Just do it. Please.
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January 28, 2006
Stop Alito
Comments
I have a plan to stop the confirmation of Samuel Alito.
For Tennessee residents:
Tell the people of Tennessee who want to stop the confirmation of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court to get on the phone right away
and call Senator Frist at 888-818-6641 and 888-355-3588 and tell him to stop the confirmation of Samuel Alito or Dominos pizza, the company that contributes exclusively to the Republican Party and the pro life until birth movement, will suffer a boycott.
Then call Dominos Pizza at 800 468 4726 and demand the employee get the CEO of Dominos Pizza, a hardcore Republican, to get Senator Frist to stop the confirmation of Samuel Alito or you will never do business with Dominos Pizza again. You can also call a local Dominos Pizza and tell the store owner this too.
You can also do this with Wendy’s Hamburgers Restaurants and Outback Steakhouse too if you like, as these two companies contribute exclusively to the Republican Party.
Then go and buy a roast beef sandwhich at Arby’s or get some Boars Head Brand Roast Beef as these two companies give money to the Democrats.
Do well and work fast.
For residents in other states:
“A Demand without a boycott will most likely fail” : Mighty Maximus
URGENT: Call your senators NOW at 888-818-6641 and 888-355-3588 and tell them “Vote NO on confirmation of Alito or I boycott GOP contributor and antiabortion supporter Dominos Pizza.” Then call and tell that to Senator Frist. Then call Dominos Pizza and tell the employee that unless the CEO of Dominos to get the Republican Party to withdraw the nomination of Samuel Alito or get the Senators to reject Alito, you will never do business with Dominos Pizza again. No CEO wants 50 percent of his customer base to disappear.
Dominos Pizza 800-468-4726 gyselk@dominos.com
http://www.dominos.com
Spread the word on the net and post this at libraries and supermarket bulletin boards. A demand without a boycott will not work.
Join the revolution for progressive legislation.
http://www.boycott-republicans.com
Get your “Mean, Abusive people vote Republican” bumper sticker here.
http://www.cafepress.com/revolution09.45584186
Read the Liberal America Forum
http://www.network54.com/Forum/259017/
WHO NEEDS IMPEACHMENT WHEN THE CITIZENRY CAN DEMAND BUSH AND CHENEY RESIGN OR A FULL SET OF REPUBLICAN CONTRIBUTORS WILL GO BROKE UNDER A CITIZENS BOYCOTT/REFERENDUM.
Posted by: Anonymous | Jan 28 2006 21:31 utc | 1
Thanks for the thread, b. I can’t think about anything else. I am so afraid – I feel like I’m being held hostage in my own country. I don’t know which is worse – that this admitted devotee of dictatorship has been nominated, or that Donkey Party didn’t just laugh & say “not a chance in hell”! Anyway Jane @the wonderful firedoglake is working tirelessly on this. She just got off a conference call w/Ted Kennedy & others & has a report up. CONSTANT UPDATES
Posted by: jj | Jan 28 2006 22:42 utc | 3
thanks b. i wish i had a fax, a lot of the senators phone message banks are full, the free fax on jane’s site isn’t working. she’s got a list of all the fax #’s up. if anyone has another free fax link….
Posted by: annie | Jan 28 2006 23:35 utc | 4
not sure if the free fax link on fdl is the same as the ones posted by georgia10 on kos, but go to her diary and you will find at leasat 2 different fax links and free fax numbers. people for the american way are sponsoring a free fax line. i will see i if i can find the email sent to me and post it next.
Posted by: conchita | Jan 29 2006 1:29 utc | 5
here is the link for the free line sponsored by people for the american way:
http://www.savethecourt.org/site/c.mwK0JbNTJrF/b.849267/k.CC39/Home.htm
another place to check for updates is democrats.com, bob fertik’s site. he is really the one spearheading this. fdl really just came on board full steam this morning. posters at kos have been writing and faxing and calling for two weeks, but it wasn’t until today that it became a front-paged cause. whatever. at least now we are all coming together and who knows we might even surprise ourselves by defeating the nomination. thinking about the mad scramble and bush’s tantrum during the sotu should make it worthwhile for everyone out there. more importantly, the american people are speaking out – bout effing time, but we are doing it and our senators are hearing us. whether or not they will get their shit together and heed the call by monday remains to be seen. we are not letting up the pressure, not for a minute.
