Only TWO Votes Shy of Sustaining a Filibuster...

[kpete]

Breaking News: Cloture vote too close to call - Alito may be blocked
by Will the Organizer
Sun Jan 29, 2006 at 10:37:49 PM PDT
In a matter of two weeks American grassroots patriots have rallied a filibuster from what was suppose to be a shoe-in.

Annatopia says we are only two votes shy of sustaining the filibuster. The story of the day on Sunday Talk should have been just how close we are to extending debate. The story of the day shoudl have been Alito confirmation in trouble. Two votes! We have already flipped more than two to our side, we can get two more.

Others have come to this conclusion long ago but today I saw for myself that sunday talk, and the opinion and debate shows are dead. Irrelevent.

I'm realizing more and more how hopeless this media is and how the media is our biggest enemy. I really wish we had our own cable news network. In the meantime maybe we can at least get equal time with conservatives, and some new liberal spokespersons. It is amazing how much we have been able to accomplish with the whole of the traditional media arrayed against us.

I am proud of Senators Kerry & Kennedy and they don't know how much I appreciate what they are doing. Day after day our hand has grown stronger, and we have been able to sway the declared opinions of several senators. I beleive we will have the votes tomorrow. We have to have the votes tomorrow. We have come too far, built to much momentum. We are so close. Victory will be so sweet.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/1/30/03749/8997
http://www.annatopia.com/archives/001567.html


and this from Democrats.com
Monday Updates:

7:45 am: Jim Baron says Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) will cast a crucial vote against the filibuster to placate the GOP, and then cast a meaningless vote against Alito to play his voters for suckers. We'll know for sure at Chafee's 10 am press conference - watch for Karl Rove standing behind the curtain. Baron says Jack Reed (D-RI) will vote for the filibuster.

7 am: Vichy Democrats has a plan for this morning - let's pick up the phones!

Karl Rove's ho at the NY Times, David Kirkpatrick, reports the Federalist Society is popping the champagne over secretly getting their right-wing buddy onto the Supreme Court. Three points: (1) Do the swing votes in the Senate know that Alito's nomination was entirely engineered by the treasonous Federalist Society, the same people who brought us "legal" torture and "legal" wiretapping? (2) Did David Kirkpatrick tell Bill Keller about this before today, and if so, why did Keller withhold this crucial information from NY Times readers? Is he treating his readers as suckers yet again? (3) Let's take the fizz out the Federalist Society's champagne by launching a successful filibuster!
http://www.democrats.com/alito-48

[Coexist]

1. Holy Shit - I am psyched!!!

[William769]

2. It ain't over till Candy Crowley sings.

[foreverdem]

3. ONLY 2!

Holy shit! Let's all keep calling, faxing, emailing, keep the pressure on them. This is do-able.

[Coexist]

5. Voice mailboxes are still full - but I am getting through on the fax EASY!

Why are their fax numbers not busy? Get busy people!!

[rodeodance]

4. Rove and popping champaign bottles--uga uga!

[Moosepoop]

9. Maybe he'll get popped over the head with one!

(To the brown-shirts: That was just a joke!!)}(

[HereSince1628]

6. Best news all morning!

[rodeodance]

7. would be lovely to hear: "We did not see it coming card"--just lovely.

I remain doubtful--was just imagining hearing this from the WH gang. te he.

[rodeodance]

8. sorry, but this seems too optimistic for me (but I continue to hope)

[kpete]

14. Rodeodance

I agree, at this point, I am not overly optimistic either. I am hoping they can postpone till after the SOTU. That would be a good message to send to Bush. Of course, I want them all gone. Maybe another battle. At least, we are fighting!!! Feels good!!!

[kpete]

10. more info:

Filibuster - Alito - Monday Morning Action Alert - If not now, when?
by joanneleon
Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 05:54:18 AM PDT

Note: Tanya and I got together last night and combined our diaries from yesterday to produce this one.

Today at 4:30 pm, Senator Frist has called for a cloture vote on the Alito nomination. If successful, this would cut off debate, and filibuster will not be possible, and the Senate will proceed to a confirmation vote tomorrow morning, according to President Bush's wishes of having his nominee confirmed before the State of the Union Address.

The filibuster is within reach. There are different accounts of how many Senators are now supporting the filibuster, but this much is certain - we are close. We have precious few hours now. Here are the most important things to do:


Make contact with Senators. Call them, email them, fax them. Many offices were taking tallies on Friday of the calls for/against filibuster. At 9am, shut down the Senate switchboard. You can use these toll-free numbers (and ask for the Senators by name): 888-355-3588 or 888-818-6641. There are more names and numbers below


Let everyone know that successful filibuster IS possible. Call C-SPAN this morning, starting now (see phone numbers and schedule below.) The media is trying hard to manage the perception of this situation - trying to say there is no chance of the filibuster succeeding. Call any other tv or radio shows as well.


Senator Kennedy gave us his list of where we need to put our efforts. See mcjoan's diary Senator Kennedy's Call to Arms

Senators that Kennedy said we should focus on


http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/1/30/75418/0168

[pat_k]

11. Any DUer living in Rhode Island(?) >>

If you agree, and provide contact info (name/address/zip) we will send a personal lobbyist to Chaffee's office to speak in your name.

Your Senator appears to be making the only unprincipled, immoral vote. To oppose BOTH Alito and filibuster.

He needs to be told this in no uncertain terms. This is exactly the kind of thing voter punish candidates for.

