What DU can do in response to Sen. Kennedy’s alerts about nuclear option

[paineinthearse]

Over the past few days I have been doing what I can to stir interest in the impending "nuclear option", with less that stellar success. Does DU care about Senator Kennedy’s alerts about the impending “nuclear option”? Apparently not, judging by the few replies to the recent posts:

Kennedy: Just days left until Frist unleashes the "nuclear option"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3644016
GD forum
2 replies in 3 hours

DNC activist conference with Ted Kennedy, today at 2PM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=296x4415
Democratic Party forum
2 replies in 3 hours

Dems fight back against the nuclear option - here's how to TAKE ACTION
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3630436
GD forum
10 replies (& 4 “greatest” votes, thank you) over 48 hours. Now off the "greatest" page but not quite in the archives.

In any event, here are excepts from my notes taken during the just-ended conference call with Ted Kennedy and Howard Dean:

Greeting from Howard Dean: Thanks for your time, thanks Senator Kennedy. The "nuclear option" is a republican power grab. It's an attack on minority rights. Tell all to speak out against the public power grab.

Ted Kennedy:

* We are “getting into the critical time.”

* Used the words: “Grab for power” and “overturning will of our founding fathers” to describe what the rethugs are trying to do.

* The rethugs are undoing the works of our founding fathers. Went into a history of the drafting of the constitution; over the first two drafts, all judicial appointive power was in the Senate. In last 8 days during review of checks and balances, the founding fathers made it a shared responsibility with the executive.

* GOP is completely in contrast with will of founding fathers, against core constitutional values.

* Went through the pending nominees:
William Prior – developed torture policy / abandonment of Geneva conventions; does not know how to interpret the ADA (written by Kennedy and Harken).
William Prior – principle spokesperson for big mining companies. Janice Williams Brown – opposed by African Americans
Owens – accused of judicial activism 11 times by Alberto Gonzales.

* Rethug leaders want to go outside the rule of law. Impeach Justice Kennedy (Reagan appointment).

* Radical right has won the legislative and executive, is entitled to the judiciary, thinks it does not need to play by the rules. Nuclear option would emasculate the role of the Senate.

* Events in the next few days will be “enormously important” to the future of our country. We have 49 hard votes. Need 2 republicans, think we have 1, but that would make it 50-50 and Cheney would cast the tiebreaker. www.tedkennedy.com identifies who the republicans are. Lobby your friends in those states to bring pressure on those Senators.

* We are the envy of the world in terms of democracy, and that is due to checks and balances. We must uphold checks and balances.

* We are going to fight this every step of the way, there is nothing more important.

* Follow developments at www.tedkennedy.com

* “Reversing the rules of the Senate is a reverse revolution, returning us to a time of kings and absolute monarchy.”

* Get/broadcast summary statement against Prior at www.tedkennedy.com

* Accept the challenge, call your senators, talk to your friends.

* More about issues www.democrats.org

Get active, people. We flooded Lincoln Chafee's email server, we can do the same for the swing rethug Senators!

[Tux]

1. We care

But the reason question is: Do Democrats care once lobbyists pay them a visit?

[paineinthearse]

2. According to TK, all Dem Senators are aboard

Read the details. We have "49 hard votes", need just 2 more rethugs.

[Tux]

3. OK

Who are the swing voters?

[Jo March]

8. Voinovich? McCain, maybe?

McCain might be in the mood to try and redeem himself or cleanse his guilty conscience.

Couldn't hurt to concentrate on him.

[Andromeda]

30. Forget McCain...

he is voting for it.

[housewolf]

31. That's not what I heard

I heard he was completely against exercising the nuclear option and was voting against it.

[Mass]

33. Is he? Last night they were saying he would vote against it

as would Chafee.

They were arguing for Snowe, Collins, Hagel, and Warner. Any way they need 6 Republicans to win.

[abluelady]

10. John Warner

in Virginia is one of the swing voters.

[MaineDem]

12. Collins, I'm sure

Last I heard she was still undecided.

[paineinthearse]

13. Chafee, Collins, Graham, Hagel, Lugar, McCain, Smith, Snow and Warner

http://www.mydd.com/story/2005/4/25/132925/832

"...The wavering or opposed Republicans are Chafee, Collins, Graham, Hagel, Lugar, McCain, Smith, Snow and Warner. We need six of those nine in order to stop the nuclear option. I believe we already have four: Chafee, Collins, McCain and Snow. That would mean we need two of the following five: Graham, Hagel, Lugar, Smith and Warner..."

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

15. Specter?

I've heard Specter, who respects Senate traditions, has major philosophical differences with the nuclear option.

[paineinthearse]

16. If you feel he is persuadable, by all means, lobby your senior Senator

Good luck!

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

18. Better chance than with my junior wing-nut Senator, right?

:puke:

[MaineDem]

20. Snowe (with the e) has come out in favor of not changing the rules

Collins is a different story. The last time I spoke with her office they weren't committing one way or another.

[paineinthearse]

21. Sorry, I copied and pasted from the article

Now how did that get past the editor?!