Posted by: conchita | Jan 29 2006 1:39 utc | 6
conchita/annie
every inch you fight delivers rewards. the fight against alito is a struggle against ignorance & what paul craig roberts thoughtfully calls ‘catastrophe’
Posted by: remembereringgiap | Jan 29 2006 2:54 utc | 7
Well, I don’t need to call because voth my senators are voting against this ass Alito and both would support a filibuster. We have Levin and Stabenow so I am sure they’re in the head hunt section.
The only thing I see is a ground swell from the states against DC. The people in the states must call for accountablity. I read a post at kos or Atrios about getting a state legislature to call for impeachment. According to Jefferson’s rule of the federal legislature a casll from a state for impeachment must be heard before any other business can proceed. State legislatures must be pressured if this is true to put the shit to Bush.
Posted by: jdp | Jan 29 2006 4:16 utc | 8
jdp – you do need to call. levin has not come out in support of the filibuster. he has stated he will vote no on confirmation but will not support a filibuster. voting no on confirmation is a meaningless vote. stabenow has agreed to support the filibuster. please call levin and please ask everyone you know to call. you can only reach him via fax over the weekend but come monday morning the phone lines will be open again. please call then and keep trying till you get through, and please ask everyone you know to call. it is the only way we will win this. and yes we can win – but we have to do it. my senators, schumer and clinton, have signed on to support the filibuster but i am still calling every other democratic senator and a few of the moderate republicans. we all have to do whatever we can to win this one. they are listening – but first they have to hear from us.
Posted by: conchita | Jan 29 2006 7:59 utc | 9
Posted to wrong thread:
How do you approach the likes of Senators Warner and Allen? Tell me, I’ll do it. I once delivered petitions to Allen’s office.
Posted by: beq | Jan 29 2006 14:35 utc | 10
conchita,
I will call, but knowing Levin as I do, I’ve met him quite a few times, he will fall in for the filibuster. If he didn’t there would be some underlying reason. I will call his Traverse City office Monday morning. Calling his outlying offices works just as well as they are hooked real time by the internet. Everything thats called in is immediately entered and DC has it right then.
Posted by: jdp | Jan 29 2006 15:10 utc | 11
jdp, thank you. it is good to hear your words and i suspect you are right. however, this is the post i read yesterday on democrats.com that prompted me to write the comment last night. if you can get to levin, please do whatever you can.
Levin in the Clueless Caucus
Submitted by notpoetry on January 28, 2006 – 4:16pm.
I met with Senator Carl Levin (D, MI) today, and he said, off the record, that while he supports the filibuster “in its ideal,” he does not approve of the political ramifications of the filibuster, and thus won’t be voting for it come Monday. And he’s not changing his mind.
Don’t know if that gets him out of the Clueless Caucus and into a more defined area, but, there you go.
if you know anyone else willing to call/fax/fedex/telegram/email please encourage them. also, if you have the time we are calling senators throughout the country, not just our homestates although i am sure a constituent’s voice might mean a little more to the election whores. i tell them this is a national issue and only landrieu’s office has argued. i imagine kerry, kennedy, reid, and durbin (and hopefully others) have been working the phones, etc. themselves all weekend. my phone encounters with staffers has been interesting – all except Landrieu’s have been polite and most have been on our side. hopefully we and they will win over the democratic wafflers. we have until monday at 4:30.
Posted by: conchita | Jan 29 2006 15:58 utc | 12
beq, i don’t know if it is worth it to go after warner and allen at this point, but if you have time on monday, it will make a difference if you call or fax the democratic senators who have not committed to vote no on cloture or abstain. here is the best resource for phone numbers – both dc and local offices and a strategic plan, and updates on Senator’s declared positions. the hardest part about making the calls is getting through – lots of busy signals – but once you speak with someone, you do not need to convince them, they are keeping tallies in most offices and will want to know if you are for or against. if they tell you the senator will vote against confirmation tell them that is not enough, it is a meaningless vote, what we need is a no for cloture and support of the filibuster. if it feels like there is time i also say a few words about how alito is not a good choice for the Court or for the Country.
Posted by: conchita | Jan 29 2006 16:08 utc | 13
i compiled a table in Word that can be easily used in a mailmerge. if there is anyone out there who would like to use it to send faxes. feel free to email me for it. even with busy signals on friday, i was able to fax about 45-50 senators in about 45 minutes.
Posted by: conchita | Jan 29 2006 16:11 utc | 14
for anyone who hasn’t been following this, another option for senators who do not want to filibuster is to simply not show up. frist needs 60 votes, so not voting is an option. you can ask your senator to stay away,please just stay away if they don’t have the guts to filibuster
i have a lot of hope.
this morning on the 2 talk shows i eased dropped on while cleaning i heard 5 times, twice from frist, that dems don’t stand for anything. they keep saying it. drumbeat, can he be proven wrong?
Posted by: annie | Jan 29 2006 16:27 utc | 15
on the abstaining from cloture, i read this morning too that they can still be there, but simply say present when the vote is called and it will be not be counted as a yes vote.
and to augment annie’s comment about breaking the republican meme mcjoan on kos reported that senator kennedy has the following to say yesterday on a conference call with bloggers:
Senator Kennedy talked in particular about one thing that I think is critical to keep in mind as we approach our Senators, and for them to keep in mind as they are considering this vote. We need to overcome the media noise machine by letting our Senators know that in voting their conscience, and making it clear that they are voting on principle, on conscience, they will overcome the media noise machine calling them obstructionists. We can help them realize this by letting them know that we’ve got their backs. That they are voting our conscience as well, and that we will not forget their courage.
DebsisDead, this responds in a way to your earlier post about not hearing anything in the media that indicates this could be won. sadly, no, you will not hear much in the media beyond rethug talking points. it will be interesting to see what comes out of this mornings talk shows. i don’t watch tv so have no clue until someone writes about it. all i have seen so far is annie’s comment and one on democrats.com that obama signed on to suppport the filibuster, but team player that he is, he also said he thinks it won’t work. just playing right into bill frist’s hands. aargh!
Posted by: conchita | Jan 29 2006 16:43 utc | 16
i didn’t hear obamas comment that way. i saw it as holding your cards close to your chest. first the press reports alito is a clear shot, thats all you hear for months even thou thats not what the dems are saying, lots of us and senators don’t like him. dean has been saying for awhile he’s no good but the press has already painted him as a screamer. then gore, very very publically w/much fanfare lays it out, hardly gets covered my the msm and naturally they call him crazy too. but all along there have been many dems condeming alito. now w/kerry they call it a few dems, but it really could be many many more. it gets a little blip.
but i’m not so sure obama didn’t make a big deal about his filibuster support just to catch them offguard. the msm would be screaming during the talk shows, get all the republicans riled up and then they start calling the senators , we wouldn’t want that …
Posted by: annie | Jan 29 2006 16:59 utc | 17
annie, very likely that your interpretation on obama’s remark is more accurate. i didn’t hear it, am just repeating what i read. about the repugs calling the senators – i’m sure they already are. the anti-choice brigade was out there in droves last week. bill nelson’s office said late friday that they got more pro-alito calls than anti.
Posted by: conchita | Jan 29 2006 17:48 utc | 18
okay, let’s say you’d like to learn about an actual political campaign to impeach the president …
ah, none of this noise about a yearning for somebody to go do it …
in addition, you’d like to learn about a game plan to snag Osama …
if all the above meets with your approval, then click, somehow, on the following hyperlink:
link
and get ready for a ride on a wild blog
toodles
…….\
.he who is known as sefton
oh, yes, the above was copied and then pasted by an actual human being, who visited this blog.
oh, one more thing, keep an eye on the 10th Congressional District … I’m trying to base my campaign on the three planks I nailed together in my platform … “impeach bush” is the first plank … the second is “impeach bush” … and the third is like the second, “impeach bush”.
Posted by: A Alexander Stella | Jan 29 2006 21:26 utc | 20
Chafee Becomes First Republican Senator to Oppose Alito
who knows, we might just pull this off!
Posted by: dan of steele | Jan 30 2006 18:15 utc | 22
The NYT in its piece today has the Repubs and the Federalist Society alread popping the Champagne bottles.
In Alito, G.O.P. Reaps Harvest Planted in ’82
Judge Alito’s ascent to join Chief Justice Roberts on the court “would have been beyond our best expectations,” said Spencer Abraham, one of the society’s founders, a former secretary of energy under President Bush and now the chairman of the Committee for Justice, one of many conservative organizations set up to support judicial nominees.
