Politics,  Samuel Alito,  Supreme Court

Samuel Alito Watch: FILIBUSTER?

January 27, 2006 /

Judge Samuel Alito, left, meets with Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., on Capitol Hill Friday, Jan. 27, 2006, to discuss Alito’s nomination to the Supreme Court. The Senate vote on the nomination is expected next week.

AFP: Top Democrats move to block Bush high court nominee

Leading Democrat Senators John Kerry and Ted Kennedy said they would try to block Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito by preventing a vote on him with a filibuster.

Former presidential candidate Kerry announced from Switzerland that he wanted to block President George W. Bush’s conservative nominee with the stalling tactic to prevent “an ideological coup” on the high court.

“Judge Alito will take America backward, especially when it comes to civil rights and discrimination laws,” Kerry said is a statement.

Kennedy, Kerry’s fellow Massachusetts senator, also called for a filibuster on Alito when the Senate is called to vote, probably early next week.

“We owe it to future generations of Americans to oppose this nomination. If Judge Alito is confirmed … the progress of half a century on the basic rights of all Americans is likely to be rolled back.”

In a statement, Democratic leaders said that Kerry was lobbying fellow senators in hopes of being able to round up the 41 votes needed to successfully prevent the Senate from holding a final up-or-down confirmation vote on Alito.

But…….

Flap counts more than 60 Senators who will vote for cloture…….

ASSociated Press: Republicans Clear the Way for Alito Vote

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito enjoys sufficient bipartisan support to surmount any Senate filibuster attempt by minority Democrats, members of both parties indicated Friday.

Democrats and Republicans both said that the 55-year-old conservative jurist will get more than the 60 votes needed to cut off debate on the Senate floor Monday. “Next Tuesday, a bipartisan majority will vote to confirm Judge Alito as Justice Alito,” said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.

Alito’s supporters already have those commitments, with 52 of the Republicans’ 55-member majority and three Democrats — Robert Byrd of West Virginia, Tim Johnson of South Dakota and Ben Nelson of Nebraska — already publicly supporting his confirmation as the replacement for retiring Justice
Sandra Day O’Connor.

In addition, Democratic Sens. Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, Ken Salazar of Colorado and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota — as well as GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe (news, bio, voting record) of Maine — made it clear after a second day of floor debate on Alito that they would not support a filibuster, even though Akaka and Salazar oppose Alito and the others are undecided.

Looks like the LEFTIES wimped out…….

Stay tuned……..

Previous:


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

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