Politics,  Samuel Alito,  Supreme Court

Samuel Alito Watch: Senator Dianne Feinstein Warns Against Filibuster

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito takes his seat as his son Philip passes behind him during the third day of his Senate confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill, January 11, 2006.

ASSociated Press: Feinstein Warns Against Alito Filibuster

A Democrat who plans to vote against Samuel Alito sided on Sunday with a Republican colleague on the Senate Judiciary Committee in cautioning against a filibuster of the Supreme Court nominee.

“I do not see a likelihood of a filibuster,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. “This might be a man I disagree with, but it doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be on the court.”

She said she will not vote to confirm the appeals court judge, based on his conservative record. But she acknowledged that nothing emerged during last week’s hearings to justify any organized action by Democrats to stall the nomination.

“If there’s a filibuster of this man based on his qualifications, there would be a huge backlash in this country,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. He is one of 14 centrist senators who defused the Senate’s showdown over judicial filibusters last year, saying such a tactic is justified only under extraordinary circumstances.

No, Senator Graham it would mean that if you do not have a political philosophy palatable to the minority Democrats and their amen choir special interests – spelled abortion industry that a citizen has NO chance of sitting on the United States Supreme Court.

If the Democrats filibuster, the Gang of 14 would vote cloture with the majority Republicans enabling an up or down majority vote. And, yes, there would be a backlash.

But Feinstein, who said she was concerned about Alito’s conservative record on abortion rights and deference to executive power, acknowledged the 15-year appellate judge had the legal credentials to serve on the Supreme Court.

“I was impressed with his ability to maintain a very even demeanor,” she said on CBS'”Face the Nation.”

“I think there is an additional weight you must give to his background, his qualifications and his ability,” she said.

Additional weight? Feinstein is a clueless partisan who must appease the Democrat special interest groups who will fund her re-election campaign in California this year. Judge Alito is a especially well qualified jurist with over 15 years on the federal appellate court bench.

But, then again, she really could self-fund her own re-election campaign since her husband’s (Richard Blum) company received that $600 million Iraq War contract – sheesh.

Feinstein is floating/promoting this trial balloon so that her special interest friends will not squander their resources on television ad buys when Feinstein and the Democrat caucus are resigned to the fact that Alito will be confirmed.

Captain Ed at Captain’s Quarters has more on the Democrat White Flag of Surrender on Alito: Feinstein: Forget The Filibuster

Dianne Feinstein stuck a fork into Democratic plans to delay the Alito confirmation earlier today, officially running up a white flag in the Democrats’ war on judicial nominations for the time being. The California Senator and one of the few Judiciary Democrats to not embarrass herself during the hearings disregarded the advice of her leadership and declared that Samuel Alito deserves his up-or-down vote from the full Senate….


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One Comment

  • DAN

    Dianne Feinstein talks the talk but her ultimate actions may prove her to be a spineless traitor to core Democratic values and to mainstream America. Fearful of a radical right-wing extremist “backlash” (wake-up Diane…we’re LIVING in a country that’s a right-wing backlash!) she has implied that she will not support a filibuster of Judge Alito despite her belief and statement: “If you asked me who would Alito most be like, it would probably be, I’d have to say, Scalia.” SCALIA?!? ANOTHER SCALIA IS THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO. It is GAME OVER for mainstream America and Dianne is ready to not only give up this fight, BUT PUBLICLY BROADCAST THIS WEAKNESS SO THAT OTHER DEMOCRATIC SENATORS MAY FOLLOW SUIT?!? THIS IS NOT ABOUT QUALIFICATIONS! THIS IS ABOUT THE FUTURE NATURE OF OUR VERY COUNTRY! THIS IS ABOUT THE SUSTAINABILITY OF AMERICA AS AMERICA! She’s going to fear a radical backlash and allow the completion of the theocratic/corporate usurpation of all levels of government power by the radical right-wing extremists??? IF NOT DIANNE, WHO IS GOING TO FIGHT FOR MAINSTREAM AMERICA?!!!?!?!? SHAME ON DIANNE FEINSTEIN and all other so-called “Democrat” senators who have buckled under the pressure and are going to give up their values! SHAME on them for falling right into the carefully orchestrated Republican trap of making them fear some ridiculous “backlash” from the fundamentalist loud-mouths who will readily trash the constitution for a Bible-based Taliban-style society when they get their way. America in 10 years with another Scalia on the court will be a very very very different America. It will be a frightening America. DIANNE: SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME!! CONTACT YOUR DIANNE’S OFFICE VIA EMAIL AT http://feinstein.senate.gov/email.html. Contact your other weak-kneed so-called Democrat senators and DEMAND that they filibuster this wretched right-wing Republican robot who has proven himself ready and anxious to trash individual liberties and rights and lavish yet more windfalls on corporations, Republican controlled local and state governments and the radical religious right extremists. TELL DIANNE AND THE OTHER SENATORS: This IS the EXACT SCENARIO with which to use a filibuster…To STOP ANOTHER SCALIA…because “another Scalia” on the court is GAME OVER for America. If you value America, don’t just sit there and read this. DO SOMETHING! TAKE ACTION! EVERY INDIVIDUAL CAN HELP! Write Dianne. Call her office. Call your other Democratic senators and DEMAND A FILIBUSTER!