Sen. Leahy to Oppose Alito Nomination

[ProSense]

Sen. Leahy to Oppose Alito Nomination

By JESSE J. HOLLAND, Associated Press Writer
10 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy (news, bio, voting record) said Thursday he will oppose Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito's confirmation, saying he did not believe the conservative judge would be independent of President Bush and the executive branch in his future rulings.

"At a time when the president is seizing unprecedented power, the Supreme Court needs to act as a check and to provide balance," Leahy, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said in a speech at Georgetown University's law school. "Based on the hearing and his record, I have no confidence that Judge Alito would provide that check and balance."

It is not a surprise that Vermont senator is voting against Alito. He was one of the nominee's harshest interrogators at Alito's confirmation hearings last week.

Leahy also has been a critic of President Bush and the White House's actions in the war on terror, including warrantless wiretapping on American citizens.

more...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060119/ap_on_go_co/alito

[efhmc]

1. I wish we could clone him and send those clones out all over the US.

[patrice]

2. I've always loved Senator Leahy.

His service to the People prooves to us, yet once again, why he is worthy of our Love.

I will write him today.

[cali]

6. Me too

He's my senator, and I really love him. He's incredibly responsive to his constituents. He's not only liberal, he's a truly thoughtful guy. I've had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with him several times.

[patrice]

8. One of those I Choose to follow. He has been leading the Way . . .

Thank Goodness.

[flpoljunkie]

3. Roll Call's Time Curran said on C-Span this AM, Leahy's position would be

crucial to determine where the entire committee will go in their votes--and that when past filibusters were undertaken by the Democrats, they were preceded by a unanimoous vote against the nominee in committee.

Interesting. Democrats need 41 votes to filibuster, and they have already lost one of the 44 Democrats with Ben Nelson saying he will vote for Alito.

Leahy just got a very enthusiastic round of applause after his speech, just finishing up on C-Span.

[cali]

7. Now for a bit of good news about Nelson

I was just over at dkos and someone posted that they had just called Nelson's office and spoken to an aid. The aid said that Nelson has not made up his mind and was misquoted. Don't know how reliable this info is, but wanted to pass it on.

[radio4progressives]

12. Misquoted? He wasn't misquoted... It was on Camera but if he is changing

his mind that's a good thing. and maybe the lie about being misquoted is an indicator that good activism work has had an important impact.

but he wasn't misquoted. Ben Nelson of Nebraska spoke to reporters on Camera - and later he was quoted accurately in the press exactly according to his comments on camera.

now, if he had a more fuller statement on this question and that content was EDITED out - that would be an interesting thing to learn and that would be such a scathing commentary of the press, I think it might have the subject and first recipient of DU's new Golden Goebble Awards we're going to be giving to the lieing Fascists Corpo MSM coming soon! ;)

[Mass]

4. Also voting NO at this point

- Kennedy
- Milkuski
- Feinstein
- Baucus
- Harkin

[bliss_eternal]

5. Can we send them all flowers?

I'm just so grateful they are making the effort...

[patrice]

10. Gotta go . . .

Send all of them my APPRECIATION.

And I have to tell you what a nice person Howard Dean is. He actually listened to me Tuesday morning here. He signed my Dad's memoirs. My Dad was a Union leader when he was a young man, because he came back from WWII depressed at what he'd seen when they liberated the Nazi Death Camps, so when he saw Racism on big construction jobs, he spoke out and they got together and formed their Local. My Dad was/is Happy about DFA; he was proud of HD.

Howard Dean was sweet and he said a very nice thing, to us around him at that point, about my Dad. He talked also to our DFA members personally. Classy guy. The Democrats really are getting it together.

We Must Thank All of them, including Al Gore.

[Hyernel]

9. Thank you, Senator Leahy. My home state Senator!!!

But now I live in Florida, so Sen. Nelson....don't let me down. Unfortunately Martinez works for Bushco, not Florida. So I'm not holding out any hope there.

[ProSense]

11. Add Harkin to the list.

Harkin to vote against Alito nomination

DES MOINES, Iowa Senator Tom Harkin says he will oppose Samuel Alito's nomination to the U-S Supreme Court.

The Iowa Democrat says he's worried Alito would help to undermine the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Harkin, who wrote the A-D-A, says any nominee for the high court must possess a "true passion for justice," and Alito "falls far short of that measure."

With Republicans in solid control of the Senate and G-O-P lawmakers lined up behind the Alito nomination, Harkin admitted there's little chance his nomination can be derailed.

Senator Charles Grassley has not formally announced his intentions, but has left little doubt that he'll support Alito's nomination. The Iowa Republican is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.


http://www.whotv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4383389&nav=LotJ

[Mass]

13. Add Durbin to the list