CNN: Anti-Alito filibuster soundly defeated ~ campaign .. ...fizzled Monday evening.

CNN ^ | Monday, January 30, 2006; Posted: 7:56 p.m. EST (00:56 GMT) | staff

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Final confirmation of Supreme Court nominee expected Tuesday

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Judge Samuel Alito stands just one step away from a lifetime appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court after a spirited ninth-inning campaign by some Democratic senators to block his nomination fizzled Monday evening.

The final vote on Alito's nomination is now scheduled for Tuesday morning, and, with at least 57 senators on board, approval is virtually assured.

Alito's supporters in the Senate, as expected, cleared the final roadblock Monday when senators, by a vote of 72-25, decided to cut off debate and proceed to a final vote, rebuffing an attempt by a cadre of liberal senators to talk the nomination to death.

The vote easily exceeded the 60 votes needed to pass the motion. ()

In the end, only 24 of the chamber's 44 Democrats went along with the filibuster, a maneuver allowed under Senate rules to block a vote by extending debate indefinitely. It was also supported by the chamber's lone independent, Sen. Jim Jeffords of Vermont.

Arguing against cutting off debate, Sen. John Kerry -- who spearheaded the filibuster effort with his fellow Massachusetts Democrat, Sen. Ted Kennedy -- said Alito's record during his 15 years on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has given "the extreme right wing unbelievable public cause for celebration."

"That just about tells you what you need to know," Kerry said. "The vote today is whether or not we will take a stand against ideological court-packing."

But Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said the move to cut off debate fulfilled a "very straightforward principle -- a nominee with the support of a majority of senators deserves a fair up-or-down vote."

"The sword of the filibuster has been sheathed because we are placing principle before politics, and results before rhetoric," Frist said.

[Jemian]

So, Alito caused a FIZZLE-buster.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

Court packing is exactly what KKK want to do.

Barney Frank, too.

[Jorge]

Seeing "idiot" Bush beat Kerry in 2004, and then again in the Ohio recount debacle just wasn't enough...
They just had to bring him out of mothballs to get his sorry butt kicked once again.... by Bush.
I love it.

[Jorge]

Chaffee voted "no". Which other republican voted with him?

Chaffee's a Republican?

[Fintan]

---

Oh well. Back to global warming.

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[YaYa123]

Thanks for the answer,

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11099780/

a good read...background I needed.

[smoothsailing]

Not Hagel.Ensign.He was in a head on collision in his car.Not hurt.

[rwfromkansas]

Kerry is a moron.

"That just about tells you what you need to know," Kerry said. "The vote today is whether or not we will take a stand against ideological court-packing."

The only NON-ideology oriented people on the court are/were Kennedy and O'Connor. They were the swing votes.

The rest of the court is either LIBERAL or CONSERVATIVE.

Kerry doesn't give a crap about court-packing for liberals, just conservatives.

[MediaAnalyst]

"My goodness, that cloture vote was pathetic to all the filibuster packing RATS. It shows how effective it is to be mustering a filibuster from a Swiss ski resort."

...and one other thing. I know that I'm not going to make any friends on this site, but since the MSM won't report it...here it goes: The real key to this cloture vote was when Senator Chaffee, a RINO by any definition, stated that he opposed a filibuster. The bottom line is that the RINOs, either all, or virtually all, of them did come through on what is likely their most critical vote in this session. As painful as it is for many people here, the RINOs (with only the exception of Chaffee in some cases, but not even here) are getting us incredibly critical votes on these nominees, especially at the appellate level. We may not like the women from Maine for many reasons, but their voting record on Bush's judges is excellent (same with Specter), and replacing them with Dems would matter BIG TIME, when it came to rounding up votes for future judges. The MSM would rather have continue to attack these RINOs, and hopefully bring them down, just to have reliable Dems replace them. Whew, done. One more note - I'm primarily referring to Collins, Snowe, and Chaffee (people from VERY red states). On the other hand, Lindsey Graham (from South Carolina) has no business behaving as he does and should be taken out in his next Primary. The others, Specter and Dewine, are still better than Dems, and Specter, especially, really came through on Alito - it's impossible to ask more of anyone in our party, RINO or not. And McCain is a dork.

[gs-conserv]

Sen. John Kerry: I actually voted for Judge Samuel Alito, before I voted against him.

[YaYa123]

"One of the Republicans expected to help end the debate and support Alito's confirmation was not able to attend Monday's Senate session. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., was in a car accident Monday morning on the way to the airport to return to Washington, D.C. Hospitalized for "bumps and bruises," he missed the Monday afternoon cloture vote to end debate. Sens. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., and Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, also missed the vote."

[YaYa123]

that quote was from
foxnews.com

[longtermmemmory]

The anti-alito filibuster was and is always a SHAM.

The protestations from other senators as IF it was a real issue was just to give a favor and simulated legitimacy for their fellow country club senators.

Thus, the democrats get to FOOL their core and the senators help each other look like they are "fighting" for the core.

Democrats are suckers first class.

[FreedomNeocon]

LOL From DU:

Snivi Yllom (1000+ posts)
Mon Jan-30-06 10:10 PM
Response to Reply #18

43. what makes me sick
is the way some politicians so casually USE the sweat and blood of die hard activists without giving real thought to the outcome

guess what, big steaming shit sandwiches were served to the gullible late last week. I don't like being jerked off only to be let down in such a huge manner.

It's demoralizing, not inspiring.

[Mr. Jeeves]

"That just about tells you what you need to know," Kerry said. "The vote today is whether or not we will take a stand against ideological court-packing."

Cheer up. John. Teresa will find a way to get you in on the soon-to-be-booming coathanger business. About time you learned a trade, anyway. ;)

[smoothsailing]

Got it.Thanks!

[kublia khan]

"$20.00 fee for her services."

I'll bet she goes hungry a lot of nights.

[TheBigB]

WHY? If we're better people, and have better ideas, and are better for the world--WHY DO WE KEEP LOSING?

Because you're not, you don't, and you're not.

[adorno]

I know that I'm not going to make any friends on this site...

I don't mind you saying what you did regarding the RINOs. I feel the same as you when it comes to the RINOs. I would prefer to have true republicans but a RINO will do if it means controlling the agenda and controlling the house and senate. Their votes count and if those votes were to be lost to the democrats through election, then the republican agenda will suffer. Better to have a RINO vote on your side then a negative democratic vote.

[Redleg Duke]

The Socialists got their collective butts waxed today!