Senator Feingold on Alito

by Chris Bowers, Thu Jan 12, 2006 at 08:27:01 AM EST

I had the honor of briefly meeting with Senator Russ Feingold today. Among other things, we discussed his views on the hearings so far. He told me that he has not reached the same comfort level with Altio that he had reached with Roberts at this point in time. He also told me that he would be going back to Wisconsin to talk with constituents before he decided how he was going to vote.

The next step in opposing Alito comes with the committee vote on Tuesday. If we have any hope of stopping Alito, and with even Lieberman saying that the filibuster is on the table we must have some hope, we need a unified vote in committee. We love you to death online Russ, but we are really counting on you to come through on this one.

Use this thread to send a message to Senator Feingold. I now know that he reads at least some comment threads here at MyDD, so I have a feeling you can reach him.

Tags: Senate 2006 (all tags)

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I'd say

vote your conscience.

Feingold is one guy I trust to really think about the full dimension of any issue, not simply to be lobbied or to vote strategically.

THink it through and if you come to the conclusion that he's acceptable, I won't have any less respect or admiration for you.

by desmoulins 2006-01-12 08:33AM | 0 recs

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How to contact Feingold:

Go right to the top, and tell 'em "No" to Alito's confirmation:

Phone, fax, and email addresses for the Judiciary Committee.

Here's another "Veto Alito" tool:

Write a letter to the editor of your local paper and contact your congress critters -- all with one click.

People for the American Way has collected over 60,000 signatures to send to the Senate, please add yours:

Save the Court Petition

by judybrowni 2006-01-12 08:47AM | 0 recs

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What's up Russ!!

Hey man... just to let you know someone in OK things you're THE MAN (besides Dean, who will have your back after you win the primary).

Russ, I just want to let you know... I have mad respect for you, from what I've seen so far I think you look like the real deal.

Right now, I think that Alito is lying and playing the Senate Dems for fools. "I don't remember." wink*wink Uh huh...

If you vote for him, I suppose I'll have to take a HARD look at my stance, but right now... I hope that if you think he's being shady, you go balls-out to stop this guy. Let the seat SIT WITH O'CONNOR OR EVEN EMPTY until someone who's not a lying bastard can make a real appointment.

At this point Bush has lost all credibility of all issues, so don't give him the benefit of the doubt on ANYTHING. WHEN IN DOUBT, OPPOSE.

Someone in OK loves you!
Not in a gay way.
<SEINFELD_IMPERSONATION>Not that there's anything wrong with that!</SEINFELD_IMPERSONATION>

by teknofyl 2006-01-12 08:44AM | 0 recs

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Senator Feingold, oppose Alito please

Dear Senator Feingold,

If you read this, I urge you to vote against referring the nomination of Samuel Alito to the full Senate.

Judge Alito has demonstrated his clear support for an unchecked executive power, which will result in the Leviathan that Hobbes posited.

Judge Alito thinks it is reasonable for police officers to conduct a warrantless strip-search of a 10-year-old girl. How do we explain that to our children? If that is reasonable, what remains of the Fourth Amendment? Under his theory, unreasonable searches would probably be limited to those by FBI agents searching Karl Rove's computer. Even Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff found the conduct grossly unreasonable, and strongly criticized Judge Alito's reasoning.

Judge Alito conveniently forgot his membership (once proudly proclaimed) in CAP, an organization whose primary focus was to oppose admission of women and minorities to Princeton. What do we tell our daughters about the glass ceiling, especially since he was nominated to replace groundbreaker Sandra Day O'Connor? Oh well, just add back another layer of plate glass...

Unlike Justice Roberts, who confirmed that Roe is "settled precedent," Judge Alito has telegraphed his willingness to revisit Roe. What do we tell women in this country with unsafe or unwanted pregnancies? I suppose there's always the back alley...

Your vote on Alito may well be the most important one you ever cast in the Senate. There are plenty of conservative candidates for the bench who do not represent a dramatic shift to the far right. Please oppose Judge Alito's nomination in every way possible.

by leveller 2006-01-12 08:45AM | 0 recs

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Sir

by RF 2006-01-12 08:46AM | 0 recs

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Schumer gave example after example

Of Alito exercising his judicial discretion always in favor of the prosecution and big business. This does not show an open mind.

His failure to recuse himself in Vaguard may have been ethical, but it was a violation of his promise to the committee. He didn't put limits on it when he made the promise, but he now claims he never intended it to be forever. Can you trust him? I don't think so.