He added, “I don’t think we would have put a lot of money on it in a friendly wager.”
Let’s see – maybe not – let’s hope a bit.
i’m starting to feel some confidence. Lautenberg was the dem senator from nj who introduced alito to the house, and he just came out in favor of the filibuster, so did menendez…… i have so much hope i’m about to burst. forget about getting any work done today, i’m glued to cspan
Posted by: annie | Jan 30 2006 20:12 utc | 24
The NYT in its piece today has the Repubs and the Federalist Society alread popping the Champagne bottles.
In Alito, G.O.P. Reaps Harvest Planted in ’82
Judge Alito’s ascent to join Chief Justice Roberts on the court “would have been beyond our best expectations,” said Spencer Abraham, one of the society’s founders, a former secretary of energy under President Bush and now the chairman of the Committee for Justice, one of many conservative organizations set up to support judicial nominees.
He added, “I don’t think we would have put a lot of money on it in a friendly wager.”
Let’s see – maybe not – let’s hope a bit.
b., senator kerry gives a killer speech covering that nyt speech, i recommend. “WE BOXED THEM IN, WHO , THE AMERICAN PEOPLE !!!” then goes on to establish the swiftboaters were the one’s the federalist guys went to , creative solutions, to pr the case.
Posted by: annie | Jan 30 2006 21:14 utc | 26
I caught a few snippets from various speakers on CSPAN-2 this morning, most notably Harry Reid. Let’s face it, this crowd of Democrats isn’t going to move anybody. Hell, I agreed with Reid on everything he said and he was still putting me to sleep. There was absolutely no sense of urgency in his delivery.
Worse yet was Kerry’s op-ed this morning, which aimed for urgency but delivered only a mushy mess of every cliché in the known universe:
The time to fight is now – before we make the irreversible decision of confirming a new Supreme Court Justice. When you’re talking about the Supreme Court, you don’t live to fight another day. It’s a zero sum game. Once Judge Alito becomes Justice Alito, there’s no turning back the Senate confirmation vote. We don’t get to ‘take a mulligan’ when choosing a Supreme Court Justice.
Give me Rove’s brain and Abramoff’s money and two solid weeks and I couldn’t deliver a paragraph that bad to pin on the Dems’ chests today.
So, yes, it’s been obvious for a very long time, but I can’t help feeling that today it’s official; the country’s beyond saving now.
Posted by: mats | Jan 31 2006 3:20 utc | 29
@Mats, yes, I agree that country is beyond saving. It doesn’t even matter if they toss the bastards out of office in 2 mos.
I did not hear what Kerry said, so I cannot comment. But the part you excerpted HAD to be included. That gay guy who runs Americablog couldn’t even get it. He thinks its fine packing the Court w/Fascists – he also supported johnnie rotten roberts – prob. ‘cuz he’s a cute fuzzy little faggot, which he is. Prob. fun, but that wasn’t what he was auditioning for & he’s also a woman-hating Opus Dei fascist w/a marriage they arranged for cover, complete w/turkey baster babies. Little did gay women know when they started getting their turkey baster babies, that one day that same technology would be used to provide cover to put a fascist faggot on the court. (I prob. should not use the word faggot for someone as Monstrous as this bastard, but he is one & a cute one at that…alas …language fails as the Fascists Take over the republic.)
Speaking of which, wasn’t that a mind blower that Robt. Byrd, he of such great concern for the Constitution, would vote for sammie the fascist. All I can think is that the Senate is the House of Peacocks and these bastards are so vain, they simply refuse to believe that these fascists will look them in the eye & lie to them. Look at his record, Byrd…what’s not to understand.
Posted by: jj | Jan 31 2006 4:58 utc | 30
It happened again. No one can be suprised. The bloke who called for a boycott of the industries that support this attack on people outlined the only way to defeat this stuff.
That he was far far too late is only to be expected in a culture that has been trained to wait for someone else to do the job, instead of doing it for themselves.
When people talk about the one-Party state they aren’t being cynical they are speaking the truth. Look at the lifestyles of Demassholes. There is no substantial difference between their lifestyles and that of the Reproperass wing of Assholes for Us.
Both would leave the same destructive environmental footprint. Both invest their ill gotten gains in the same destructive, selfish and murdering corporations. Both would have the same unhealthy pathological relationships with others.
