Filibuster! Filibuster!

[interesteddad]

<p>

talking about why our country is so pathetic and messed up that we have 3 million unwanted pregancies every year - mostly because “birth control” is implemented after conception.

</p>

<p>That dog won’t hunt either. If you note, the folk who have an anti-abortion litmus test are the same folk who pitch a hissy fit at any suggestion of education about or distribution of contraceptives. Here’s a hint: they control the White House, both houses of Congress, the Supreme Court, and most of the governor’s seats. Take your concerns about unwanted pregnancies up with them and their “Father Knows Best” view of the world.</p>

[browninfall]

<p>ID</p>

<p>Although you’re technicaly correct that 7 of the 9 were appointed by Repubs, Souter and Stevens are solid votes for the left. </p>

<p>Many Repubs did take it up with the Republican leadership that they needed to do a better job of who they nominated. That’s why they weren’t happy with the nomination of Harriet Miers and why they voiced their displeasure. It worked.</p>

<p>A few minutes ago the Senate voted for cloture on the nomination of Alito - apparently a fair number of Dems voted with the Repubs. Now he’s as good as in. Any thoughts on how the Dems who voted with the Repubs are going to be treated by the left? I can’t imagine that it’s going to be very pretty.</p>

[xiggi]

<p>How did that show of power end up? </p>

<p>By a 72-25 vote, the Senate cut off a symbolic filibuster attempt today on the Supreme Court nomination of Samuel A. Alito Jr., all but assuring that the federal appeals court judge will be confirmed Tuesday morning by the Senate. </p>

<p>“The vote today is whether or not we will take a stand against ideological court packing,” Kerry said. “I understand there are those who believe this [a filibuster] is only for extraordinary circumstances. But I honestly believe this is an extraordinary circumstance.” </p>

<p>Well, was Kerry for the filibuster or was he for it after being against it. Who knows with that weathervane of a politician. The only extraordinary circumstance would be for him to know how to vote without a focus group.</p>

[interesteddad]

<p>

Any thoughts on how the Dems who voted with the Repubs are going to be treated by the left?

</p>

<p>I don’t know what the term “the left” means beyond it’s use as a term of derision for any one who disagrees with them by talk radio hosts.</p>

[browninfall]

<p>“the left”…you know, the ones who aren’t on “the right”.</p>

[ijflexi]

<p>Awwww Samuel Alito Jr. WILL be the next justice on the supreme court. And there is NOTHING you liberals can do about it. ;)</p>

[lauras50]

<p>Point about throwing abortion to the states. The neo-cons are only for the states right to make decisions, when they agree with them. Note Roberts siding with Thomas and Scalia on Oregon’s assisted suicide. They didn’t agree with that…so they voted against the states right to make it’s own laws based on local citizen’s beliefs. When Alito joins the group there will be no states rights, unless it agrees with the NEO CON viewpoint. As long as you agree with us…you can make you own laws. Yikes, I don’t want to hear any more about leaving things up to the states…the handwriting it on the wall and for the next 30 years.</p>

[overseas]

<p>A BBC 3 part documentary called “The Power of Nightmeres” has the best explanation of the Neocons and their mission that I have ever seen. They are not motivated by religion but merely use it to achieve their aims. I highly recommend obtaining and watching this series. It also deals with the roots of the current political-islamic movement.</p>

[barrons]

<p>Alito confirmed. Next issue.</p>

[dstark]

<p>Overseas, did you watch that series on American tv?</p>

[overseas]

<p>My son got it somehow and had it on his computer. I didn’t watch it on t.v. at all. Missed it on BBC when it played. <a href=“http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/3755686.stm[/url]”>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/3755686.stm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Found this on Amazon.com
“Adam Curtis’s 3 part BBC 4 documentary “The Power of Nightmares: The Rise of the Politics of Fear” is simply an exceptional piece of documentary filmmaking. I know that it is available through download as a Bit Torrent file and that Curtis is supportive of this as the BBC has not issued it as a DVD. So maybe this Video CD-Rom is a hard copy of the Internet-Available download.”</p>

<p>The explanation of the rise of the NeoCons is truly worth watching.</p>

[interesteddad]

<p>

The neo-cons are only for the states right to make decisions, when they agree with them.

</p>

<p>Correct. I laugh everytime I hear a Republican talk about not wanting an “activist” Court.</p>

[interesteddad]

<p>

Alito confirmed. Next issue.

</p>

<p>Next issue is back to Iraq. My guess is that having the anchor of a major network’s nightly news get his head blown off will be the galvanizing event that turns public opinion inexorably against a failed policy.</p>

<p>Combine those images with the inability of the Iraqi people to put together a government after the elections (sold as the “turning point”) and Bush will spend the rest of his term under relentless attack. He doesn’t have the political capital to raise “issues” at this point.</p>

[driver]

<p>Scalia on “judicial activism”:

…you know another one of the terms that I don’t really like, beside “strict constructionist”, the term “judicial activism” can be misused. I don’t mind the courts doing actively what they are supposed to do… I’m not urging courts to do nothing. I’m urging them to do what the Constitution says they can do, and not to become grand philosophers, to redesign the Constitution itself.

</p>

[dstark]

<p>Overseas, I saw this on the site you mentioned. Isn’t Paul Craig Roberts a conservative?</p>

<p>“Americans need desperately to comprehend that if Bush attacks Iran and Syria, as he intends, terrorism will explode, and American civil liberties will disappear into a thirty year war that will bankrupt the United States.”</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article11696.htm[/url]”>http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article11696.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration. He was Associate Editor of the Wall Street Journal editorial page and Contributing Editor of National Review. He is coauthor of The Tyranny of Good Intentions.He can be reached at: <a href="mailto:paulcraigroberts@yahoo.com">paulcraigroberts@yahoo.com</a></p>

<p>I’m still looking for the link so I can watch the series.</p>

[citygirlsmom]

<p>I love how when the Senate uses a well established and set in the constitution action, ie fillibuster, a NeoCon calls it trickery…excuse me</p>

<p>hmmmm, so using the constitutions rules is bad…my my my</p>

<p>that is a scary thought</p>

[fundingfather]

<p>Ummm, CGM, please point to the part of the Constitution that spells out the notion of a filibuster.</p>

[overseas]

<p><a href=“http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/9568355812/102-3967866-5892965?v=glance&n=130[/url]”>http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/9568355812/102-3967866-5892965?v=glance&n=130&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[interesteddad]

<p>Yeah. I love how the Alito confirmation is described as a “pitched battle”. I thought it was a fairly muted affair with a few weeks of political posturing on both sides. Notwithstanding his political agenda, the man is qualified to sit on the Supreme Court, so I never saw this a big battle.</p>

<p>A filibuster was never in the cards, not if the esteemed senior Senator from Massachusetts would have missed happy hour.</p>

[dstark]

<p>Overseas, found a link. Thanks.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/video1037.htm[/url]”>http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/video1037.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;