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Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, center, smiles as he arrives to meet Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., in her Capitol Hill office Monday, Jan. 30, 2006. Time is running out for liberals trying to block Alito. Senators planned to vote Monday on whether to shut down a filibuster attempt aimed at keeping the conservative judge off the nation’s highest court. Behind Alito is White House aide Jamie Brown.

ASSociated Press: Senate Moves Alito Close to Confirmation

The Senate on Monday all but guaranteed Samuel Alito’s confirmation as the nation’s 110th Supreme Court justice, shutting down a last-minute attempt by liberals to block the conservative judge’s nomination with a filibuster.

Republican and Democratic senators, on a 72-25 vote, agreed to end their debate, setting up a Tuesday morning vote on Alito’s confirmation to replace retiring moderate Justice
Sandra Day O’Connor.

“I am pleased that a strong, bipartisan majority in the Senate decisively rejected attempts to obstruct and filibuster an up-or-down vote on Judge Sam Alito’s nomination,” President Bush said.

The LEFT wimps out on the Alito filibuster and the Gang of 14 takes the credit…..

“We saw no reason for the members of this group to support a filibuster,” said senior Democratic Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, a member of the “Gang of 14″ — a group of Republicans and Democrats who have pledged not to filibuster unless there are “extraordinary circumstances.”

The Fat Lady has Sung……..Confirmation tomorrow morning…….

Congratulations to Justice Samuel Alito.

Previous:

Samuel Alito Watch: Obama Criticises Filibuster As Biden Supports It Once

Samuel Alito Watch: Hillary Clinton Supports FILIBUSTER

Samuel Alito Watch: Dianne Feinstein Reneges and WILL Vote for Filibuster

Samuel Alito Watch: FILIBUSTER?

Samuel Alito Watch: Byrd and Johnson Break Ranks to Support Confirmation

Samuel Alito Watch: Senate Judiciary Committee Sends Nomination to Full Senate

Samuel Alito Watch: Senate Judiciary Committee Poised to Approve Judge Alito

Samuel Alito Watch: Filibuster Likely?

Samuel Alito Watch: Leahy Will Vote NO on confirmation

Samuel Alito Watch: Democrat Senator WILL Vote for Confirmation

Michael Ramirez on Samuel Alito Confirmation Hearings

Samuel Alito Watch: Democrats Force One Week Delay in Senate Judiciary Committee Vote

Samuel Alito Watch: Senator Dianne Feinstein Warns Against Filibuster

Technorati Tags: SamuelAlito, RobertByrd, SupremeCourt, TimJohnson, JohnKerry, TedKennedy, HillaryClinton

Iran’s head of delegation to the IAEA Reza Vaidi leaves the British Permanent Representation to the European Union office in Brussels, January 30, 2006.

Reuters: Permanent five say IAEA must report Iran to U.N.

The permanent five members of the U.N. Security Council agreed on Tuesday that this week’s meeting of the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog should report Iran to the Council over its nuclear programs, said a statement from the five.

“(Ministers) agreed that this week’s extraordinary IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) Board meeting should report to the Security Council its decision on the steps required of Iran,” said a joint statement after the meeting between the foreign ministers of China, Russia, the United States, France and Britain as well as Germany and the European Union’s foreign policy chief.

A senior U.S. official said the statement meant Russia and China were on board with the United States and the European powers that there must be strong action taken by the IAEA on Thursday or Friday against Iran to prevent Tehran from building a nuclear bomb.

“This is the most powerful message we could have hoped for,” said a senior U.S. official, who read out the statement after the four-hour dinner at which the ministers agreed to report Iran to the Council.

YAWN……..

The statement said the ministers agreed that the U.N. Security Council should await the IAEA director general’s report to a March IAEA meeting before deciding what further action to take.

The Council could ultimately impose sanctions against Iran but there are many steps before this could happen.

“(The ministers) call on Iran to restore in full the suspension of (uranium) enrichment-related activity, including research and development under the supervision of the IAEA,” said the statement.

The statement added that they should all continue their resolve to work for a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

Earlier on Monday, Iran put forward its ideas to European officials in Brussels who said the talks had yielded nothing new but that negotiations with the Europeans could be reopened if Tehran complied with IAEA requests.

The Big STALL by Iran and the United Nations continues……..

But, it does provide cover for the United States and Israel if Iran makes a provocative act like an oil embargo or troop movements.

Stay tuned for the Iranian response……..

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Iran Nuclear Watch: United Nations Security Council Powers to Meet Tomorrow in London on Iran Nuclear Referral

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Warns Britain and the United States

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Promises access to Lavizan Nuclear Site

Iran Nuclear Watch: Warming to Russian Compromise Proposal

Iran Watch: Iran Blames U.S. and Britain for Bombings

Iran Nuclear Watch: The Russian Nuclear Option STALL

Iran Nuclear Watch: John Bolton – “President Bush Won’t Tolerate Nuclear Iran”

Iran Nuclear Watch: Condoleezza Rice – Refer Iran to United Nations Security Council

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Warns West Over UN Nuclear Referral

Iran Nuclear Watch: Military Action Against Iran’s Nuclear Facilities Would be a “FATAL MISTAKE”

Iran Nuclear Watch: Winds of War – Talk of Military Action

Iran Watch: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – Challenges Europe to Take Back Jews in Israel

