In light of the excellent diaries (on the fp, the rec. list and in general) and rallying of the troops over the past couple of days, I am still amazed at how many comments I have read that don't support a filibuster or not voting for cloture.
"the media will make them look bad"
"they can't overcome the nuclear option"
"it is too little too late"
"it is all posturing"
"what's the point"
well, excuse me, but boo-fucking hoo.
The "gang of 14" didn't outline what constitutes extraordinary circumstance. So, who cares if Lindsey Graham or Mike DeW(h)ine say this isn't extraordinary. Who gives a rat's ass what the media will say. Hell, they still are calling the Abramoff scandal a bi-partisan scandal, and noone seems to remember New Orleans, Valerie Plame, Kim Jong Il, Osama or the fact that Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11.
The point is, Reid has done a yeoman's job this past year or so in getting a shred of backbone and respectability to the democrats in Congress. What is the #1 thing that people STILL say about them?
"They never stand up for anything"
"What is their plan?"
"They have no ideas"
So, if not now, when?
Right now, it isn't necessarily about a "filibuster". As many have said these past couple of days, Frist needs 60 votes for cloture.
Senators like Landrieu or Kohl don't have to filibuster. We don't have to press them to filibuster. They just have to not vote for cloture right now.
Tell them to hold off until Abramoff, NSA illegal wiretapping, funding New Orleans, Valerie Plame, yellow cake, Downing Street Minutes, Iraq intelligence, 9/11 intelligence - hell any of them - are investigated or dealt with.
Tell them that O'Connor will stay until someone is confirmed to replace her. There is no urgency on this. Remind them that over 65% of Americans don't want Roe v Wade overturned. Remind them of Alito thinking a strip search of a 10 year old girl in her own home was ok.
So why not stall? Why not hold off on voting for cloture?
This is the fight that the country was waiting for. This is the reason, if ever, to not vote for cloture. This is the justice that would roll back basic American rights, give more power to the administration, approve of spying, torture, corruption, and not promote the welfare of We The People.
So I ask those why say not to filibuster or to get the vote over with, If not now, when?