a lot of e-mails about c.i.'s "NYT: '2002 Memo Doubted Uranium Sale Claim' (Eric Lichtblau)" which seems to have fired up a lot of you to fight alito.
you're seeing a connection that's obvious to you but i had to think about it.
i'm guessing that c.i.'s righteous anger over iraq made us all realize how much we have to fight on so many topics.
this isn't 1 we expected to have to fight on. we didn't expect weak willed senate democrats to attempt to stab us in the back. besides the anger, i think we're also shocked.
we've given the democratic party our money, our time and our votes. to be treated this way, where they won't even fight for us, is a shock.
i think the lesson here is a politician won't do a damn thing for you out of loyalty or the goodness of their heart or fairness. you have to press your issues and you have to keep pressing them. they'll sell you out if they think they can get away with it.
so let's show them what's at stake. you can use the action lists in the gina & krista round-robins that are going out every day between now and the 24th or you can use this from now:
Alito Must Not Be Confirmed -
Demand a Filibuster Today
Call Your Senators
By the time the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on Samuel Alito ended last week, Judge Alito had dodged so many questions that we knew little more about his judicial philosophy than we had before they started. Even so, Judge Alito's unwillingness to stipulate that Roe v. Wade is "settled law", as recently confirmed Chief Justice Roberts had, puts a woman's right to choose in great peril. This factor alone should be enough for Senators to vote against his nomination.
Due to the current balance of power in the Senate (55 Republicans, 44 Democrats), we do not have the necessary 51 "no" votes to defeat Alito outright. So the only way for senators to block confirmation is for them to launch a filibuster -- which can only be ended if 60 of the 100 senators vote to stop the filibuster and proceed to a vote on the nomination. In other words, IF there is a filibuster, 41 senators can block the nomination. But without a filibuster, those same 41 votes would not be sufficient to stop Alito -- so the "no" votes are meaningless in terms of the final outcome, unless there is a filibuster.
Make the message to your senators clear: Our nation needs them to do more than vote no. They must support a filibuster in order to prevent Alito's confirmation to the Supreme Court.
Please call your Senators today and ask them to support a filibuster in opposition to this nomination. A no vote without a filibuster is a meaningless gesture. Our Senators' commitment to women's rights is a hollow shell if they will not fight to preserve them.
Talking Points for CallsIt is very clear that Judge Alito does not consider Roe v. Wade "settled law".
This factor alone should be enough for Senators to vote against his nomination.
We need them to do more than vote no.
Ask them to support a filibuster in opposition to this nomination.
A "no" vote without a filibuster is a meaningless gesture.
Our Senators' commitment to women's rights is a hollow shell if they will not fight to preserve them.
More information on Alito's record is available online.
If you're having trouble getting through at the local number, try the Senate Switchboard at (202) 224-3121
Call your Senators
or you can use everything. and schedule time to meet with your senator or their staff. face to face express how you feel. tell them to filibuster!