If the report of his meaningless NO vote is correct, then he has no other moral option than to support filibuster as well.

If you can be "the client" just PM (or email [e-mail]) with your info and we'll do the rest.

---
www.thedeanpeople.org

[pat_k]

20. kick

[IndyOp]

12. KEY faxes/phones - Kennedy's list & Red State Dems!!

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x267553>

[Rhiannon12866]

24. Thread with free fax info. Thanks and let's keep this up!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=264848&mesg_id=264848

[IndyOp]

13. KEY faxes/phones - Kennedy's list & Red State Dems!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x267553

[gaspee]

15. Chafee's toast in RI

I'm very confident of it. And I'm doing my part to make it a reality.

I wouldn't be shocked if the repuke primary is closer than anyone would imagine.

RI is an overwhelmingly dem state. With a population of under 1,000,000 in the entire state, and with only 25-30% being repukes, the repub primary doesn't get very many voters. It wouldn't shock me at all if the very small group of RI freepers pull off a get out the vote for the freeperish Cranston Mayor Laffey.

If that happens, look for ANY dem over Laffey in a landslide. The GOP knows it and are already attacking Laffey -- one of their own. It's a fun thing to watch. The bg money is lining up behind Chafee.

I think he could politically get away with voting against cloture. The GOP has an extremely vulnerable position in RI.

When I called Chafee's office, I basically said -- You call yourself pro-choice. You call yourself an environmentalist. You call yourself fiscally responsible. I don't care what you call yourself. Your voting record speaks for itself.

[druidity33]

16. see post 11..

Are you a RI resident? Know someone who is? Consider the offer being made by Pat in post 11... having a live person go to the office to speak with staff on your behalf sounds like a powerful tool.
Luck to you.

[trof]

17. Fax #s for Mikulski and Salazar, the 2 votes we need:

Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski
Washington, D.C. Office
503 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2003
202-224-4654 (phone)
202-224-8858 (fax)

Colorado Senator Ken Salazar
Washington, D.C. Office
702 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
[phone] main
[phone] fax

[On the Road]

22. I Thought Mikulski Was FOR a Filibuster

That seemed to be the drift when I called her office. I am contacting her office again, by fax this time.

[marions ghost]

18. u said it kpete

"It is amazing how much we have been able to accomplish with the whole of the traditional media arrayed against us."

:applause: for us

Alito is one battle in this war. There will be more. This is how to fight it.

[Chalco]

19. I just called Mikulski- D-MD and she's not sure yet

about the filibuster. Call her. 202-224-4654

[Rose Siding]

23. I called

Gave my name and location, told her I wasn't a constituent but as a woman with daughters, urged her to support the filibuster against Judge Alito.

"All right, I'll pass it along"

[FreedomAngel82]

21. This is great!

[drm604]

25. ALSO!

I know I'm probably sounding like a broken record on this, but please read my post from a week ago here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=2383579

We need to contact Republican Senators about the importance of maintaining the judicial filibuster. They should not nuke 200 years of parliamentary tradition for the sake of one political win. Please read my post above for some ideas on what to say to them. Let them know that voters will hold it against them if they vote to nuke the filibuster!

[in_cog_ni_to]

26. Those 2 will fold after Ted Kennedy finishes with his AWESOME speech!

I'm not worried now.:)

[Rhiannon12866]

27. I agree! Wow! Kennedy is on fire!!!

He's spoken brilliantly on this from the very beginning! I cannot imagine how his fellow senators can't be persuaded by the important points he's making!:kick:

[kpete]

28. Update

10:55 am: AP's Jesse Holland is singing an entirely different tune: Kennedy leads final effort to block Alito. That means it's too close to call!!!! Kennedy offers the perfect filibuster sound-bite: "He is the wrong judge at the wrong time in the wrong place." Jeffords opposes Alito - but will he filibuster? Keep calling the undecideds!!!

10:44 am: Ben Burch called from the on-air filibuster at The Young Turks to say Chafee's office told them Chafee will support the filibuster - Chafee's lines are busy - stay tuned!!!

http://www.democrats.com/alito-48

[Czolgosz]

29. If we get our 41 votes, I doubt that Frist will be able to get 51 votes to

go nuclear by changing the Senate rules. If we can get our 41 votes to defeat cloture, the gang of 14 should hold strong, and even if it doesn't, I can't see 51 Republicans volunteering to become known as the "court packing 51." I think getting the 41 to resist cloture will be tougher than getting 51 to resist the nuclear option which is a really radical departure from Senate tradition because I am personally skeptical that we will get any Republicans or all Democrats on the "no cloture" list of 41 but I suspect we'll get all Democrats and about 8 Republicans on the "no nukes" list of 51 (which means Frist will count his votes first and then not attempt to go nuclear if we have at least 7 Republican votes plus all Democrats).

Win or lose, this will be a huge issue. If we win, great. If we lose, it will forever go down in the history books as the worst example of court packing (remember, the Senate wouldn't let FRD pack the courts), and that will stick in peoples' minds at every instance where Alito is the 5th swing vote to trash our Constitution.

[seafan]

30. Condi Rice: 'No one predicted the Democrats' strength...' January 31 PDB

nt

[onenote]

31. Is there a list of the 38 that are supporting a filibuster?

It seems like there are still a lot of Democrats that haven't announced. It would be a mistake to think that there 38 hard and fast votes out there. If folks are going to keep calling, they have to be calling all of the undecideds.

onenote