Democrats, liberal groups shift Alito pressure away from Capitol Hill

[WilliamPitt]

http://www.rollcall.com/issues/51_48/news/11159-1.html

Democrats Play Waiting Game

By Paul Kane
Roll Call Staff

November 8, 2005

Senate Democrats and liberal interest group allies seeking to defeat Judge Samuel Alito’s nomination to the Supreme Court are shifting their attention away from Capitol Hill to grass-roots and media campaigns in a number of states, hoping to create momentum against confirmation by pressuring Senators at home.

While groups opposing Alito such as People For the American Way are beginning paid media campaigns in various states this week, Senate Democrats are not expected to place the nomination at or even near the top of their message agenda in the coming few weeks, according to Senate aides and liberal activists.

Instead, Democrats expect to spend the weeks leading up to and immediately following Thanksgiving pounding on a three-pronged, interlocking message that hits the White House on security and intelligence issues, energy and high gas prices, and various allegations of corruption in government on the GOP’s watch.

Democrats increasingly believe those three issues offer them the best lines of attack against the White House, while the Alito nomination remains muddled political territory, as his 15-year career on the federal bench is only now being fully vetted, according to aides. “Right now, it’s kind of a strategy of striking while the iron’s hot,” one Democratic aide said of the decisions about where to focus their message efforts.

Any time spent on Alito in the Capitol would also mean time diverted from the focus on President Bush’s struggles and issues that dominate the public’s interest in most recent polls, particularly pre-war Iraq intelligence and the indictments against ex-White House aide Scooter Libby regarding alleged grand-jury lies about that intelligence. “We know we’re not going to let Bush change the subject,” another aide said.

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[tx_dem41]

1. This strategy is vital...

the only way to keep all Democrats on point, and pick off 6 or so moderate/pro-choice Republicans is to get a huge groundswell of anti-Alito calls coming from the home state. That's how Bork got "Borked".

[seabeyond]

2. damn but the democrats havent done anything for ten months

dontcha know. being a bitch ya. i keep seeing dems pluggin away and dont thinsk they get the recognition for all they have accomplished. so kick ass dems

[WilliamPitt]

3. .