Wake up! People are defined by what they do not what they say. Demassholes do the same as rethugs so they are the same. Doubtless someone will drag out the name of some earnest dem politician who hasn’t been around long enough to have showed his her true colours.
A couple of years ago that was Obama, now it will be Conyers, who, if he even looks like he is going to do more than provide a little release valve for middle class doubters, will be pulled back into line.
I won’t go on its late/early and I’m too tired. But for god’s sake don’t be blaming others for the sodomy of its voters by demassholes.
A gay bloke could come in here and talk about the NZ administration reeking like a fish shop, then when told that his remarks were offensive to all women, claim that his remarks were only directed at the women in govt, the judiciary, and the executive.
That wouldn’t stop the remarks from being offensive to all women, in fact the use of sophistry to protect oneself isn’t innovative it is ‘old school’ and unfair.
Amerikans have a right to feel angry….at themselves for not forcing change.
Posted by: Debs is dead | Jan 31 2006 15:06 utc | 32
That gay guy who runs Americablog couldn’t even get it. He thinks its fine packing the Court w/Fascists – he also supported johnnie rotten roberts – prob. ‘cuz he’s a cute fuzzy little faggot,
jj, i find your references offensive. although i do not agree w/johns position and have removed his bookmark, i would not stoop so low as to call him “that gay guy”. as for the other insulting comment,well, in my house would you never get away w/it.
Posted by: annie | Jan 31 2006 17:50 utc | 33
jeez, i must admit i didn’t even finish the paragraph before i posted that last comment.
as for the other insulting comment
make that comments
Posted by: annie | Jan 31 2006 17:56 utc | 34
thanks, annie. was too much in shock to say anything. my immediate inclination was to “cross the street and pretend i didn’t see him coming.” i still am not sure i even want to touch these remarks as they are so ugly, i am afraid they will taint just by association, even if acrimonious.
john aravosis clearly missed the boat on this one, but he was ground-breaking on jeff gannon. he can be powerful and i hope he is with us on the wiretap fight because we need every bit of back up we can get.
Posted by: conchita | Jan 31 2006 18:08 utc | 35
annie, conchita
Consider, it may not be our regular jj, using such dehumanizing comments. I too was taken aback, as it doesn’t sound like our jj.
Posted by: Uncle $cam | Jan 31 2006 18:22 utc | 36
excellent point, uncle $cam. i really hope that is the case.
Posted by: conchita | Jan 31 2006 18:55 utc | 37
Consider, it may not be our regular jj, using such dehumanizing comments
recall that jj has sometimes expressed, to put it kindly, a low level of tolerance for
muslim males and immigrants
Posted by: b real | Jan 31 2006 19:15 utc | 38
yes, b real, i do remember very well. but i do hope it is an imposter. this would be the proverbial straw for me personally.
Posted by: conchita | Jan 31 2006 19:18 utc | 39
I wish I hadn’t hit enter last night as well. I was gobsmacked and angry which is no excuse for ‘putting out the fire with gasoline’.
Posted by: Debs is dead | Jan 31 2006 19:57 utc | 40
actually, debs, i agree with you – we are our own worst enemy. my bf (who happens to be from nz from a family involved in politics there going back at least 2 generations) has been telling me since the night we met when he shouted across a group of folks out on the water having drinks “Vote Independent”! he said the same thing last night.
Posted by: conchita | Jan 31 2006 20:12 utc | 41
So we return to ranting and raving, building better tin foil hats, and wishing that we had never got our hopes up in the first place.
I am finding more and more people who are not net addicts like me, or even particularly interested in politics who are becoming ever gloomier. So many things have gone wrong and people are finally realizing that they have bought a bum steer (pun intended).
Bernhard posted that we are over 8 trillion in debt now. People who study the economy are puzzled that it is slowing down. Minimum wage in the US is $5.15 and hour and people can’t even get those jobs. Health care is being taken away from veterans who make more than the average wage.
A lot of people tried to make a difference and get at least a filibuster on a very dangerous man. we could barely get half of the opposition to vote for it. This article says the Kerry called filibuster was only for show anyway.
I saw a comment at firedoglake where on poster said that he joined the Republican party because the dems were seriously outnumbered anyway. Now he can give inputs to the others and they listen to him. This appears to be the only way out. We should all go and sign up immediately.
