Some in the lefty blogosphere are
saying "Hey! 25 Senators ain't bad! We knew it was a long shot." I'm not buying any milk from that cow. This was a vitally important vote - one that will have a huge impact on our rights over the next 25 years. It is a vote that may well determine the status of Roe v Wade and whether women are forced to be unwilling baby incubators instead of actual human beings. The decision will be echoed when Alito votes to expand presidential power far beyond what is stated in the Constitution.
I can at least be proud that both of my Michigan senators voted against cloture, but I'm mad as hell that the rest of the party didn't stick together. I don't care it they're from Deepest Redneckistan, the Alito vote was vital and nearly half of "our" senators blew it. I'm boycotting giving any $$ to the Democratic Party -- individuals, yes, but the Party only when it gets its shit together and stops willingly being Ned Beatty in Deliverance. Hell, I don't even think I'd vote for a Democrat that didn't vote against cloture. We elect these MFs, we donate to them and we work our asses off getting them elected. Well, the bill came due yesterday and almost half of `em didn't pay. I guess we know how important women's rights are to them.
We seem to have a de facto three party system: the far right (Republican fundies), the right (Lieberman, McCain, et al) and sane (the rest of the Dems, many of whom would be tories anywhere else in the world). The Alito vote made it abundantly clear, if it wasn't already, where the allegiance of a good chunk of the "left" party stands -- firmly under Fuhrer Bush's well-booted heel.
Senate Vote
The List of Losers
Akaka (D-HI), Yea
Baucus (D-MT), Yea
Bingaman (D-NM), Yea
Byrd (D-WV), Yea
Cantwell (D-WA), Yea Carper (D-DE), Yea
Conrad (D-ND), Yea
Dorgan (D-ND), Yea
Inouye (D-HI), Yea
Johnson (D-SD), Yea
Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Landrieu (D-LA), Yea
Lieberman (D-CT), Yea Lincoln (D-AR), Yea
Nelson (D-FL), Yea Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Pryor (D-AR), Yea
Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea Salazar (D-CO), Yea
Actual Democrats
Bayh (D-IN), Nay
Biden (D-DE), Nay
Boxer (D-CA), Nay
Clinton (D-NY), Nay
Dayton (D-MN), Nay
Dodd (D-CT), Nay
Durbin (D-IL), Nay
Feingold (D-WI), Nay
Feinstein (D-CA), Nay
Kennedy (D-MA), Nay
Kerry (D-MA), Nay
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Nay
Leahy (D-VT), Nay
Levin (D-MI), Nay
Menendez (D-NJ), Nay
Mikulski (D-MD), Nay
Murray (D-WA), Nay
Obama (D-IL), Nay
Reed (D-RI), Nay
Reid (D-NV), Nay
Sarbanes (D-MD), Nay
Schumer (D-NY), Nay
Stabenow (D-MI), Nay
Wyden (D-OR), Nay
Honorable Mention
Harkin (D-IA), Not Voting
Jeffords (I-VT), Nay
At the same time, both Kos and Digby are right in that we need to keep fighting. We will win, eventually.
As a Post Script, what can we say about the Ds who voted for Alito -- Ben Nelson, Tim Johnson, Robert Byrd and Kent Conrad? I am inclined to give a pass to Byrd, but have naught but scorn for the others.
Cross posted Senate Vote