Filibuster Alito?

[Nbadan]

Durbin Says Filibuster on Alito Still Possible
by Chris Bowers


This is clearly a very close whip count:

U.S. Sen. Durbin (D-Ill.) announced Thursday he will vote against Judge Sam Alito for the U.S. Supreme Court. And he said so many other senators intensely oppose Alito that they may have enough votes to sustain a filibuster against the conservative jurist.(...)
As the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, it's Durbin's job to count votes for and against Alito. He said he won't know until Tuesday if there are enough strong opponents to filibuster Alito's nomination.

"A week ago, I would have told you it's not likely to happen," Durbin said. "As of , I just can't rule it out. I was surprised by the intensity of feeling of some of my colleagues. It's a matter of counting. We have 45 Democrats, counting Jim Jeffords, on our side. We could sustain a filibuster if 41 senators ... are willing to stand and fight.

"We're asking senators where they stand. When it reaches a critical moment when five senators have said they oppose a filibuster, it's off the table. It's not going to happen. But if it doesn't reach that moment, then we'll sit down and have that conversation."

MYDD

A funny thing appears to be happening (again) on the way to a slam-dunk confirmation. Remember John Bolton? He was supposed to sail through with nary a hitch, and Bush had to resort to a temporary recess appointment and install his boy who now has no standing and no credibility at the UN. He'll be gone soon, and everybody there knows it.

It was just last week (or was it earlier this week?) that all the peddlers of the conventional wisdom were saying that Alito was neat-o. However, late returns from the Democratic side of the aisle haven't been counted yet, so maybe . . .

[xrayzebra]

^^ Here Dan one of your favorite son's is going to try again. I know this will
please you.



DRUDGE Exclusive: Teddy's Last Gasp On Alito
Fri Jan 20 2006 13:29:15 ET

THE DRUDGE REPORT has learned Sen. Ted Kennedy's (D-MA) office is behind a last ditch effort to stop Judge Samuel A. AlitoÕs confirmation before next week's vote using a 2004 recusal request.

THE DRUDGE REPORT has obtained a complaint filed by H. Gerard Heimbecker of Upper Darby, PA accusing Alito of not properly listing the Heimbecker v. 555 Associates case in his Senate questionnaire.

Kennedy legal aide James Flug is behind the efforts to push this latest attack. The veteran aide has been criticized for Sen. Kennedy's misfires during the Alito hearing last week. Flug was reportedly behind the attacks Kennedy used against Alito related to the Concerned Alumni of Princeton (CAP) and Vanguard recusal case.

In the 2004 case, Heimbecker not only filed a request for Alito to recuse himself but also the entire Third Circuit as well.

One Capital Aide aware the situation challenged Heimbecker's credibility. "The individual who filed this complaint is clearly a serial litigant. It will be interesting to see how far the Democrats will push this and what the mainstream media will make of it."

Developing...

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I don't remember John Bolton as being a slam dunk appointment. If I remember
correctly he was being pelted from every side about how mean he was to
his subordinates and fellow workers and wasn't fit to fill a dog catchers job.
Oh, and he was going to ruin the UN and close it down the very second he
arrived, right after taking a Uzi to the whole body of reps.

[ChumpDumper]

A filibuster would be pretty stupid at this point. Alito has proven to be pretty small-minded in his ambition, but no great Satan like Bork.

Could be the Democrats are just trying to bait the Republicans into using the nuclear option so they can cry foul all the way through the year to the elections.

[xrayzebra]

^^only problem with your theory is that they have to declare a filibuster before
the nuclear option comes into play.

One tactic I would love to see applied is make them actually filibuster, not just say
they are going to. I mean get up there and talk, talk, talk and talk. Put up or
shut up.

[ChumpDumper]

only problem with your theory is that they have to declare a filibuster before
the nuclear option comes into play.

Well sure, that's the idea -- they filibuster, Republicans go nuclear and Democrats try to make hay all summer.

[2centsworth]

The public hates politcians period. So the party that looks more partisan than the other will lose.

[Phil E.Buster]

I'm all over this Alito confirmation hearing.

[jochhejaam]

I think they agreed that a fillibuster would not be used except in extenuating cir stances which was probably interpreted by most to mean whenever we feel like it.

[Nbadan]

I think they agreed that a fillibuster would not be used except in extenuating cir stances which was probably interpreted by most to mean whenever we feel like it.

Well, it may be the threat of Frist going nuclear that has Democrats concerned:

Filibuster Alito?
Jan 21, 2006
by Robert NovaK


WASHINGTON -- Pressure from liberal activists to oppose confirmation of Judge Samuel Alito for the Supreme Court has been so intense that Democratic senators may be trapped into a filibuster that they do not want to wage.

Despite the consensus that Alito performed well in his confirmation hearings, leaders of liberal organizations opposing him -- Ralph Neas, Nan Aron and Wade Henderson -- demand that Democrats vote against him. Consequently, Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska is the only Democrat at this writing who has announced in Alito's favor.

That means the number of senators voting "no" will be well over the 41 needed to prevent cloture. Pressure groups then could ask why no filibuster had been launched. But Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid may not want to risk causing Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist to set a precedent by using the "nuclear" option: to end a filibuster by simple majority vote.

###

Town Hall.com

Performed well at his confirmation hearings? If you call being evasive, "forgetful" and totally unhelpful "performing well" in a confirmation hearing then I guess the "consensus" is correct. What Novak means to say is, "he said nothing that would give away his intentions of rubber stamping anything the CONS want".

Why expect anything else from Novak?

[Nbadan]

Talk-show host Stephanie Miller asks, 'Is a Alito Filibuster a hill worth fighting for?'

Read my lips:

Yes!

[xrayzebra]

Well, it may be the threat of Frist going nuclear that has Democrats concerned:



Town Hall.com

Performed well at his confirmation hearings? If you call being evasive, "forgetful" and totally unhelpful "performing well" in a confirmation hearing then I guess the "consensus" is correct. What Novak means to say is, "he said nothing that would give away his intentions of rubber stamping anything the CONS want".

Why expect anything else from Novak?

Ever hear the name Ginsburg? Just wondering.

[Phil E.Buster]

They should have called me sooner.