Posted on 01/26/2006 11:40:02 AM PST by jmc1969
Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, whose confirmation seems certain in the Republican-run Senate, padded his modest Democratic support Thursday with endorsements by Sens. Robert Byrd and Tim Johnson.
Alito already was assured the votes of the 55 Republicans in the 100- member chamber enough to be put over the top when West Virginia's Byrd and Johnson of South Dakota joined Nebraska's Ben Nelson in saying they'll vote yes.
Alito would become the nation's 110th justice, replacing retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Throughout her years on the high court, she often has been a key fifth vote on contentious social issues including abortion, affirmative action and the death penalty.
"I am troubled by Judge Alito's apparent views on matters such as executive power, his past opposition to the principle of one person, one vote, and his narrow interpretation of certain civil rights laws," Johnson said. "Even so, I cannot accept an argument that his views are so radical that the Senate is justified in denying his confirmation."
Johnson and other senators also are advising Democratic leaders against attempting a filibuster, the only chance the minority party would have to stop Alito's confirmation.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
It gives the other Wacko Dems "cover" when they don't go through with a filibuster attempt.
This whole thing is incredible, considering the former HEAD LAWYER for the ACLU got over 90 votes.
Yeah, on one of the DUmmy threads they were saying how they were telling them (the secretaries) to "F-off". And then they wondered why the kept getting hung up on.
"The Senate requires 60 votes to prevent a filibuster. Right now, they are not there yet."
They are, however, well past the 51 needed to go nuclear, are they not?
"I'm going to get myself in alot trouble here for saying this..."
Pretty brave. I hope you have on your asbestos underwear.
I have a question. Who would you rather chair the Senate Judiciary Committee? Specter or Byrd?
Robert Byrd is far from being a patriot. He is just a senile old fa*t who has been in office far too long.
Ol' Sheets is telling us two things, I think.
1. Red state Democrats up for re-election in '06 had best not tempt fate.
2. If 40+ Democrat Senators vote against Alito, it will suggest they could have mounted a filibuster, had they really, really wanted to. That would inflame the moonbat base. Thus, in the end, it would we wise to have no more than 39 votes against Alito.
Not true, unless he has reformed. Several years ago, I emailed his office requesting that he send my father a birthday card for his 80th birthday (my father still lived in WV at the time and was involved in WV politics, actually acquainted with the old buzzard). His office replied that since I was not a constituent (I live in SC), he would be unable to fulfill my request.
I missed that. They truly ARE DUmmies. Foul mouthed clueless societal leeches.
Specter. I'm not a specter fan, but for some reason I don't distrust him as much as I do McCain and Chafee.
I'm by no means saying that byrd is perfect(far from it), but he is not as bad as many make him out to be.
Senator Frist does too. And unlike my own Senator Voinovich, Frist actually responds to correspondence.
Nope. Collins always votes the way her
mentor Olympia Snowe votes...I call them
the Maine Rinos. Then there is Alaska's
Stevens who needs a Bridge up there; and
Rhode Island Red Chafee with his usual
chicken dance.
Can't tell what these 4 will do.
He gave a great speech...worthy of his
old patriotic stance wherein he views
the Nation's good above that of his Party.
OK, I went to public skool!
http://democrats.com/
REAKING: KERRY WILL LEAD FILIBUSTER!!!!!
Submitted by Bob Fertik on January 26, 2006 - 1:06pm.Sam Alito
I have confirmed reports that Kerry wants to filibuster Alito, and he is talking to his colleagues to round up the 41 votes he needs.
Only two Democrats (Ben Nelson and Tim Johnson) support Alito. Only two others (Mary Landrieu and Ken Salazar) say they oppose a filibuster, but are expected to vote against Alito.
So right now, without the support of any Republicans, we still have 41 possible votes for a filibuster. There are roughly 6 moderate Republicans who should also be targeted (Lincoln Chafee, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Bob Smith, Olympia Snowe, George Voinovich). And we should work as hard as we can to persuade Landrieu and Salazar that a vote against Alito is meaningless if they don't support a filibuster.
Maybe they are waiting to see how many democrats come over. If we get enough of them, they will then gladly stab us in the back.
I read it differently
Byrd is old and has nothing to fear. He will win this election just like the last dozen. Raese will likely score 36%. Like last time, Byrd may not even campaign.
Byrd is well known as an expert omn senate rules. If he wanted to block this with a filibuster or other mechanism, he would. Alito will get confirmed because Byrd views him as a qualified conservative justice and wants him confirmed. Just like when he met privately with Roberts and discussed his views on the Constitution. He then voted Roberts out of committee and cleared the way for his confirmation.
I called this scenario on Tuesday.
Heck, we should get Chafee and the Maine sisters to vote no just to keep it under 60 :)
Sheets is up for re-election, and it's not a shoo-in that he'll be re-elected (as it would be in my state of delusion, Kalifornia). That is always what I look for, when there is a "crossover" vote. Lieberman occasionally gets things right, but I no more trust him than I do Sheets.
It's going to be interesting to see if
Teddy Kennedy and John Kerry allow them
to do that. Byrd is so old, there's
nothing they can do to maneuver him.
I notice Lieberman caved.
Harry Ried just refused a suggestion
by Nomination Committee head Arlen
Spector to call the vote. The news
casters say the Dems want the vote
put off until after the State of
the Union Speech next Tuesday.
McCain or Byrd in a election....... I think I would go 3rd party or not vote.
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