thunkit (Dave Zawodny) said...

I may just have to join VOID...

Anonymous said...

hooda,

I'm sure you know where to find the link by now, but if you don't just ask!
;-)

Hooda Thunkit (Dave Zawodny) said...

stephanie,

I am thinking about it.