Reply #22: But, but, but - he later [View All]

[alsame]

apologized. CYA is what he does best.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitol-briefing/2007/07/schumer_regrest_no_alito_filib.html

Schumer Regrets Not Leading an Alito Filibuster

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) declared that his decision not to lead a successful filibuster in January 2006 of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito's nomination was one of his "greatest failings" as a senator.

--snip--

Those and other High Court rulings prompted Schumer's unusually blunt assessment of his own performance in the confirmation process, particularly during the hearings on Alito, who was widely viewed as the more conservative of the two justices. Here's what Schumer said of his own failings:

"Every day, I am pained that I didn't do more to try to block Justice Alito. Every two years, I look back and take stock of my greatest failings and regrets in the past Congress. Without question, my greatest regret in the 109th Congress was not doing more to block Alito. Alito shouldn't have been confirmed. I should have done a better job; my colleagues said we didn't have the votes, but I think we should have twisted more arms and done more."

There was an effort to filibuster the Alito nomination, led by Sens. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.), but it did not have the vocal public support of Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), then the minority leader, or Schumer or other members of Democratic leadership. While Reid, Schumer and all four Senate Democrats currently running for president voted to sustain a filibuster, they did little to actively support the idea and sometimes even mocked the effort. Only 25 senators voted to sustain the filibuster, and the next day Alito was confirmed to the seat on a 58-42 vote.