Extended Debate on Alito? NRO Says Dems Will Do It (KOS)

[kpete]

Today, Byron York reports that:


Word is that Democrats will stage a talk-a-thon on the Alito nomination when it reaches the Senate floor. The nomination is expected to be approved by the Judiciary Committee this morning, and Majority Leader Bill Frist is expected to move it quickly to the floor. But now it is also expected that Democrats will push for extended debate on the issue, with every Democratic member taking the floor to stretch out debate in what will amount to a non-filibuster filibuster.

This could be encouraging. However, York writes that the Republicans have a counterplan:


But one Republican source says this morning that the GOP plans to "accommodate them without delaying the vote." By that, the source means that Frist will likely keep the Senate open very late to allow Democrats to talk into the night. And then Frist will file for cloture, and unless Democrats choose to filibuster the nomination, which seems highly unlikely, there will be a vote. "Judge Alito will be Justice Alito" before the president's State of the Union address next Tuesday, the source says.

An interesting situation could arise -- the Democrats could take this great opportunity to explain the monumental issues at stake to the American People and the country could have the national discussion that should have commenced in earnest about the extremist Justices that Bush promised to place on the Court. Judges like Scalia, Thomas and Bork. Is that what America deserves and desires? Let's debate it. In the Senate. Exercising its constitutional duty of advice and consent.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/1/24/162329/893

[Skinner]

1. Um, What the heck is a "non-filibuster filibuster"?

Sounds like a complete waste. It's not the talking that's important -- it's the blocking.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

2. Exactly What I Was Thinking.

Dems, Do Or Die Time. Don't piss on me and tell me it's raining. If you believe this nomination is bad for our country, than fillibuster his ass. Don't just talk in circles and then sit down while accomplishing nada.

Stand up and fight, hard. If we lose, at least we battled. Spines for now on Dems. Spines for now on.

[tkmorris]

5. I hope it's not, but

I'm afraid it's an attempt to appease Dem supporters and constituents without actually blocking Alito. The appearance of opposition, without any of the, you know, OPPOSITION.

[TahitiNut]

6. Talking would be important ... if there were listening ... and

... lies were called lies. I personally don't believe it's uncivil to call a liar a liar once that person repeats a falsehood that they've been clearly informed is a falsehood. When a person says something false, I'll call it "stating a falsehood" but after they've been shown that it's a falsehood and they repeat it, I'll call it "lying."

The Reichbots have been allowed to lie repeatedly without getting called on it. They've ignored everything in favor of party "loyalty" (which is actually slavish obedience) even though they're placing that above loyalty to all the people of this nation and to the Constitution.

[annabanana]

3. Democrats can "explain the monumental issues"

until they're blue in the face. The only people that will see this will be the people awake and interested enough to tune into C-Span late into the night.

If we DON'T filibuster, we gots shit.

[peacetalksforall]

4. Delay the vote to expose the Republicans will only help history when

the words are published in a 'proceedings' document or accessed in the archives so that someone can write an article or a book? That's long term.

Is the counter plan to call any Snowe and Collins types into a meeting to boycott the talks, diminishing the chance that something said might click and cause a Republican to vote against Mr Unitary?

If the Republicans know what the Dems are planning to do is because of spying or sharing?

Our short term need doesn't match a long term strategy.