Posted by: dan of steele | Jan 31 2006 20:38 utc | 42
dan, could you check that link, it relates to an iraq story about the death of female military
Posted by: annie | Jan 31 2006 21:09 utc | 43
dan, if the filibuster was only for show, it was one i was glad to attend. honestly, i don’t think bashing kerry is productive. we did, we failed, but we tried and we are learning. mcjoan on kos last night quoted digby and it resonated with me:
So we only got 25 Senators to vote for a filibuster of a Supreme Court nominee who, if defeated, would be replaced by someone just as bad by a president in the pocket of his radical right wing. Well.
Do you know how many votes the Republicans managed to get when uber wingnut Antonin Scalia was confirmed? 98. And Democrats had a majority. We didn’t have to even think about a filibuster. We couldn’t defeat Clarence Thomas and we had a majority, a huge push from women’s groups and a very dramatic set of hearings that went into the wee hours of the morning. It is very, very tough to do.
…
When it became clear that the vote was going against the filibuster, Diane Feinstein, a puddle of lukewarm water if there ever was one, decided to backtrack and play to the base instead of the right wing. That’s new folks. Given an opportunity to make an easy vote, until now she and others like her (who are legion) would always default to the right to prove their “centrist” bonafides. That’s the DLC model. When you have a free vote always use it to show that you aren’t liberal. That’s why she was against it originally — a reflexive nod to being “reasonable.”
Obama had to choke out his support for a filibuster, but he did it. A calculation was made that he needed to play to the base instead of the punditocrisy who believe that being “bold” is voting with the Republicans. Don’t underestimate how much pressure there is to do that, especially for a guy like Obama who is running for King of the Purple. The whole presidential club, including Biden joined the chorus.
The last time we had a serious outpouring from the grassroots was the Iraq War resolution. My Senator DiFi commented at thetime that she had never seen anything like the depth of passion coming from her constituents. But she voted for the war anyway. So did Bayh, Biden, Clinton, Dodd, Kerry and Reid. The entire leadership of the party. Every one of them went the other way this time. I know that some of you are cynical about these people (and ,well, they are politicans, so don’t get all Claud Rains about it) but that means something. Every one of those people were running in one way or another in 2002 and they went the other way. The tide is shifting. There is something to be gained by doing the right thing.
…
This is a dramatic moment for the netroots. Get ready for marginalization, evocations of 1968 and 1972, calls for purging us from the party, the whole thing. That’s what happens when the citizens rise up. Don’t let it shake your will. We are the heart of the Democratic party and we can make a difference.
can’t stay morose for too long. there is equally serious shit out there to deal with – domestic wiretaps, impeachment, and we can’t forget tom delay and jack abramoff. so i think it is time to make some personnel changes in the democratic party and to analyze how we are working together as a group (of groups) and build it into something that can’t be beaten. for every phone call i made, i will do it again as many times as necessary. i was devastated yesterday to think that 18 of them would ignore such an outpouring from the american people, to think they didn’t listen, particularly when the vote was based in principle. but they didn’t so, let’s move on and move ’em out.
Posted by: conchita | Jan 31 2006 21:19 utc | 44
ok, i don’t want to come off as too much of a pollyanna here but there is a half empty half full analogy w/the turnout. meme is that the ‘far left’ is some marginalized wacko fringe of the party and that is simply not the case and it’s a secret that politicians are aware of. obviously kennedy is the o so far lefty and kerry too but considering we got 1/2 the dem senate members not doing the kowtow represents something. that far left is not far at all . its at least equal. the bulk of the party, the blood and guts of the party is left, we just have weak crappy representation. we are stronger in numbers than the amount of republicans that are far right, we are just not as powerful, and that’s whats got to change. we need to drive the party the way the far right have driven the republican party. we need to learn to scream at them and threaten them if they want to keep their jobs. we need to not settle on them the way the right goes after moderate dems and replaces them with bible thumping extremists. so i am conscious of the 1/2 full segment, even if they ‘knew’ they couldn’t win at least they knew they were better off playing to their base than getting laughed at by thugs . how do you think dems got the reputation as being ineffectual?
hilary was right. it is a plantation. the good slaves are kept in the massah(rove’s) house where they get some comfort and benefits. but the lowly of the lows are the vicky dems, carrying the water for the enemy . they need to be purged.
