Thursday, November 17, 2005
Throw the Benator Out
Senator Ben Nelson continues his reign of "I'm not a Democrat but I play one on election day" with his latest comments regarding Alito's confirmation. Writing in the World-Herald last Sunday, the "Benator" (W's nickname for this "Democrat" with the most conservative voting record in the Senate among Democrats) stated that "the President's nominees... deserve an up-or-down vote, even if the nominee isn't popular with the special interest groups."
But isn't the lesson of Alito's appointment- the Harriet Myers do-over- that Alito IS popular with the special interest groups, the ones inside the President's own party who persuaded him to withdraw Myers' name because her lack of experience didn't provide them with the litmus test they wanted?
Bush's reign of error will, thankfully, come to an end soon, but isn't the role of the minority party to assure that such a President's influence-, and the influence of the "special interest" Neocons who pull his puppet strings- doesn't extend for generations on the Supreme Court?
Remember the Washington Post article, posted here a couple weeks ago, that compared Alito with O'Connor, stating:
- In 1991, Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. voted to uphold a Pennsylvania statute that would have required at least some married women to notify their husbands before getting an abortion; a year later, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor cast a decisive fifth vote at the Supreme Court to strike it down.
- In 2000, Alito ruled that a federal law requiring time off for family and medical emergencies could not be used to sue state employers for damages; three years later, O'Connor was part of a Supreme Court majority that said it could.
- And last year, Alito upheld the death sentence of a convicted Pennsylvania murderer, ruling that his defense lawyers had performed up to the constitutionally required minimum standard. When the case reached the Supreme Court, O'Connor cast a fifth vote to reverse Alito.
The article continued: "The record is clear: On some of the most contentious issues that came before the high court, Alito has been to the right of the centrist swing voter he would replace."
But Nebraska's DEMOCRATIC Senator seems content that Alito won't have an ax to grind, despite these facts on his record, because Alito "assured [him] that he would consider each case on its merits and would bring no agenda to the bench."
With gutless, Bush-light, Democrats like this, who can blame people from running away from the Democratic party? With many Democrats, Nelson included, who voted for the largely credit card industry-written bankruptcy "reform" legislation last year, who can blame people for not trusting Democrats?
In short, with Democrats like Nelson out there, who take judicial nominees who were picked by the extreme right, at their word, in spite of their clear records, who can blame people for staying home on election day and for proclaiming a plague on both your houses?
I'm proud to be a Democrat, but it makes me sick to think Nelson represents the party? Last night he appeared in another half page ad in the World Herald, paid for by one of those "special interest groups" he claims to ignore. Last night, in the same paper, Nebraska's REPUBLICAN Senator, Chuck Hagel, stated that it's unpatriotic to not question your government!
When Republicans like Hagel speak these truths and when Democrats like Nelson stand for nothing, who can blame the people for staying home on election day? What a phony!
But isn't the lesson of Alito's appointment- the Harriet Myers do-over- that Alito IS popular with the special interest groups, the ones inside the President's own party who persuaded him to withdraw Myers' name because her lack of experience didn't provide them with the litmus test they wanted?
Bush's reign of error will, thankfully, come to an end soon, but isn't the role of the minority party to assure that such a President's influence-, and the influence of the "special interest" Neocons who pull his puppet strings- doesn't extend for generations on the Supreme Court?
Remember the Washington Post article, posted here a couple weeks ago, that compared Alito with O'Connor, stating:
- In 1991, Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. voted to uphold a Pennsylvania statute that would have required at least some married women to notify their husbands before getting an abortion; a year later, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor cast a decisive fifth vote at the Supreme Court to strike it down.
- In 2000, Alito ruled that a federal law requiring time off for family and medical emergencies could not be used to sue state employers for damages; three years later, O'Connor was part of a Supreme Court majority that said it could.
- And last year, Alito upheld the death sentence of a convicted Pennsylvania murderer, ruling that his defense lawyers had performed up to the constitutionally required minimum standard. When the case reached the Supreme Court, O'Connor cast a fifth vote to reverse Alito.
The article continued: "The record is clear: On some of the most contentious issues that came before the high court, Alito has been to the right of the centrist swing voter he would replace."
But Nebraska's DEMOCRATIC Senator seems content that Alito won't have an ax to grind, despite these facts on his record, because Alito "assured [him] that he would consider each case on its merits and would bring no agenda to the bench."
With gutless, Bush-light, Democrats like this, who can blame people from running away from the Democratic party? With many Democrats, Nelson included, who voted for the largely credit card industry-written bankruptcy "reform" legislation last year, who can blame people for not trusting Democrats?
In short, with Democrats like Nelson out there, who take judicial nominees who were picked by the extreme right, at their word, in spite of their clear records, who can blame people for staying home on election day and for proclaiming a plague on both your houses?
I'm proud to be a Democrat, but it makes me sick to think Nelson represents the party? Last night he appeared in another half page ad in the World Herald, paid for by one of those "special interest groups" he claims to ignore. Last night, in the same paper, Nebraska's REPUBLICAN Senator, Chuck Hagel, stated that it's unpatriotic to not question your government!
When Republicans like Hagel speak these truths and when Democrats like Nelson stand for nothing, who can blame the people for staying home on election day? What a phony!