He claims not to remember CAP, although he featured it prominately on his resume and touted it to the Reagan administration as indicative of his conservative philosphy. Was he lying to the Reagan administration then or is lying to the committee now? How is it, he can remember every opinion he ever wrote, but he cannot remember CAP? Can you trust him? Again, I don't think so.

by molly bloom 2006-01-12 08:55AM | 0 recs

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Re: Schumer gave example after example

Your saying what I'm thinking. Thanks for laying it out there. If a Democratic Senator on the committee were to use your letter to support his no vote, I don't think he would have missed much. Bravo.

by keepinon 2006-01-12 01:17PM | 0 recs

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Alito

A man who denies the balance of powers of our branches of our government, who believes the law provides no shelter for working people, who doesn't belive Roe V. Wade is settled law, who appears to say anything he thinks is necessary to get a job at a given time, who is unwilling to honestly discuss his views that would affect millions of people upon his conformation, has clearly earned a NO vote.

Vote No.

by danielj 2006-01-12 09:11AM | 0 recs

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Bush Wants Alito

and he's a weasel. So filibuster him. I know you have to come up with some bullshit PR rationale for the media, but what other excuse should any good Democrat need? It's time to stop getting pushed around by reactionary fascists.

Meiers was Bush's choice. Alito is Rove's choice. We would have been better off with Meiers.

Filibuster!

by Gary Boatwright 2006-01-12 09:24AM | 0 recs

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Senator Feingold:

I have long admired your unwavering commitment to civil rights, particularly your work against the extreme provisions of the Patriot Act. Samuel Alito is a much greater threat to our liberty than anything in the Patriot Act. Consider that the current administration has argued that the president has the right to ignore any law that would impede his role as commander-in-chief. Under this view of the Constitution, this president has ordered illegal wiretaps of Americans, held American citizens without access to counsel on secret evidence, and even relaxed our long-standing policy against the abuse and torture of prisoners.

Judge Alito's previous writings and rulings make it clear that he agrees with the president's interpretation, and would most likely vote to affirm it. Right now, with the Congress in the hands of the president's party, and its leaders showing no inclination to challenge him in the slightest, the Supreme Court is the only institution capable of holding this administration in check. Samuel Alito would not do so. Indeed, he shows every intention of affirming the Bush administration's views on presidential power. If he were allowed to rule on this issue, it would give the color of constitutionality to some of the worst abuses of power in our history. Samuel Alito cannot be allowed to sit on the Supreme Court.

by Gpack3 2006-01-12 09:24AM | 0 recs

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Alito

I think the Democrats are falling into another predictable trap if they filibuster Alito. We've become the party of the ACLU and abortion on demand. It's a terribly unfair characterization, but dammit, I want to win next fall, and I want to see President Feingold in the Oval Office in three years. We have to start getting smarter about the fights we choose. We really needed to win in 2004, and because we didn't, Justice Alito is the predictable result.

by Heraldblog 2006-01-12 09:36AM | 0 recs

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Then?

We've become the party of the ACLU and abortion on demand. It's a terribly unfair characterization, but dammit...

Then, why repeat the opposition's memes and talking points for them here?

What's wrong with the ACLU?

...For the record: Yes, I am a card-carrying member of the A.C.L.U. But the more important question is why aren't you, Bob? This is an organization whose sole purpose is to defend the Bill of Rights, so it naturally begs the question: Why would a senator, his party's most powerful spokesman and a candidate for President, choose to reject upholding the Constitution? If you can answer that question, then, folks, you're smarter than I am, because I didn't understand it until a couple of minutes ago. America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, `cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating, at the top of his lungs, that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free, then the symbol of your country can't just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest." Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free...

by Michael Bersin 2006-01-12 09:54AM | 0 recs

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Hear Hear

Now more than ever we need American Civil Liberties and an organization that champions these traditional American values.

by molly bloom 2006-01-12 10:54AM | 0 recs

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Re: Alito

Are there any more important fights than one fought over a lifetime position--one of the most powerful ones in the land? Senator Feingold, please use every weapon in your arsenal to prevent this man from being confirmed. Delay if you have to; delay until the administration releases those Reagan era documents. Do more to educate the public. Explain why it is necessary to filibuster if need be. We know you are capable of this.

by Panhu 2006-01-12 10:18AM | 0 recs

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Re: Alito

It depends what we take issue with. If we just criticize his abortion position and CAP and suchlike then maybe you have a point. But Alito happens to have two problems that dovetail nicely with other issues Republicans are having. The Vanguard issue dovetails with the Abramoff scandal in that it shows that Republicans Are For Sale To The Highest Bidder. His issues with presidential power dovetail with the NSA scandal. If Democrats are worried that an Alito filibuster will distract from the fight on these other fronts, then they need to combine the two.

