Letters to the Editor
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One Giant Corporation
2 Party System = One Giant Corporation
It's time you start realizing the ruse called the two-party system, Tim. Designed to keep you fighting with your neighbors while the rich continue to plunder the poor, the American two-party system continues to pacify the populace with a seeming opposition within the gov't.
Individuals may indeed have true hearts. But, take Kucinich. He rolled over for Kerry (fellow schoolmate with Bush). In other words, he rolled over for the rich.
Unless an awareness of the social divestiture occuring in this country is brought to the awareness of the general population, this trend will continue. It does not seem at all likely that the population is willing to engage a conversation of CLASSES. For in America "there are no classes."
Peace,
-Derek Java
www.highpeaksjava.com
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Alito Filibuster
Get a grip. Democrats will not filibuster because the Republicans will use the nuclear option, change the Senate machanism forever and Alito will get in anyway. If they did cobble together enough support to hold, the third nominee in this deteriorating sequence is likely to be more conservative that the second. Anyone who thinks nuclear is good because the Democrats will take the Senate next fall if betting the ranch. Although the DSCC is leading NRSC in the fundraising derby now, the right wing,as a whole, will outspend us in next years Senate election. I am a loyal Democrat and hope to see Mr. Reed as the Majority Leader, but I still don't think we should betthe Senate on it.
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Deploy the Nuclear Option
Why the Democrats should provoke the Nuclear Option.
A filibuster is OFFENSE not defense
57% of the public were against the Nuclear option in May 05 (I’m sure these #’s have not changed since)
It can be shown with Alito’s own words that he is for expansion of presidential powers
There is strong evidence that Alito will vote to overturn privacy
“Obstructionist” is a GOOD THING at this moment in our history and should be worn as a badge of honor
If the GOP goes nuclear, the mushroom cloud will still be there when they are the minority
All the above can be woven into the larger charge of GOP corruption and illegal presidential power
If the GOP fails to go nuclear, Alito is gone
The filibuster, like Jim Morrison, is dead, regardless of wishful future sightings. It died the day the threat of the nuclear option was proposed. The filibuster was the end of the road, the last option. When the nuclear option became the end of the road, the filibuster became irrelevant.
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It's about the seats, not the causes.
Over the years, the political system has moved from the "my esteemed colleagues" sort to the "my opponent" sort and finally, seen during the Alito hearings, the "the other side" sort. It's become a one-on-one competition of parties, where everyone toes the party line - there is hardly any independent thinking or persuasion.
Today, the political game is about getting a simple majority in order to advance the causes of the party. The minority party in that case still has some power, since not everything requires a simple majority vote. A loss of enough seats to put supermajority votes within the grasp of the Republicans, however, would pretty much sideline the Democrats completely until 2008, at least.
If the Democrats don't filibuster Alito, they won't run the risk of negative publicity causing a loss of seats in the upcoming midterms. They may not grab a simple majority, either, but at least they won't lose what little handhold they have.
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Like all bullies
the GOP under the Bush administration is all bluff. That's how they've silenced the media. That's how they won congressional approval for an illegal war. And that's how they've cowered Democrats since 9/11. Like all bullies you don't stop 'em till you stand up to 'em, simple as that.
I've heard about a 100 arguments for not invoking the filibuster and they all sound like chickenshit excuses for turning tail and running. About the most pitiful is "maybe Allito won't be so bad."
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Amen at last
At last some realism from Salon.
What is Feinstein thinking? At the risk of overworking an already stressed allusion, one can only conclude that she has entered the Neville Chamberlain stage of self-deception in which abject appeasement appears to shimmer with a kind of ineffable subtlety and rightness.
Perhaps Sen. Feinstein thinks that not filibustering now will somehow cause Republicans not to filibuster in the unlikely case where A) the Roberts/Alito Supreme Court some day permits a Democratic president to take office, and B) that president has the opportunity to choose one or more justices.
Surely the sorry record of Democratic defeat since Reagan, despite the Clinton interregnum, should convince Democrats that one gains nothing by yielding points to Republicans.
Their goal is authoritarian rule by decree. They have nothing but contempt for the Constitution and the sort of legitimacy that springs from the consent of the governed. They are willing to say absolutely anything to achieve their goal.
Why not fight and lose? What is to be preserved by quietly letting the oligarchs have their way?
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Filibuster, and get Alito+Myers+Saad+Pickering etc etc
The filibuster isn't a viable weapon for use against Alito. Attempt to use it, the republicans go nuclear (remember, only two republican gang of 14 members need to support it for it to pass, and Snowe's already said that Alito isn't an "extraordinary" case), Alito gets through, and all the filibustered appellate level judges get through on his coattails.
I agree with Tim - Feinstein should say that she won't support it b/c it won't _work_, not because opposing Alito isn't a worthwhile idea.
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Thanks for the idea!
I just sent out the following email to my friends and family, and wanted to share it with other War Room readers--
Dear Friends:
For years now, many of us have given money to the Democratic party, and to our individual Democratic political representatives in Washington. We've given (generously) based on their promise to defend a woman's right to choose. But, now it looks like that defense is going to be limited to aimless questions in the Senate Judiciary Committee, evasive responses on the Sunday morning talk shows( http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/face_011506.pdf) and the compulsory long-winded and pointless speeches on the Senate floor before the vote on Alito's confirmation.
So, I had the following thought: let's all contact our Democratic representatives, as well as the DNC, to let the Democratic Party know that the money we would otherwise donate to their campaigns, will henceforth be diverted to personal emergency funds for the trips we, or our loved ones, may need to take to any of the 54 other countries in the world where abortion is still safe and legal.
We'll get back to supporting them, when they finally start supporting us. Pass it on.