ACTION ALERT: Nuclear Option Notice

People for the American Way is setting up a truly rapid response.  As soon as the Senate Republicans try the Nuclear Option, PAW will text message you and supply a link to the Senate switchboard.  So, with a couple of clicks, you will be calling the switchboard and lighting up their lines.  They say this is the first time this has been tried on such a massive scale.  If enough people join up, the response could be quite impressive.

Sign up today

Update [2005-5-12 23:44:25 by TracieLynn]:

Update [2005-5-12 23:44:25 by TracieLynn]: Cream City was kind enough to tell me that one can also sign up for email alerts from PFAW. This will probably work for those of us who are cell phone-less.

•  Definitely sign up fast -- Frist's schedule

  reportedly, per Roll Call, is that the final showdown is Tuesday.  

  Paul Kane of Roll Call reported that yesterday -- sorry no URL, but it was sent to me in full by a brother who is a subscriber.  Kane reports that "Frist said that once the highway bill is cleared, which should happen by the end of this week, the chamber would begin its first  consideration this year of one of President Bush's controversial judicial nominees. That
  >would begin the process that could lead to a historic vote on a parliamentary tactic to end filibusters. . . .

  "Frist's pronouncement . . . was his first public declaration of when the judicial floor battle would begin," wrote Kane.  "Frist declined to say specifically which nominee would be brought up first, but he seemed to confirm media reports, including one in Tuesday's
  Washington Times, that the plan would be to call up Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen. She was the only nominee Frist cited by name. . . .

  "Owen could become the most tangible symbol of the current judicial wars.  Nominated in May 2001, Owen was rejected by the Judiciary Committee in 2002 when it was controlled by Democrats, only to be renominated by Bush
  >in 2003, when the GOP was back in control. Filibustered in 2003 and 2004, Owen now stands on the verge of becoming the first nominee confirmed by a simple majority vote ­if the Senate goes 'nuclear.'

  "Frist shrugged off any compromise offer that didn't guarantee a straight up-or-down vote on Owen and the six other circuit court nominees."

  Btw, Cornhusker Alert! Kane also reported that "Democratic leaders similarly dismissed suggestions from Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), as well as several Republicans, that a deal could be reached that would virtually assure confirmation to Bush's judges, including
  Supreme Court nominees, except for a couple of the already filibustered nominees."  Do not let Nelson break ranks, Nebraskans. . . .

  "Several critical swing votes" include the usual suspects reported here and Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), who "who has remained silent about his position for the past several months" until saying Tuesday that "he is supportive of the general concepts of the compromise solution that Sens. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and Nelson have been
  working on for the past few months."

  Finally, Kane reported -- as others have predicted here -- that "the expected scenario for the showdown is that if Democrats continue to block cloture on nominees next week, Frist will ask for a ruling from Vice President Cheney [on] the debate on the nominee as 'dilatory.'

  "The vice president, acting in his capacity as President of the Senate, has already indicated that he'll support that ruling. Then, Frist would move to table a Democratic attempt to over-rule Cheney. . . ."

  by Cream City on Thu May 12, 2005 at 04:48:40 PM PDT

  •  I really, really hope

    a lot of people sign up for this.  I can't, since I'm cell phone-less these days.  But, I love the idea of the power of this.  Wish I could sign up to receive an email and then call or email.

    by TracieLynn on Thu May 12, 2005 at 04:54:23 PM PDT

    •  You can sign up for email Action Alerts!

      see http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=16842

      by Cream City on Thu May 12, 2005 at 05:57:19 PM PDT

      •  Thanks!

        I signed up.  It was pretty nifty.  Once I filled in my info, it took me to a page that listed my state and federal officials.  Very nice feature.

        by TracieLynn on Thu May 12, 2005 at 05:59:49 PM PDT

        •  The least I can do

          for you, for doing this diary.  Thank you!

          by Cream City on Thu May 12, 2005 at 06:44:35 PM PDT

          •  I would love for

            the major side story on the nuclear option to be the fact that the phone lines were immediately jammed.

            by TracieLynn on Thu May 12, 2005 at 07:42:56 PM PDT

•  Done.

  Thanks. Passing this on to DU now.

  by iconoclastic cat on Thu May 12, 2005 at 04:52:35 PM PDT

  •  Great idea! Thanks! n/t

    by TracieLynn on Thu May 12, 2005 at 04:54:44 PM PDT

•  Democrats.org also

  Ted Kennedy did an online conference call today
  requesting activists to call their Senators, tell their neighbors, their family, friends.

  http://www.democrats.org/blog

  I recommended your diary to also help.

  by Robert Oak on Thu May 12, 2005 at 06:29:07 PM PDT

  •  Thanks for the

    further info...and the recommendation.

    by TracieLynn on Thu May 12, 2005 at 07:38:29 PM PDT