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i've never met him but matt seems to be kind of a colossal insufferable prick who should be stomped really bad. i'm just saying, though. but picking a fillibuster is a fight we'll lose in the middle of a bunch of fights we could win.
still, though. i would support it ethically, if not strategically, and i would never dissuade anyone from tying to persuade their senators to fillibuster this fucktard. of course, i would also support the really bad stomping of sam alito. unless maybe i'm actually him or something.
why is it a fight we'll lose? they don't have 60 votes for him, and we have a better chance of getting 41 to filibuster. they're also very damaged, with all the scandals and corruptions and stuff.
and anyway--fighting and losing is better than rolling over to get raped by the GOP.
I'm very hesitant to argue politics, but I feel quite strongly on this, so I want to say something.
The Democrats need to stop with their current mud-flinging strategy. I don't mean to stop attacking Republicans, I mean to stop doing it randomly and on things that most people don't understand (or give a shit about).
They really need to get their shit together, and make concerted efforts to loudly and consistently make the largest two or three Republican failures clearly and widely understood.
Filibustering a guy who is guaranteed to get in... speaking as somebody who hates both parties at the moment... I just don't see it doing any good.
America needs the presence of a strong, bold, progressive party, and given the way our electoral system, that party needs to be the Democrats. I don't see this filibuster as being strong or bold; I see it as being useless.
If you disagree with me, I respect your opinion, but I humbly ask that you consider the strategy of attacking the big lies, instead of the myriad small ones.
Thanks for reading through this long blathering post.
The nuclear option. You think we're being raped now? Just wait until they can shove any law they want down the orifice of their choice with a simple majority.
Maybe keeping a lifetime appointee off the Court is worth that kinda risk, but, even if we won, the next nominee would probably be even more Goebbels. sam is right, we've got too many other juicy choices for nailing the Republicans right now. I'm not convinced Alito isn't worth the effort.
the nuclear option is against Senate rules and they know it. I don't know if it's illegal but you can be sure people will know that they don't follow the rules ever, besides daytrading out of their offices on coming legislation, and taking bribes, etc.
If not now, when? if not the Supreme Court, what? Do you know how important the Supreme Court is?
and the filibuster is the only tool left. the GOP does not ever play by the rules, and even threatening the nuclear thing proves it. Why not use the only tool left? Is control of all 3 branches of government not important?
Even with Alito, I still think there are 5 justices on the court which have integrity. I believe that's all we need in the most important upcoming battles, namely those against the White House.
But give me a good scenario for what happens after a successful filibuster, and I'll go ahead an email Maryland's senators now.
OK--a successful filibuster removes Alito, freeing up the Senate to continue investigating Katrina, the NSA spying thing, and all the other bad things Bush is doing. Bush can try to nominate someone else, but it's election season, and the GOP is already running away from him since it's hurting them at home.
It also shows that there is an opposition, and since the majority of the country disagrees with Bush's policies and actions, shows them that they have an alternative (again, election year, remember?)
It shows that there's a line Bush cannot cross, and that he does not own the entire government. It shows that at least some people in government are listening to their constituents, and to the majority of Americans.
It also shows that the far rightwing does not get to win when it comes to stripping rights and equality and fundamental American ideals. Women get to keep control over their bodies, and any hope of extending equal protection to us gays and lesbians stays alive--something vitally important to me.
Because President Bush authorizes spying on Americans without a warrant.
- Because President Bush authorized torture by Americans and through renditioning.
- Because President Bush detains people without charge for an indefinite period.
- Because President Bush ignores whatever laws he wants, even if he signs them.
- Because President Bush lied about Iraq to get us into the war. ...
and from the end of that post: ...
As Republicans fret and fume if a filibuster happens, threatening some recriminations, even the "nuclear option," remember this from everything we know about Rovean politics, the way of the wolverine: they attack when frightened. They don't compromise. They don't look for solutions. They attack and attack until they get what they want. And if they still don't get it, they try to do it anyway.
Politics is about power, motherfuckers. Use it or lose it. Sure, sure, there's easy principles to defend in blocking Alito because of what Alito believes, but there's also the pure assertion of power against those who seek to disempower the rest of us.
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