Why filibuster?

Mandy

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry has urged his Democratic colleagues to unite and filibuster Judge Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court, but senators from both sides of the aisle said Friday that isn't going to happen.

What does Kerry think he will accomplish with this attempt at a filibuster?

Even the Dems have agreed that the numbers just aren't there for this to succeed. :confused:
 
filibuster means a lot of talking about nothing...

Maybe Mr Kerry just wants to hear himself talk.
 
Mandy said:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry has urged his Democratic colleagues to unite and filibuster Judge Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court, but senators from both sides of the aisle said Friday that isn't going to happen.

What does Kerry think he will accomplish with this attempt at a filibuster?
Click to expand...

A run in 2008. Why do any of these clowns do anything?
 
They need votes in the next election. They're not really going to recieve many by rolling over every time for the big bad Republicans.
 
I am always amused at how outraged Republicans get if the Democrats even try to resist them.

How they can be the party in control of all 3 branches of government and still feel picked on is amazing.
 
They wanna look like David taking on Goliath and get sympathy. The fillbuster is pointless. The time to fight Bush was before he got elected now it's useless. Even granting they put Alito out he would just nominate somebody else just as bad or worse. It's not going to make any difference except maybe in the minds of a few stupid people, who might vote.
 
Mandy said:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry has urged his Democratic colleagues to unite and filibuster Judge Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court, but senators from both sides of the aisle said Friday that isn't going to happen.

What does Kerry think he will accomplish with this attempt at a filibuster?

Even the Dems have agreed that the numbers just aren't there for this to succeed. :confused:
Click to expand...


Yeah, but in politics, appearances count more than reality. Talking of a filibuster makes it appear that they are doing something. They hope this appearance will help them down the road with their base.
 
Mandy said:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry has urged his Democratic colleagues to unite and filibuster Judge Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court, but senators from both sides of the aisle said Friday that isn't going to happen.

What does Kerry think he will accomplish with this attempt at a filibuster?

Even the Dems have agreed that the numbers just aren't there for this to succeed. :confused:
Click to expand...

My suspicion is that he wants to drive the Senate to change the rules to show just how naked the power grab by the Republicans is.

Thing is, it won't do any good until people see through the Repugnican dishonesty and vote their concience instead of their terror, and I see, based on what we see here where mostly well-informed people post, no hope of that in the near future.
 
Other than Alito being a conservative, is there anything wrong with him?
 
Mycroft said:
Other than Alito being a conservative, is there anything wrong with him?
Click to expand...

What worries some is his track record: he seems to side with the government rather too often. This seems dangerous in a Supreme Court justice, since part of his function would be to operate as a check and balance to the other branches of government. Can we trust him to judge cases on their merits, or will he be biased towards the government? Given his evasiveness in answering questions, and the track record of the administration which nominated him, I wouldn't extend the benefit of the doubt when it comes to trust. It's too important a position to take it on faith that this time, it's going to be okay.
 
It's interesting to see what's happening politically around the world. I believe there is a sort of pendulum effect and it seems to cover most countries at pretty much the same time. America has made a giant lurch to the right and, unfortunately, religious fundamentalism seems to be on the increase.

In Oz we lurched to the right about 10 years ago and they're still in favour although I think I've detected some hopeful signs that the swing could be on the way back. Fortunately religious fundamentalism, although it exists, is not such a problem here.

Canada seems to have just recently marched that way as well.

I think that, in some years to come, I don't know when exactly, things will swing the other way and left leaning governements will, once again, get the upper hand.

[Obligatory Disclaimer: The above are opinions only, not statements of fact.]
 
Doesn't a filibuster work by delaying any actual progress while the talkng drones on, until the end of a session? How long til the end of this session- August? Seems more likely that talking about as filibuster is about all that the dems can do to look pro-active at all to their constituants.
 
AnotherSillyAlias said:
It's interesting to see what's happening politically around the world. I believe there is a sort of pendulum effect and it seems to cover most countries at pretty much the same time.
Click to expand...
Economic or political philosophies become fashionable across the (Western) world, but they never work as intended. Disenchantment meets a new, opposing theory which has not yet had a chance to fail and the pendulum swings. It's a good thing, to my mind.
 
casebro said:
Doesn't a filibuster work by delaying any actual progress while the talkng drones on, until the end of a session? How long til the end of this session- August? Seems more likely that talking about as filibuster is about all that the dems can do to look pro-active at all to their constituants.
Click to expand...
There hasn'r been a good old-fashioned filibuster like that in many years. Now they just declare a filibuster and nothing else can happen until they get their 60 votes.
 
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