Iran Watch: Winds of War – Iran President Meets Anti-Israel militants in Syria

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Moving Currency As Pre-Emptive Move

Jacques Chirac Watch: Threats May Spur Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions

Jacques Chirac Watch: France Will Respond to Terrorism with Nukes

Iran Nuclear Watch: Mohamed ElBaradei Rejects EU Call to Condemn Iran at February IAEA Meeting

Iran Nuclear Watch: IEAE to Hold Emergency Iran Meeting February 2nd

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Scorns EU 3’s Draft Nuclear Resolution

Iran Nuclear Watch: France Rejects Iran’s Request for More Talks on Nuclear Program

Iran Nuclear Watch: European Union 3 Draft Resolution Opens Door to United Nations Security Council Sanctions

Iran Nuclear Watch: Russia and China Do NOT Support Sanctions Against Iran

The Iran Files

The Natanz uranium enrichment complex in Natanz is pictured in this January 2, 2006 satellite image

Technorati Tags: Iran, Russia, China, SergeiLavrov, UnitedNations, UnitedNationsSecurityCouncil, ZhouWenzhong, NicholasBurns, EuropeanUnion, MahmoudAhmadinejad, ManouchehrMottaki, JacquesChirac, Chirac, France, Iran, Nuclearweapons, nuclear, AbdulQadeerKhan, AliLarijani, CondoleezzaRice, JohnBolton, RezaVaidi

Matt Drudge is reporting: DEAN UNDER FIRE FROM PARTY DEMS; NEARLY ALL CASH SPENT

Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill are privately bristling over Howard Dean’s management of the Democratic National Committee and have made those sentiments clear after new fundraising numbers showed he has spent nearly all the committee’s cash and has little left to support their efforts to gain seats this cycle, ROLL CALL reports.

Congressional leaders were furious last week when they learned the DNC has just $5.5 million in the bank, compared to the Republican National Committee’s $34 million.

Senate and House Minority Leaders Harry Reid (Nev.) and Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), along with the Senate and House campaign committee chairmen Charles Schumer (N.Y.) and Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), have made their concerns — directly or indirectly — known to Dean, claims the paper.

Emanuel was particularly upset last week upon seeing the latest DNC numbers.

“A lot of people are scratching their heads as to what’s going on,” said one senior Democratic aide.

Another Democratic source familiar with the party fundraising apparatus said there is “obvious displeasure” among the leaders.

Developing…

Flap is surprised Dean has lasted so long.

Hillary will move HER DNC chairman in soon.

Stay tuned……..

Technorati Tags: HowardDean, DNC, DemocratNationalCommittee, RepublicanNationalCommittee

Michelle Malkin: I WANT CINDY TO RUN

I wholeheartedly endorse the Cindy Sheehan for Senate campaign.

Conservative bloggers are standing enthusiastically with moonbats in support of Cindy’s potential challenge to Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

Jim Hoft announces the launch of a Cindy for Senate blog. Go visit the new site and register your endorsement of the Idiotarian of the Year.

Jeff at Beautiful Atrocities calls Cindy’s possible candidacy a blogger’s dream come true. He’s calling for help in designing Cindy’s citizen superstar look.

Moonbat website “Truthout” has an interview with Sheehan talking about her Senate plans in Venezuela.

Absolutely and Positively Cindy should run against DiFi.

Let’s help her!

Previous:

Cindy Sheehan Watch: New Protest in Crawford

Cindy Sheehan Watch: Considering a Challenge to California Senator Feinstein

Technorati Tags: DianneFeinstein,, CindySheehan,, California,, CaliforniaElection2006

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger addresses the media during a visit to Seaside High School in Seaside, Calif., Friday, Jan. 27, 2006. The governor is pushing for new, modernized classrooms for California’s students.

George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times: A Leader Can Get Lost Following the People

Oh, they have a clue about what they want. They know where they want to wind up — but have little inkling of the route or the fare. Nor what’s feasible and what’s fantasy.

Frequently they’re confused. That’s partly because they’re misled by demagogues — and also because, being human, they try to avoid pain by living in denial.

“Voters are conflicted,” says Mark Baldassare, pollster for the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. “They want almost everything. They want to continue to spend more money and tax other people. Or borrow.

“There’s not a whole lot of fiscal discipline in the public.”

That’s why Americans are carrying $2 trillion-plus in consumer debt.

In that respect, Schwarzenegger is the people’s governor. His latest $125.6-billion budget plan would have state government spending $6.4 billion more than it takes in during the next fiscal year. That “moves the state in the wrong direction,” says nonpartisan Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill.

This is the “live within your means” governor, remember? Why didn’t he propose a “live within your means” spending plan? a reporter asked him at the Jan. 10 budget unveiling.

“It is easier said than done,” Schwarzenegger replied. “When I ran [for governor], I thought it was easier to balance the budget, to be honest with you. But it’s very, very difficult because you’re not sitting … alone in the Capitol. You’re making decisions together [with legislators]….

“If I do my [family] budget at home, yes, it’s easy to just say, ‘Oh, we spend less here.’ End of story…. It’s easier than working at the Capitol.”

A reminder to Skelton: Don’t sell the people of California short.

A reminder to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger: political leadership in the ARENA is NOT always expedient or TAX and SPEND.

Technorati Tags: ArnoldSchwarzenegger, California, CaliforniaElection2006