[cestpaspossible]

28. Lugar: "I'm opposed to trying to eliminate filibusters"

"I believe that we are skating over very thin ice here with regard to the continuity of life in the Senate as we've known it," Sen. Richard Lugar (news, bio, voting record), R-Ind., said over the weekend on CNN. "I'm opposed to trying to eliminate filibusters simply because I think they protect minority rights, whether they're Republicans, Democrats or other people."
Reid Says Showdown Imminent in Senate

[doodadem]

4. Been getting email updates from Kennedy's office

And have already signed his petition on this.

[MaineDem]

5. Remember that not everyone replies to a thread

People are taking action without documenting it in every thread on the subject.

THanks for the notes from the call.

[paineinthearse]

14. Yes, but

By not adding a comment, threads sink out of sight and are forgotten when the next distraction comes along.

Please keep this and the other related threads kicked.

....now get on the phone with Collins and Snow! :)

[Moochy]

17. Kick up your sunday shoes!

Kickety kick!

I sent an email to Senator Byrd today FWIW thanking him for his speechifying.

[MaineDem]

19. Thanks for the instructions

you have no idea what I've been doing.

On edit...I apologize. It's been a busy day. I didn't need to jump on you like that.

[paineinthearse]

22. Not intended the way you took it

It's been that way for me, too.

[NYFlip]

26. I agree

I read more than I post. I do call and fax people. I'll try to post more to keep important threads on the first page and not get buried.

[Carla in Ca]

29. Same with me

I don't always post my efforts. I will from now on.

[Wilms]

6. Done. Kick. n/t

[Jo March]

7. We care - lots of folks have been blasting the media

calling, emailing, faxing, etc.

I know that it sometimes seems that we don't care but we do.

Don't get discouraged. Keep posting.

FWIW, I get updates from Ted Kennedy and many others on this issue. So, if I see it on DU, I tend to read it to see if it's something new and, if not, I don't post.

I'll try to be better at kicking the threads on this issue, though!!

:hi:

[MelissaB]

24. I'll try to do better.

I read so many and don't post and you have an excellent point. The do drop off the page.

:kick:

[paineinthearse]

9. Salon: Everything you wanted to know about the "nuclear option"

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/05/12/nuclear_option_primer/index_np.html

Everything you wanted to know about the "nuclear option"
If the Republicans are as good as their word, it's going to be much uglier than you think.

- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Tim Grieve

May 12, 2005 | To hear the partisans on either side describe it, the coming debate over Bill Frist's plan to kill the filibuster is a thing of apocalyptic proportions. Focus on the Family's James Dobson says the ground in Washington is "almost too hot to walk on" right now, that the faithful are in their "foxholes" and the "bullets are flying overhead." Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean says Republicans are fixing to "blow up 200 years of Senate history" just because they're not getting their way on a handful of "radical" judicial nominees. On Capitol Hill, the threat of the "nuclear option" has created a sort of political ground zero, and activists on both sides believe that the way this thing plays out will control the shape of the federal judiciary -- and with it, the interpretation of the U.S. Constitution -- for decades to come.

Out there in America, it's a different story. The latest Gallup Poll reveals that only 35 percent of the country admits to following the filibuster fight closely -- more than will fess up to watching the Michael Jackson trial closely, but a little fewer than the percentage who claimed to be paying attention to the situation in Kosovo in 1999.

So if you haven't been giving your undivided attention to Priscilla Owen, Abe Fortas -- he's dead, but he plays into this -- and the intricacies of Senate Rule XXII, you can feel proud that you're right in the middle of the American mainstream. But now it's time to pay attention. A vote on Frist's "nuclear option" may come as early as next week, and we're here to help you get up to speed.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

11. I care...I've called Specter's office a couple of times re: this issue

My point to them was: Do they really want to "go nuclear" for less than 10 judges in order to appease the far-right wing extremists? Although the extremists are more vocal and organized, ignoring the concerns of the moderates will become most evident in the 06/08 elections.

Part of me wants them to push the nuclear button in order to fracture the unholy alliance between the Rapturist Right and the traditional Republicans but, the thought of life-time appointments of some of these extremist judges makes me dial the phone numbers at the Capitol to voice opposition.

[paineinthearse]

23. In case you missed the teleconference - streaming audio

Here's the streaming audio recording of the briefing - http://a9.g.akamai.net/7/9/8082/v001/democratic1.download.akamai.com/8082/audio/20050512_kennedycall.m3u

Or download an mp3 - http://a9.g.akamai.net/7/9/8082/v001/democratic1.download.akamai.com/8082/audio/20050512_kennedy.mp3

See the full resource page at democrats.org/abuseofpower

[Nothing Without Hope]

25. Extremely important - recommended - this is IT, folks!

If they gain control of the judiciary like they have of everything else, that's it for democracy in this country, the last thread will be cut.

[Liberty Belle]

27. Kick for the night owls!

:kick:

[housewolf]

32. Get the latest on the nuclear option - Herry Reid teleconference Wed am

Details here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3670509

[Mass]

34. What I am worried is about deals on bases against vote for the nuclear

option.

Snowe and Collins have been badly hit by military bases closing in Maine. I hope they are not trying to make a deal with the administration where they would vote yes against some modifications in the BRAC in their favour.