Posted by: annie | Jan 31 2006 21:23 utc | 45
i made a mistake, i was thinking we were 50 dems, we are only 45. the glass is more than 1/2 full
Posted by: annie | Jan 31 2006 21:26 utc | 46
sorry annie and all
the link to the supposed sell out is here
I find it hard to get excited about Kerry. He has disappointed us way too often.
I too sent letters to my senators. One of them is on the gang of 14. Neither of them voted for closure and only one voted against Alito. They are from ND in case you are wondering.
I am just a bit sad that common sense and good intentions were once again overcome by simple treachery and greed.
Posted by: dan of steele | Jan 31 2006 21:35 utc | 47
@Conchita I can’t say this strongly enough.
” Time to hesitate is through
No time to wallow in the mire
Try now we can only lose
And our love become a funeral pyre “
I realise many will have become disillusioned following Demassholes’ cynical destruction of the Green Party, but this situation is too urgent, the consequences too important for people to try and fight this boil on the anus of public accountability from within. Apart from the time element, there would have to be too many compromises. As well the chances are good people would be at best; used by the slimy suits, at worst corrupted by them, then discarded.
If it were my nation, I would be looking to an organisation dedicated to the over throw of ‘politics as usual’ or whatever you choose to call it.
It’s primary aim wouldn’t be to attain power, rather it would be to ensure that those who want to attain power are disadvantaged by corruption rather than gaining from it. And that adherence to the system of laws which govern a nation isn’t an option for someone in power, it is mandatory.
By avoiding a particularly political point of view the movement could be far more broadly based.
Most importantly it is likely to be perceived as non-partisan. Objectors to the dictatorship are getting cruelled by insinuations that they aren’t doing anything that Demassholes wouldnt do if they were in power. And there is unfortunately some merit in that argument.
The initial assault points would be commercial attacks on the worst of the corporate suborners of the democratic will, but that need not be the ‘only string to our bow’. The organisation would need to be prepared to run candidates eventually and their selection would have to be done in a transparent and fair way. Since the chief objective would be electoral reform it is essential that candidates don’t have an obvious partisan bias.
Whichever selection of slimy suits were prepared to make the best deal on electoral reform would get the nod from your candidates if they did get up and win election.
That may involve some short term pain for long term gain but since voters would know that this was the platform in advance, such a move would win more approval than approbation.
It has to be done. I have heard women in here state that they believe the middle aged white men will allow more women candidates in ‘safe’ districts eventually.
I can say pretty unequivocally that unless the women take responsibility for that onto themselves and force the issue then women will be saying the same thing in 2106.
Something else to mull over: The more open and fair an electoral process is the more people will participate in that election, the more people that participate as candidates and voters the better the likelihood of a left of centre candidate winning.
This is why rethugs like elections to be as inaccessible and un-user friendly as possible. They count on the fact that although there are many more type B personalities in the population, type A’s are more likely to vote rethug. Type A’s are less likely to be deterred by obstacles.
It seems to me Demassholes are well-versed in all the slimy hack stuff unaccountable politicians like to get up to. Yet they like to seem incompetent at the long-term strategic stuff.
However few or however many voted for the filibuster is irrelevant. Once the numbers showed that the filibuster wouldn’t get get up, demassholes were free to vote as their district polling told em their constituents wanted.
That isn’t leadership, it’s something along the lines of tails wagging dogs etc.
If anything about any of that appeals to anyone, please don’t be waiting for someone else to do it. To me that appears to be the problem. No one is taking the bull by the horns, they are waiting to be rescued by a comic-book hero or if they are followers of the philosophy foisted on the masses by the elites, a messiah or saviour.
Save yourselves.
P.S. One last thing. I can’t be the only person who had a problem with the senate going against the seeming democratically decided wishes of the people. I realise that Bush’s election was ‘wrong’ in all likelihood but that still doesn’t give any legislator the right to go so obviously against the people’s will.
The time to stop Alito and Roberts was in 2004. That didn’t happen because too many got sucked into the bullshit “Anybody But Bush” scam.
In itself that little piece of short term realpolitik should have wised the voters up. These main-chancers revealed that their priority was retaining their own seat, anything else was a bonus….
Posted by: Debs is dead | Feb 1 2006 5:44 utc | 49