Updated: Well even though Samuel Alito now sits on the Supreme Court I think we really made him re-think how he will rule in future cases. And there
was an attempt to filibuster, and even though Barack Obama didn't give the filibuster he still voted against cloture, exactly like this constituent asked.
Below the fold is a Daily Kos guide to filibustering Samuel Alito.
To contact your Democratic Senator(s) follow this
link, and tell them what you think about Samuel Alito.
Here is what I wrote my representatives Sen. Barack Obama and Dick Durbin:
I think it is important to keep in mind that this is a life long apointment to the Supreme Court. It's like any lawyers dream: we expect the person to be very reasonable, calm, and convincing like Judge Alito (and the Senators). I am NOT saying Alito is a bigot...his record clearly shows that he is not.
But that does not mean I think Samuel Alito shouldn't be filibustered. With the revelations of Jack Abramoff and that BushCo has been issuing unwarranted wiretapping and spying (probably over the internet) on domestic citizens it is clear we have a Party that has an "unnatural" control of all 3 branches of the federal government. By "unnatural" I mean they won on dirty money and dirty tricks....they've been running "trust me" campaigns for 5 years and judging by Jeff Gannon/Williams Armstrong, Jack Abramoff, and Iraqi body armor shortages in addition to no real WMD threat: that trust is clearly gone.
Alito has a history of telling people what they want to hear. He forgets any past grievences or claims "that was his opinion at the time." His opinions always change to reflect that of his current employers...and his employers tend to have been the same people over and over and over again...why should I think he check, what has become an extreme, abuse of Power by George W. Bush? I'm tired of DC being run like a frat-house. That's why people like Alito land all these prestigous jobs and probably helped him get into Princeton in the first place: they're willing to join any organization that will further their goals. And how can Alito "not recall" anything about Concerned Alumni of Princeton except that he joined to protest ROTC being kicked off campus for a whole year (oh boo hoo, try being kept out for 100).
No ones saying he's dumb. No one's saying he's a bigot. He constantly repeats the same coached line (probably by Senator Lindsey Graham) that he "constantly went above and beyond" and then cites situations that to be quiet frank, I would hope anyone would do...it's kind of his job. And let's not forget if Alito doesn't land this job he's never going to have to worry about employment. I don't want a judge who goes "above and beyond," above and beyond is what leads justifying 10 year olds being stripped searched...something Sandra Day O'Connor would never had done (clearly demonstrating he lacks her proclaimed empathy).
Which is why I say it's time to take a stand and filibuster until George W. Bush picks a better appointee...again.
Research and write your own letter using Daily Kos by using these tags:
filibuster,
Samuel Alito,
Supreme Court, and our own
ScAlito.
For more detailed live blogging on Sameul Alito in addition to Armando's, I suggest looking through SCOTUSblog. Remeber it is important to stress Alito's views on personal privacy especially with the revelation that George W. Bush has been issuing unwarranted wiretaps.
Updated: Barack Obama responds to my email:
Thank you for advising me of your view of the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the U.S. Supreme Court. I appreciate hearing from you.
The Constitution gives the Senate the special responsibility of "advice and consent" on appointments to the federal bench. As in the case of Chief Justice Roberts, my bottom line in evaluating the Alito nomination will be whether I have confidence that he will respect the constitutionally protected rights of individuals and resist the temptation to substitute personal ideology for legal reasoning.
While I look forward to getting a more complete picture of Judge Alito's judicial philosophy now that hearings are underway, I am concerned about some of the initial information we have received on his views. The significance of those concerns are especially important because Judge Alito has been tapped to replace Justice O'Connor, who was considered the swing vote on the Supreme Court. I can assure you that fact is not lost on me.
Again, thank you for contacting me on this significant matter. Please continue to stay in touch as the confirmation process develops.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
United States Senator