/sarc.
Posted on 01/19/2006 7:29:08 AM PST by katieanna
AP) The headcount continues in the Senate on the U.S. Supreme Court nomination of Judge Samuel Alito, which comes up for a Judiciary Committee vote on Tuesday.
Democrats Max Baucus of Montana, Barbara Mikulski of Maryland and Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts all announced Wednesday that they will vote against Alito, President Bush's pick to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
"He's just not right for Montana, he's just not right for America," Baucus said. Added Mikulski, "I have a lot of unanswered questions."
The Alito nomination has caused a rift among Senate Democrats, with one saying publicly he will vote for the conservative judge while others are lining up to oppose his confirmation.
Several Democrats are expected to make their votes public Thursday, including Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. Last fall, Leahy and two other committee Democrats - Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl, both from Wisconsin - voted to confirm the nomination of Chief Justice John Roberts.
Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska Tuesday became the only Democrat to say that he will support Alito. Nelson said he will vote in favor of the nomination of Alito "because of his impeccable judicial credentials, the American Bar Association's strong recommendation and his pledge that he would not bring a political agenda to the court."
Nelson, who is seeking re-election this fall in his Republican state, said in his statement that he has "supported more than 215 of President Bush's nominations to the federal bench, including Chief Justice John Roberts."
All ten Republicans on the Judiciary Committee have endorsed Alito, assuring him of approval even though most of the eight committee Democrats are expected to oppose his confirmation.
Many Democrats are expected to speak against Alito's nomination when final Senate debate begins Jan. 25. "I'm not a fan of Alito," said Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada.
Alito met Wednesday with several Democratic senators, including Baucus, Bill Nelson of Florida and Ron Wyden of Oregon. He is meeting Thursday with Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware and new Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey. All those senators except Baucus are undecided on Alito's nomination.
Alito will also meet with Republicans John Sununu of New Hampshire and John Warner of Virginia on Thursday. Sununu is undecided, while Warner expects to vote for Alito's confirmation.
I am holding my breath. I am frozen with anticipation.
Sununu is undecided?
NH went liberal a long time ago....
Why in heck is Sununu "undecided"? Ridiculous.
Me too - I just can't imagine what his position will be on this.
Sununu just came back from a trip to Alaska with McCain. You can count on him voting NO on Alito while McCrazy votes Yes.
If the Dems are gonna even think about a filabuster, Leahy will lay a predicate for it in his comments..
But, why? What would be the reason?
Oh, my heart, be still!
Gee, I wonder what ole "Leaky's" gonna say?
Don't get between "Leaky" and a TV camera. It's a dangerous place to be!
/sarc.
Well, thank God we don't have to breathlessly await Leahy's monumental decision much longer. He's tortured us long enough....
Blah, blah, "Mr. President, withdraw this nominee now", blah, blah.
Anti Alito arguments are all gass, no mass.
Better move or the 'Rats will declare you dead and you will start voting Democrat.
Anyone can say they're "undecided." Sununu will vote for him. Bank on it.
Uh oh, sounds like we have some Rinos ready to bolt. Sununu is going to defect that could embolden the dems to fillibuster this nomination.
To many "Massholes" moving to southern New Hampshire.
The north country where I live is still nice.
Hope it stays that way.
I predict Leahy will announce he is voting Alito out of Committee, and will vote against Alito in the Senate.
I'm sure that JUSTICE Alito is losing a lot of sleep over such a pronouncement. Something tells me that JUSTICE Alito would join me (and many others) in saying that:
Oh how will the Joker vote? How will Batman react? I can't stand the suspense. /sarcasm
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