Who is the leader of the Democratic Party? Is it Harry Reid? Is it Nancy Pelosi? Is it Hillary Clinton? Right now, it’s not clear. Look at the vote on Mike Mukasey’s nomination as attorney general. Hillary Clinton opposes it. Barack Obama opposes it. Chris Dodd opposes it. Joe Biden opposes it. Eight out of the ten Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee opposed it this morning.
So, if opposition is the consensus of the Dems on the Judiciary Committee that had responsibility for vetting the nomination, and if opposition is the unanimous position of all Democratic senators that are running for president, then why do we get this position from Harry Reid?
“As you know, Sen. Leahy and Sen. Reid have not made this a caucus vote, and as chairman, Sen. Leahy has not twisted any arms,” a Judiciary Committee aide told The Hill…
…”[Reid has] been encouraging people to have a full-throated debate, but … he’s actually been discouraging people from filibustering or slowing down the nomination,” one knowledgeable Senate Democratic source told Roll Call.
Bush tells the Republican senators to uphold a veto of children’s health care and they obey. Where is the Democrat that will tell the Democratic senators to get in line and filibuster the nomination of Mukasey? If these people want to be president and they are being honest in their opposition, rather than pandering, they will stand up and take the leadership role that they say they are qualified to assume.
If means nothing to oppose this nomination if you will do nothing but cast a meaningless vote against it. If Clinton or Obama or Dodd or Biden want to be president they should show us the goods right now. They should stand up and say ‘follow me or I won’t forget it when I’m president.’
I assume that Senatorial holds are only applicable to legislation?
“Where is the Democrat that will tell the Democratic senators to get in line and filibuster the nomination of Mukasey”
Wouldn’t that be the job of the Whip? That is my senator, Dick Durbin. Everyone shuld be bugging the hell out of him!!!
Well, they don’t lead because they’re not leaders. They’re fiddlers, not violin players, cheats.
Just thought that I would repeat what I said on an earlier thread, perhaps it is time to contact the top ten contributors to the DSCC and ask them to withold further contributions until the Democratic caucus comes out against torture.
is this a vote that only requires a majority…ie: 51 ayes? or does it require 60?
if it’s 51…the cowards backs are covered…l don’t see any ratpubs voting nay, add in schumer, feinstein and lieberman…even salazar could take a pass…bingo!
muckasey assumes the position, the status quo remains intact, and everybody goes away to whine we tried to do the right thing, we just didn’t have the votes…perhaps they expect cheese with that, eh.
fuck’em all!
lTMF’sA
the only votes that can’t be filibustered are spending bills. To cut off debate, they need 60 votes.
so, in essence, it would only take 1 senator to stand up and force the issue…l responded to leahy’s e/m the other day about why l oppose muckasey with the question: [paraphrased] will you filibuster it?…<crickets>
chances of that happening?
my bet’s slim to none, and as they say, slim’s left the bldg., and regrettably, l’ve been pretty damn accurate regarding the demoRATs lately.
they’ll take the cover and run.
lTMF’sA
The Senate operates with ‘unanimous consent’.
Reid and McConnell will agree that the debate should be x hours long with y hours reserved for each side.
Then this agreement will call for unanimous consent.
Someone can object, and they have to vote to overcome their lack of consent.
Then after the debate time has elapsed, they will call for unanimous consent to end debate and move to the vote. This is the 60 vote cloture vote. One senator can force the vote by refusing to consent.
But that’s all they can do because there are probably 70 votes for cloture.
thanks. l can’t keep this arcane crap sorted out.
The Democratic party is guilty of cutting and running from its core principles and allowing torture.
Of course the Presidential candidates want to have it both ways and claim to be against torture and then quietly allow it. They don’t even have the courage to stand up for a what they claim is a core belief. They don’t stand up for any core beliefs. They are cowards. I do not want cut and run cowards responsible for defending the Constitution and America. Voting for Democrats is foolish if one cares about the fact America tortures.
The Democratic party is now dead and any attempt to resuscitate it simply delay the inevitable. We have to fight the neo-fascists and that starts with standing up for basic, core principles. I refuse to allow torture and to aid and abet those that enable torture. The Democratic party enables torture and one must not have anything to do with them if one does not want America to torture. This is a bright line and one should not negotiate away their principles on torture for some perceived political gain. The Democrats should have the courage to stand up for their core principles but sadly they are scared that the Republicans will say mean things to them so they cave-in. I can think of no more cowardly and reprehensible action.
I have utter contempt for the Democrats and will never help these cowards again. They cut and run at the first sign of battle. Who would want these jokers defending America? Only suckers. I’m done being a sucker and will only vote for candidates that are not afraid to stand up against torture and for America’s constitution. It’s not that much to ask. I’m not asking these Democrats to risk their lives like the founders did when they stood up for American values.
There is no leader in the dem party. Thats an easy question. There isn’t a single piece of garbage willing to take the position that our president has comitted apparent illegal acts.
I ain’t stupid. I clearly remember that speech in Buffalo NY in which he said that wiretapping is done only after court approval. That piece of shit lied and thats a crime. He LIED! I ain’t bringing up anything else right now. He is just a god damned liar. Who is the dem leader that is willing to simply stand up in congress and call him a liar? WHO?
NO-ONE!
I may support Ron Paul because of this.
I’m just so tired of the betrayal and the weasel words. Listening to our elected misrepresentatives speaking on these issues is like listening to the disclaimers from a Prozac commercial.
They have cut’n’run from any real leadership on most of the issues (Dodd excepted in the FISA case), and I see no reason for them to change now.
At this rate the statement should read:
‘follow me or I won’t forget it IF I’m president.’
These candidates aren’t DOA yet and can still turn it around if they do some serious 180 degree turns on what they have been doing.
Do it their way (same ol’ same ol’) and they MAY win. Start standing up to everything the bush baby whines about and they WILL win in a landslide.
who’s a distant 3rd….and waaay ahead of dodd, biden, richardson, et al.
nice thought, never happen.
lTMF’sA
What’s going to be high comedy is when the Democrat Party pushes their new “waterboarding is torture” bill and Bush vetoes it. Then they’ll cry that they don’t have 60 votes or whatever, point the finger at Bush and say “it’s all his fault”.
Watch. You can see this one coming ten miles away.
Then Schumer will send out a fundraising email pretending outrage and ask us to contribute to the DSCC.