.....by John Kerry to yodel-call for a filibuster of Samuel Alito from his five-star ski resort in Davos, Switzerland. The image is pure, priceless typical Northeastern establishment, neo-lib elitism, detachment from ordinary American reality, that Kerry is sipping expensive fine wine, munching on over-priced unpronouncable cheese, skiing down slopes with Bono and Brad and Angelina, and sleeping on the finest satin and silk bedsheets in a hotel where only the uber-rich and uber-elite cocoon and then yodelling that he knows what's best for ordinary Americans.
The image that this Lurch is so out of touch with normal everyday Americans is displayed in all it's inglorious neo-lib hypocrisy:
Kerry takes up fight against Alito
Sen. Reid: 'Everyone knows there is not enough votes' for filibuster
Friday, January 27, 2006; Posted: 3:32 p.m. EST (20:32 GMT)
Sen. John Kerry, back from Switzerland, takes to the Senate floor Friday to oppose Judge Samuel Alito.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry took to the Senate floor Friday to rally his Democratic colleagues behind a filibuster of Judge Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court.
But senators from both parties -- including Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid -- described Kerry's efforts as an uphill battle, at best.
"Everyone knows there are not enough votes to support a filibuster," Reid told Reuters.
Kerry was in Davos, Switzerland, attending the World Economic Forum Thursday when he called for the filibuster. Democratic sources tell CNN that Kerry called fellow Democratic senators Thursday to rally support.
A potential showdown could come early next week. On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist filed a motion to cut off debate on the Alito nomination after his Democratic counterpart, Minority Leader Harry Reid, objected to a move by GOP leaders to schedule a final vote on his confirmation Monday afternoon.
Frist's cloture motion, which requires 60 votes under Senate rules, will come up for a vote at 4:30 p.m. Monday. If successful, senators will then vote on Alito's nomination at 11 a.m. Tuesday, with a simple majority of 51 votes needed for approval. Democrats can block the final vote if 41 senators vote against Frist's motion. (How a filibuster works)
Given that none of the chamber's 55 Republicans has openly declared opposition to Alito's confirmation and three Democrats are on the record supporting it, Kerry has little margin to succeed.
However, a Kerry aide told CNN the senator is not concerned about the gossip on Capitol Hill and is standing on principle in backing the filibuster.
"Judge Alito's confirmation would be an ideological coup on the Supreme Court," Kerry said in a written statement.
"We can't afford to see the court's swing vote, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, replaced with a far-right ideologue like Samuel Alito."
The White House expressed confidence that Alito's supporters had the votes needed to cut off a filibuster.
The White House was so confident, in fact, that Bush spokesman Scott McClellan openly mocked Kerry's actions.
"I think it was a historic day yesterday. It was the first ever call for a filibuster from the slopes of Davos, Switzerland," McClellan said. "Maybe Senator Kerry needs to be spending more time in the United States Senate so he can refresh his memory on Senate rules. Senate rules say you have to have the votes in order to filibuster."
The issue also sparked sharp words on the Senate floor Friday.
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, said those "masters of the universe" attending the Davos forum "ought to spend more time trying to get the oil prices and gasoline prices down than worrying about conjuring up a filibuster of a judge as able as Judge Alito."
'Vote of a generation'
Despite describing the filibuster drive as "an uphill climb," Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy Thursday backed Kerry's efforts.
"This is a vote of a generation and a test of conscience," Kennedy said in a statement. "Judge Alito does not share the values of equality and justice that make this country strong. He does not deserve a place on the highest court of the land."
Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York, tells CNN that she will support the filibuster, as will California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
"Based on a very long and thoughtful analysis of the record and transcript, which I tried to indicate in my floor statement yesterday, I've decided that I will vote no on cloture," Feinstein said in a statement.
But Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, who is in charge of rounding up his Democratic colleagues for key votes, Thursday played down the possibility of a filibuster.
"One of the first responsibilities of someone in Congress is to learn how to count," the Illinois Democrat said. "Having made a count, I have come to the conclusion it is highly unlikely that a filibuster would succeed."
Democrats split
Two Democrats announced Thursday that they would vote for the 55-year-old Alito: Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia and Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota. Both represent states that Bush carried in the 2004 presidential election.
In a speech on the Senate floor, Byrd, the longest-serving Democrat in the Senate, said he refused "simply to toe the party line when it comes to Supreme Court justices."
"My considered judgment ... leads me to believe [Alito] to be an honorable man, a man who loves his country, loves his Constitution and a man who will give of his best," said Byrd, who faces re-election in November. "Can we really ask for more?"
Johnson said that while he was "troubled" by some of Alito's views, "I cannot accept an argument that his views are so radical that the Senate is justified in denying his confirmation."
He also said he would oppose any filibuster of the nomination.
Sources close to Kerry say he announced his decision to support a filibuster Wednesday at a meeting of his Democratic colleagues.
Bush said Thursday he was looking forward to an "up-or-down vote" in the Senate and praised Alito, a judge on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, as a man of "character and integrity."
Bush tapped Alito for the job after his White House counsel, Harriet Miers, withdrew her nomination.
In addition to Byrd and Johnson, Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska has said he will support Alito. Earlier Thursday, Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana said she would oppose a filibuster.
