Clinton Joins In On Alito Filibuster Efforts
There isn’t enough votes to support a filibuster over the nomination of Samual Alito to the Supreme Court, but that isn’t stopping some of them from making a statement out of it. Earlier this week Senator John Kerry announced his desire to filibuster the nominee, and while poll after poll has shown America’s support for the nominee, and enough moderate democrats throwing in their yes votes, the real reason for these democrats stomping their feet like spoiled children is that they are pandering to a different base. They are speaking out loud and clear that they are playing to the far left, and special interest groups.
Today, Hillary Clinton joins Kerry’s efforts to block the nomination of Alito.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday announced she’ll join potential 2008 presidential rival John Kerry in voting to filibuster against Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, just as top Democratic leaders predicted the effort is likely doomed.
With three Democratic senators pledging support for Alito, the New Jersey conservative seems virtually assured of being confirmed by the full Senate Monday or Tuesday, party leaders predicted Friday. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters in Washington that “everyone knows” Senate Democrats couldn’t muster the 40 votes needed to support a last-ditch filibuster.
“History will show that Judge Alito’s nomination is the tipping point against constitutionally-based freedoms and protections we cherish as individuals and as a nation,” Clinton wrote in a statement during a fundraising stop in Seattle.
Several senators had urged their colleagues to filibuster this week, but Clinton wasn’t among them, Capitol Hill aides said.
Her move seems to put her at odds with New York’s senior senator, Charles Schumer, who spent last week privately arguing that a filibuster would damage Democrats’ chances of taking back the Senate this year, according to party sources.
Analysts said Clinton had little choice but to back the filibuster, given Kerry’s Thursday announcement that he was reviving the stop-Alito movement. For all the talk of Clinton’s shift to the center on abortion, she can ill-afford to let a possible adversary outflank her on the left among liberals who favor abortion rights, according to Jennifer Duffy, who monitors the Senate for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
“It’s an empty gesture,” Duffy said of Clinton’s announcement. “What Democratic primary voter is going to vote for her if she didn’t do everything to oppose Alito? … She had to join John Kerry.”
An empty gesture indeed in the sense of it actually making a difference in the nomination process, however it isn’t completely void of meaning. A rift is beggining to appear within the democrats that will only weaken them further. While many on the left are making efforts to move towards the center, others are falling prey to the far left and special interest group pressures. Clinto is trying to juggle between these two bases, and it is quite an awkward position to be in.
The Washington Post has an article on their site today discussing the current rift.
Democrats are getting an early glimpse of an intraparty rift that could complicate efforts to win back the White House: fiery liberals raising their voices on Web sites and in interest groups vs. elected officials trying to appeal to a much broader audience.
These activists — spearheaded by battle-ready bloggers and making their influence felt through relentless e-mail campaigns — have denounced what they regard as a flaccid Democratic response to the Supreme Court fight, President Bush’s upcoming State of the Union address and the Iraq war. In every case, they have portrayed party leaders as gutless sellouts.
First, liberal Web logs went after Democrats for selecting Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine to deliver the response to Bush’s speech next Tuesday. Kaine’s political sins: He was too willing to drape his candidacy in references to religion and too unwilling to speak out aggressively against Bush on the Iraq war. Kaine has been lauded by party officials for finding a victory formula in Bush country by running on faith, values and fiscal discipline.
Many Web commentators wanted Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), a leading critic of the Iraq war who advocates a speedy withdrawal, to be the opposition voice on the State of the Union night. Most Democratic lawmakers have distanced themselves from the Murtha position. “What the hell are they thinking?” was the title of liberal blogger Arianna Huffington’s column blasting the Kaine selection.
“Blogs can take up a lot of time if you’re on them,” Kaine said to reporters Thursday. “You can get a lot done if you’re not bitterly partisan.”
The Virginia Democrat said he will not adjust his speech to placate the party’s base. “I’m not anybody’s mouthpiece or shill or poster boy for that matter. I’m going to say what I think needs to be said and they seem very comfortable with that.”
Liberal activists seemed to have slightly more influence with their campaign to persuade Senate Democrats to filibuster the Supreme Court nomination of Samuel A. Alito Jr. Despite several polls showing that the public opposes the effort, Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) on Thursday strongly advocated the filibuster plan — and wrote about his choice on the Daily Kos, a Web site popular with liberals. Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.), a leading liberal and critic of the Iraq war, told reporters Kerry’s viewpoint is not shared by most in a culturally conservative swing state such as West Virginia. Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) also opposes the filibuster.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) is another frequent target of the Internet attacks. Code Pink, an antiwar women’s group with a flashy Web site, plans to protest one of Clinton’s weekend fundraisers and is using the Web site to rally people against the New York Democrat. The critics say Clinton has not challenged Bush aggressively enough on Iraq.
“The bloggers and online donors represent an important resource for the party, but they are not representative of the majority you need to win elections,” said Steve Elmendorf, a Democratic lobbyist who advised Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign. “The trick will be to harness their energy and their money without looking like you are a captive of the activist left.”
So in the left’s efforts to regain power, they have divided themselves even further. One camp is trying to trying to dishonestly reword things to reach a broader audience, and the other is pandering to the radicals and special interest groups. And while the latter is being more honest to their core beliefs, these beliefs are at odds with most Americans. Regardless, neither of these paths will lead the left to victory. But is sure is fun to watch them implode.
Decision 08 sums it up very well:
Isn’t that paragraph nothing more than an admission that the core Democrat values are not shared by the nation?
Time and time again, we see the Democratic leadership in denial of this basic truth: it doesn’t matter how you dress up the message; it’s not the presentation voters reject, it’s the message itself…
Hillary’s motivation is the same as Kerry’s. They’re both thinking about a run for the presidency and they can’t not cater to the whims of the moonbats. It’s nothing more complicated than that.
At least some democrats are coming to their senses.
Others: Sister Toldjah
Captain’s Quarters
The Political Teen
Blogs For Bush
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Posted by Jay on January 28, 2006 2:52 pm
Trackback URL:
- Unpartisan.com Political News and Blog Aggregator: Alito could beat filibuster
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5 Responses to “Clinton Joins In On Alito Filibuster Efforts”
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Currently the blogosphere is noticing the blatant liberal face in the news effort of those threatening filibuster. There same seems to be two types trying to splash on the MSM: those liberals thinking about running for President and those liberal highly influenced by LEFTIST think tanks and lobbyists. So what is the Democratic Party hypocrisy today? Stop Alito to stop Bush and satisfy those that keep liberals in office – uh with money.
I think that the libs in DC are massochistic.[sp?].
That’s the only explanation I can come up with.
Good analysis…
http://motls.blogspot.com/2006/01/kerry-will-lose-again.html
You have to really love hypocrisy. But it wll make no difference. If Mrs. Clinton joins the filibuster group, she will be lionized by the farrrrrrrr left. But in two years it will be forgotten.
When she runs for election and the issue is brought up, she will cry foul, stick her pouting, trembling lip out, and threaten to cry. She will protest the meanness in politics and the lack of decency and shame.
The Republicans will back off because they are gentlemen.
The Dems couldn’t attack this nominee on his credentials and were unsuccessful spinning his case record. Even the liberal Washington Post acknowledges this for what it is—shameless political pandering.