The way to push the narrative you want to push in the face of the tide of events is to demonstrate how every event illustrates your point. For instance, if Democrats in Congress want to push the Republicans Are For Sale meme, they can just use Alito's financial shenanigans with Vanguard as an example.

by Gpack3 2006-01-12 10:25AM | 0 recs

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Re: Alito

Excellent points!

by Panhu 2006-01-12 10:36AM | 0 recs

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Re: Alito

What the hell do the dems stand for if they don't oppose Alito? If they support him, then they really do become republican-lite. Arlen Specter seemed to at least not lob compliments and 100% softball questions at Sammy-boy. Any chance he abstains? Maybe the fuckbar can be stopped at the committee level.

by Valatan 2006-01-12 11:16AM | 0 recs

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Sorry Mrs. Alito

didn't mean to make you cry

by Valatan 2006-01-12 11:16AM | 0 recs

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Stop them now

Dear Senator Feingold,

If Alito's view of the imperial presidency is added to the court I'm certain the current administration won't need no stinkin' Patriot Act. It'll all become moot. Now is the time to stop them.

by Michael Bersin 2006-01-12 09:44AM | 0 recs

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Media says "headed for confirmation"

Boy am I relieved that we have the Media to relieve any concern we might have had that Senators might actually think about whether Alito should be confirmed. Now the pressure is off. From whence cometh this "appears headed for confirmation" talking point? Any guesses on who got the memo?

I practice a version of constitutional law, and I can say that Alito's confirmation will be a devastating blow to every remnant of the Warren Court's protections of individual liberty and civil rights.

Let's make this one a "Dewey Defeats Truman" moment.

The fact that our triangle is broken does not mean we should just lay down.

If there ever was an extraordinary circumstance, this is it. As Bowers indicated, this is the crucial battle of our time. If there is no filibuster on this nominee, then we truly live in a one-party state, and our Democratic Party Senators and Representatives can and perhaps should go home and "relax."

by leveller 2006-01-12 10:06AM | 0 recs

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Alito is the tipping point

Judge Alito has not been honest with the Congress in the past with regard to Vanguard, his sister's law firm, or his personal past.

Judge Alito always sides with power, not law, not our Constitution, not Democracy.

Judge Alito sees an imperial presidency that is synonymous with dictatorship. One that can overrule the Senate, the House and the Courts at every turn Alito is the deciding vote on the unlimited unbounded power that Bush and Cheney claim.

If this administration is not stopped here and now, then where and when? What is left to stop them?

by AlphaHydroxy 2006-01-12 11:02AM | 0 recs

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Do what you do best Senator

Vote your heart. Some peple here gave you flack for your 'yes' vote to Roberts. John Roberts is a much better candidate then A-lie-to. Something seems shaddy about him, that I cannot put my finger on.

by Demrock6 2006-01-12 11:02AM | 0 recs

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You're My Man

anyhow it goes with Alito, though I think a filibuster is warranted. I've decided to support you for 2008.

by Bob H 2006-01-12 11:07AM | 0 recs

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senator feingold

for the good of the country, organize a filibuster on this maniac!!!!

by island empire 2006-01-12 11:30AM | 0 recs

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Alito must be fillibustered... plain and simple.

Look at it this way, the new precedent is that nobody has to answer questions, is that what we want?

Especially after Alito votes to give imperial power to the presidency.

To say that I am urging a "no" vote would be an understatement.

The powder is dry sir, and with your Roberts vote you have shown your wisdom in allowing the Cheif Executive have his choices, now is the time to excercise common sense.

-C.

by neutron 2006-01-12 12:22PM | 0 recs

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Lead

Senator,

If you are reading this, sir, I merely ask that whatever decision you reach on this nominee, you speak out vocally and make your views clear. We have your back if you truly believe Justice Alito is appropriate for the Supreme Court and you have my vote for President in 2008. Please, vote for what is right.

by peacenik23 2006-01-12 05:44PM | 0 recs