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richardf8Senators who voted for cloture, but against Alito
(Also known as craven, lily-livered milksops)
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Chafee (R-RI)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Nelson (D-FL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
If each of these people had had the courage to back up their opposition to Alito with a vote against cloture yesterday, his supporters would have been forced to resort to the raw power play of a senate rules change to seat their boy on the bench. Would they have done it? Who knows? The senators whose names are listed above are the ones so afraid to call that bluff that they were willing to leave the table emptyhanded.
The senators whose names are listed below are the Dems who supported Alito. We may regard them as traitors to the party, but we must acknowledge that they at least have the courage of their convictions, which is more than can be said for the ones listed above.
Byrd (D-WV)
Conrad (D-ND)
Johnson (D-SD)
Nelson (D-NE)
While we might wish to commend Lincoln Chaffee for being the only Republican to break ranks, and vote against Alito's confirmation, we cannot do so without also noting that his vote on cloture helped to assure that this no vote of his would be mere empty symbolism, with no ramification for the nominee. The fact that he was alone, while the Dems had 4 breakaways out of a smaller field says something about our respective party discipline.
As for what the future holds - well, the Bush administration has met or exceeded my expectations of it in every regard, and I expect no less of Alito.
(Also known as craven, lily-livered milksops)
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Chafee (R-RI)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Nelson (D-FL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
If each of these people had had the courage to back up their opposition to Alito with a vote against cloture yesterday, his supporters would have been forced to resort to the raw power play of a senate rules change to seat their boy on the bench. Would they have done it? Who knows? The senators whose names are listed above are the ones so afraid to call that bluff that they were willing to leave the table emptyhanded.
The senators whose names are listed below are the Dems who supported Alito. We may regard them as traitors to the party, but we must acknowledge that they at least have the courage of their convictions, which is more than can be said for the ones listed above.
Byrd (D-WV)
Conrad (D-ND)
Johnson (D-SD)
Nelson (D-NE)
While we might wish to commend Lincoln Chaffee for being the only Republican to break ranks, and vote against Alito's confirmation, we cannot do so without also noting that his vote on cloture helped to assure that this no vote of his would be mere empty symbolism, with no ramification for the nominee. The fact that he was alone, while the Dems had 4 breakaways out of a smaller field says something about our respective party discipline.
As for what the future holds - well, the Bush administration has met or exceeded my expectations of it in every regard, and I expect no less of Alito.
