BuzzFlash Has Heard a Rumor that Senator Barack Obama Has Been Opposing

[cal04]

BuzzFlash Has Heard a Rumor that Senator Barack Obama Has Been Opposing a Filibuster of Alito Inside the Democratic Caucus

We hope this isn't true, but BuzzFlash has been told by a knowledgeable source that Senator Barack Obama is opposing a filibuster of Alito during the debate raging within the Democratic Senate Caucus. The implication is that he is against such a filibuster on "strategic grounds."

BuzzFlash's source for this rumor also correctly informed us that after days of BuzzFlash calling upon Senator John Kerry to live up to his 2003 commitment to lead a filibuster against a candidate with the anti-Constitutional background of Sam Alito that Kerry was now trying to get the caucus to back a filibuster. Indeed, late on Thursday, Kerry's office publicly announced what our source had told us: Kerry would indeed try to filibuster Alito and try to persuade his Democratic colleagues to back him by voting to keep the filibuster alive. He will need 40 other votes.

But that brings us back to Obama. We called both his Chicago and D.C. offices to try and ferret out whether Obama's alleged opposition to a filibuster was indeed true, but we could not get an answer. We left a message with his D.C. Press Secretary that we would run with the story if we did not hear back from him -- and we did not hear back from him. That doesn't mean it's true. But add this to the evidence.

Someone who attended the weekly D.C. town hall breakfast meetings that Obama and Minority Whip Dick Durbin hold for Illinois constituents said that Obama was distinctly non-committal when the subject of a filibuster came up. He didn't offer to support one, and dismissed the notion with "the votes aren't there" sort of approach. This was said on the morning January 26th.

(In a separate wire service story, "Assistant Democratic Leader Dick Durbin told reporters that he 'can count votes' and concluded that a filibuster of Alito 'would not be likely to succeed.'" Message to Dick: You and Reid are the top two Democrats to make the filibuster happen, not to let everyone run off and do what they want for their own selfish political reasons.)

The Republicans often don't have the votes the day before a big bill comes up, but by the time the dust clears, somehow they find them. That's the job of political parties: to win.

If the rumor is true, the golden future of the Democratic Party has shown himself to be another Dem Senator waving a white flag. It doesn't matter if he votes "No," which he will. He knows that; the Republicans know that; and we all know that.

The Busheviks count their victories; the Dems count their losses and take pride in their "symbolic" votes. The difference is between winners and losers: only, in this case, the Constitution and our democracy are at stake.

If Obama is pulling a DLC strategy out of concern for his political future, he is going to be a lot more harmed by his caution than by standing up for the Constitution.

So, since Obama's office won't tell us if the rumor is true, you can call them bright and early on Friday morning and ask, "Does Senator Obama support a filibuster against the confirmation of Sam Alito in order to save our Constitutional division of powers and our indvidiual liberties?" Maybe they will answer such a question from you. They won't from us.

The telephone number for Senator Obama's D.C. office is 202-224-2854. The telephone number for his Chicago office is 312-886-3506.

If we are wrong about this rumor, the Senator's people know where to reach us. We will be glad to print any comment the Senator might have on whether or not he will back a filibuster.

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[wtmusic]

1. The strategy being...

a future presidential bid?

[debbierlus]

2. He has been a sell out on some votes

I will call his office and let him know what I think about that...

Screw him.

My, my, my,....he flipped quick now didn't he?

I will definitely call.

[Solo_in_MD]

13. Given his background this surprises you?

[Carni]

3. What is it with these guys and *strategy*

Hey clueless ones...

IT HASN'T BEEN WORKING AND YOU HAVE STRATEGIZED US RIGHT INTO TWO BUSH TERMS AND GOP CONTROL OF ALL THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT

I have heard this bullshit for 6 years--

"Oh we can't throw the election 2000 vote onto the senate floor it would be unseemly and we would look like sore losers"

Ball-less wonders all - certified the damned vote.

Iraq

The jerks voted to let stupid go into Iraq-when even nobody types with a PC such as myself were reading that the Niger documents were crude forgeries in foreign media.

The list goes on and on --

GROW A SET--and speak your damned minds!

[mom cat]

4. Tell him he only needs to abstain on the cloture vote, but that if he

votes to close the filibuster that he will be closing his own future.

[Richard D]

5. This would be . . .

. . . truly sad. Not all that unexpected though.

[bliss_eternal]

6. Isn't this a RUMOUR? Maybe reserve anger until it comes

directly from the source.

At this point, it could be just another means to distract and divide. Concentrate on the task at hand, getting support for Kerry's filibuster. If there's doubt about Obama, keep calling and e-mailing his office. I've seen nothing thus far that would make me believe this rumour.

[Carni]

7. True it could be but my anger knows no bounds

I need to vent

[bliss_eternal]

9. Nothing wrong with that--

and perfectly understandable.

Just keep in mind, it wouldn't be the first time unfounded rumours were started when we really seemed to be making some progress and were seen as a possible threat to the right. They LOVE to divide us.

If Obama I don't see it coming from Mr. Obama himself, I'm not buying it.

[Carni]

11. I hear you

But he's getting an email to set him straight just in case lol

[mac56]

17. keep your powder dry

no need to set up a circular firing squad over this

[Carni]

21. I was polite

It's killing me to be so pleasant in these letters and faxes when I would like to scream and shake some sense into these people... but I am managing to control myself!

[Imalittleteapot]

8. Contact Obama NOW

http://obama.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm?cat=legal

[phone] phone

[phone] fax

[Triana]

10. emailed and called. thanks.

[radio4progressives]

12. i just wrote Barak Obama, thanks for the link R&N

:kick:

[Edgewater_Joe]

14. It Looks Like He's Been Caught By The DemoLOSERSCouncil

If so, kiss his national political career bye-bye.

[Quixote1818]

15. If this is true then why is he not on Kerry's list of people to contact?

I am doubting this but it won't hurt to call.

[EFerrari]

16. Let's get the facts first. Obama's statement on the floor was not

tepid. He knew where he stood and had no problem saying it.

Let's ask in the morning.

[mac56]

18. I'm stunned at how fast everyone is dogpiling on Obama.

Good God. Wait until he actually says something. RUMOR RUMOR RUMOR.

[Solo_in_MD]

20. Not a dogpile in my case...I have never trusted him

[Skip Intro]

19. Obama doesn't have the power to derail a filibuster

he just doesn't

He's a newly elected Senator yet to earn relative clout.

[Mossadeq]

22. I called the DC office

They said he is 'undecided' about the filibuster.

[coffeenap]

24. Staffer told me this am that he does have a position but the staffer

doesn't know it.(LOL) Staffer said he will announce either this afternoon or Tuesday. (Coming to Illinois for the weekend.)

[Coexist]

23. Maybe Harry Belafonte called him??!

:rofl: