Hapless, Hopeless Dems
The most important vote on a Supreme Court nominee in decades and only half the team shows up? And then the best they can do is urge a "no" vote so they can say "we told you so" later on when Alito crowns Bush President-for-Life? So much for the spine transplant.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 - With little chance of stopping Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr.'s confirmation to the Supreme Court, Senate Democratic leaders urged their members Tuesday to vote against him in an effort to lay the groundwork for making a campaign issue of his decisions on the court.Technorati Tags: Alito, Senate, Democrat, confirmation
The vote count "matters a lot, and I think the debate leading up to it matters," said Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, a member of the Judiciary Committee and the Democratic whip.
"If a nominee disappoints the country with their service on their court and their decisions, I think some people may ask the important question, Did the Senate really take a close look at this nominee?" Mr. Durbin said. "Did they tell us this was coming?"
At a closed meeting of the Democratic caucus, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader, and Senator Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, made the case against Judge Alito, focusing on what he said was the judge's deference to the authority of the executive branch, people present said.
But people who were at the meeting also said that of the 45 senators who normally attend, only about two dozen were present. And the meeting was overshadowed by the news conference immediately afterward to present a Democratic proposal for lobbying overhaul.
