Is it just me? Or did anybody else fail to grasp the logic behind encouraging this Quixotic Alito “filibuster?”
If the debate was clear in the public mind, and/or the public was even remotely behind the filibuster movement, this might have made sense. But it wasn’t, and it didn’t. Which is precisely why Reid reluctantly went along with this, even while rolling his eyes and trying to move people along to the next WINNING battle.
It was always a LOSER. Especially when you consider who would likely be the NEXT HORRIBLE NOMINEE, and the fact that even should they get the votes to extend debate, Frist could Nuke ’em, and minority Democrats in the Senate WOULD BE LEFT WITH NOTHING except open ended irrelevancy.
Make the strongest case against Alito in public debate. Vote no. Get out of the way of the nuclear bomb.
This is a guerrilla war in the Senate. You don’t beat superior firepower by charging head on. You win by living to fight another day. I believe any far-sighted Democrat advocating such suicidal tactics at this moment is in error…
Before the flaming retorts begin, let me say I would not oppose a filibuster “attempt” had the Dems on the Judiciary Committee actually been able to successfully frame the debate coherently, and garnered some public support. Perhaps by posing questions that let America get a clear picture of the problems with Alito, and the implications for the country. But they didn’t. As a result they will be cast as “losers” again to Joe Sixpack, who will be wondering why they “wasted time” on this LOSING battle, when there are SO MANY other issues he is finding himself agreeing with them on!
In case some people missed it, Bush’s got a FOUR YEAR TERM. The Senate has a LARGE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY who want EXACTLY this kind of Supreme Court Justice. They have the votes, and they have at least two more years to get their guy through.
AND WHY DID ANYBODY EXPECT THE NEXT BUSH NOMINEE WOULD BE BETTER???
We’ve been winning in the court of public opinion because the issues have been clarified over time. Iraq, greedy corruption, domestic spying, religious nuttery, presidents who can’t speak complete sentences. The public GETS these things.
It is possible that a skilled questioner on the Judiciary committee could have exposed the real Alito in a way that would have crystalized the threat he represents to our democracy, in the way that Iraq and other issues have become clear to Americans. But that did not happen. And a filibuster lost whatever tiny chance it might’ve had to get traction.
Elections MATTER. This fight was really lost in November 2004. (Note to non-voters and Naderites.) The court will shift even more rightward. And all sorts of wacky, horrifying decisions will start coming down from the new Federalist Supreme Court.
The battle will shift to the states where abortion becomes outlawed, and Christian prayers become mandatory in schools.
Republicans will have to defend this shit.
And Americans will start to realize that Republican RELIGIOUS ACTIVISTS on the Supreme Court are BAD for America.
Hopefully the public will GET IT THEN.
Only when the damage to our democracy by Republicans becomes apparent to the public, will we be able to regain control the political agenda. It will be a long, tedious, often depressing struggle. Many of us are obviously not up for it. We want to make quick suicidal charges into the teeth of the enemy.
But we will have to start winning political battles BEFORE it gets to this point, if we want to be the group appointing Supreme Court justices. We have to end the Republican stranglehold on government. The long range battle for this country is going to be won by regaining majority public opinion, and WINNING ELECTIONS. Not by picking more short term losing fights like the Alito “filibuster.”
Forcing Democrats to play and lose this filibuster game was a tactical error. It may have let some delusional Dems feel better for about four hours, but resulted only in the public seeing another “Democrat loss.” Instead of the loss it was for our country.