Filibuster CRUSHED

The Democratic Daily:

Ted Kennedy gave an awesome floor speech a while ago

John Kerry is on the Senate Floor right now - cleaning some clocks… Speaking the Truth to Power!

Ted Kennedy is up now - roaring like a lion! …

We’re down to the wire on this.

How we stand and fight this fight, will be determined by those who are willing to stand beside Kerry, Kennedy and the other Democratic Senators who understand that fighting the good fight, means making a stand at the right moment in history.

The Time To Stand Is Now

Now refers to filibuster attempt as "symbolic".

Pharyngula:

Remember these names when Alito screws us over. These are the ones who didn't even try to stop him.

Akaka, Daniel K. (Coward-HI)
Baucus, Max (Doormat-MT)
Bingaman, Jeff (Toady-NM)
Byrd, Robert C. (Ditherer-WV)
Cantwell, Maria (One-termer-WA)
Carper, Thomas R. (Lickspittle-DE)
Conrad, Kent (Stooge-ND)
Dorgan, Byron L. (Loser-ND)
Inouye, Daniel K. (Pawn-HI)
Johnson, Tim (Milksop-SD)
Kohl, Herb (Flunky-WI)
Landrieu, Mary L. (Parasite-LA)
Lieberman, Joseph I. (Sycophant-CT)
Lincoln, Blanche L. (Puppet-AR)
Nelson, Bill (Candy-ass-FL)
Nelson, E. Benjamin (Lowlife-NE)
Pryor, Mark L. (Chicken-AR)
Rockefeller, John D., IV (Weasel-WV)
Salazar, Ken (Dissembler-CO)

Daily Kos:

But a battle is not a war.

In every case, the warriors in those wars suffered immense setbacks, repeatedly so, and found it hard to get the politicians to speak up and stand up for them. Eventually, however, because they refused to surrender, and because they took the fight beyond the electoral arena, they won.

Yeah, like, after Yorktown, the British took back Boston and New York.

After Tripoli Harbor, the Barbary pirates became a great sea power.

After San Jacinto, Santa Ana recovered Houston.

After Gettysburg, Lee crushed Grant.

After Chapultepec Castle, we had to return Texas to Mexico.

After San Juan Hill, Spain invaded Los Angeles.

After Stalingrad, Hitler knew he had it won.

Firedoglake:

I don't think anyone can look at the Alito battle on the part of the netroots community and say it was anything other than a huge success.

Well, it was better than 90-10, I guess. 25 votes against cloture. I thought there were 45 Democratic Senators? Am I wrong about that? Are there only 25?

The Sideshow:

Let me say that again: We've gone from zero to only two votes short in just a few days. That's kind of the opposite of the conventional wisdom.

Let's check that math. There were 97 Senators voting today and a cloture motion requires 60% to pass (59 votes) or 41% to defeat it (39 votes). The losers managed to scrape up 25 votes. That would be, er, 14 votes short, not 2 . . . I think.

TalkLeft:

The final vote is tomorrow, and over 40 Senators are expected to vote against his nomination. This means Alito will receive more "no" votes than any other confirmed Supreme Court nominee in the last 100 years, other than Justice Clarence Thomas.

Well, there is that.

Final Tally: 72-25 in favor of motion to cut off debate (cloture) and move to an up-or-down vote (with one Republican Senator hospitalized after a car accident).

TAGS: Alito, filibuster, flop