In May, Byrd, Nelson, Landrieu and four other Democrats joined seven Republicans in agreeing to oppose Democratic filibusters of some Bush judicial nominees and any attempt by Republican leaders to change Senate rules to end the practice, except under "extraordinary circumstances." So far, that agreement has held.
The other Democrats in the group, known as the "Gang of 14," are Sens. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Ken Salazar of Colorado.
The image that this Lurch is so out of touch with normal everyday Americans is displayed in all it's inglorious neo-lib hypocrisy:
Kerry takes up fight against Alito
Sen. Reid: 'Everyone knows there is not enough votes' for filibuster
Friday, January 27, 2006; Posted: 3:32 p.m. EST (20:32 GMT)
Sen. John Kerry, back from Switzerland, takes to the Senate floor Friday to oppose Judge Samuel Alito.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry took to the Senate floor Friday to rally his Democratic colleagues behind a filibuster of Judge Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court.
But senators from both parties -- including Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid -- described Kerry's efforts as an uphill battle, at best.
"Everyone knows there are not enough votes to support a filibuster," Reid told Reuters.
Kerry was in Davos, Switzerland, attending the World Economic Forum Thursday when he called for the filibuster. Democratic sources tell CNN that Kerry called fellow Democratic senators Thursday to rally support.
A potential showdown could come early next week. On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist filed a motion to cut off debate on the Alito nomination after his Democratic counterpart, Minority Leader Harry Reid, objected to a move by GOP leaders to schedule a final vote on his confirmation Monday afternoon.
Frist's cloture motion, which requires 60 votes under Senate rules, will come up for a vote at 4:30 p.m. Monday. If successful, senators will then vote on Alito's nomination at 11 a.m. Tuesday, with a simple majority of 51 votes needed for approval. Democrats can block the final vote if 41 senators vote against Frist's motion. (How a filibuster works)
Given that none of the chamber's 55 Republicans has openly declared opposition to Alito's confirmation and three Democrats are on the record supporting it, Kerry has little margin to succeed.
However, a Kerry aide told CNN the senator is not concerned about the gossip on Capitol Hill and is standing on principle in backing the filibuster.
"Judge Alito's confirmation would be an ideological coup on the Supreme Court," Kerry said in a written statement.
"We can't afford to see the court's swing vote, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, replaced with a far-right ideologue like Samuel Alito."
The White House expressed confidence that Alito's supporters had the votes needed to cut off a filibuster.
The White House was so confident, in fact, that Bush spokesman Scott McClellan openly mocked Kerry's actions.
"I think it was a historic day yesterday. It was the first ever call for a filibuster from the slopes of Davos, Switzerland," McClellan said. "Maybe Senator Kerry needs to be spending more time in the United States Senate so he can refresh his memory on Senate rules. Senate rules say you have to have the votes in order to filibuster."
The issue also sparked sharp words on the Senate floor Friday.
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, said those "masters of the universe" attending the Davos forum "ought to spend more time trying to get the oil prices and gasoline prices down than worrying about conjuring up a filibuster of a judge as able as Judge Alito."
'Vote of a generation'
Despite describing the filibuster drive as "an uphill climb," Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy Thursday backed Kerry's efforts.
"This is a vote of a generation and a test of conscience," Kennedy said in a statement. "Judge Alito does not share the values of equality and justice that make this country strong. He does not deserve a place on the highest court of the land."
Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York, tells CNN that she will support the filibuster, as will California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
"Based on a very long and thoughtful analysis of the record and transcript, which I tried to indicate in my floor statement yesterday, I've decided that I will vote no on cloture," Feinstein said in a statement.
But Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, who is in charge of rounding up his Democratic colleagues for key votes, Thursday played down the possibility of a filibuster.
"One of the first responsibilities of someone in Congress is to learn how to count," the Illinois Democrat said. "Having made a count, I have come to the conclusion it is highly unlikely that a filibuster would succeed."
Democrats split
Two Democrats announced Thursday that they would vote for the 55-year-old Alito: Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia and Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota. Both represent states that Bush carried in the 2004 presidential election.
In a speech on the Senate floor, Byrd, the longest-serving Democrat in the Senate, said he refused "simply to toe the party line when it comes to Supreme Court justices."
"My considered judgment ... leads me to believe [Alito] to be an honorable man, a man who loves his country, loves his Constitution and a man who will give of his best," said Byrd, who faces re-election in November. "Can we really ask for more?"
Johnson said that while he was "troubled" by some of Alito's views, "I cannot accept an argument that his views are so radical that the Senate is justified in denying his confirmation."
He also said he would oppose any filibuster of the nomination.
Sources close to Kerry say he announced his decision to support a filibuster Wednesday at a meeting of his Democratic colleagues.
Bush said Thursday he was looking forward to an "up-or-down vote" in the Senate and praised Alito, a judge on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, as a man of "character and integrity."
Bush tapped Alito for the job after his White House counsel, Harriet Miers, withdrew her nomination.
In addition to Byrd and Johnson, Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska has said he will support Alito. Earlier Thursday, Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana said she would oppose a filibuster.
In May, Byrd, Nelson, Landrieu and four other Democrats joined seven Republicans in agreeing to oppose Democratic filibusters of some Bush judicial nominees and any attempt by Republican leaders to change Senate rules to end the practice, except under "extraordinary circumstances." So far, that agreement has held.
The other Democrats in the group, known as the "Gang of 14," are Sens. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Ken Salazar of Colorado.
