The filibuster is important because it takes a stand on the issues, and defines some values.
Will it work? Maybe.
The important thing is, it can work. If enough Democratic senators hold together, and simply refuse to vote Yea on the upcoming cloture motion, it will work.
And this takes it beyond just another political gesture.
This is not like Lincoln Chafee making the occasional vote against the Republicans, on some measure that he knows is going to pass anyway. When someone does that, it's because they want to still be seen as the "nice guy", the gentle harmless type, but lack the courage of standing for convictions.
This is different because if it works, the Democrats will have taken a stand, and will change history.
The risk is, what if it's wrong. What if Samuel Alito, it turns out, is a genuinely good guy. What if he did deserve to be on the Supreme Court, and the Democrats do this, and keep a good man off the court. That's the risk.
To me, and to many others, this is a risk worth taking. I've read the evidence, I've seen the man in person, and I think he does not deserve to be on the Supreme Court. There is no evidence that he has strong personal convictions. He is someone who has done what he thought he had to do, all his life, in order to get ahead. In order to get himself to the position that he is in today, on the verge of the Supreme Court. All of his actions indicate that this has always been his goal. And that he was willing to put things on his job applications, whatever was necessary (even if, to give him the benefit of the doubt, he didn't believe them) that would get him further up the ladder.
His decisions as a judge indicate the same tendency. That he is willing to give up on principles, or on individual people's rights, if it will keep the system (and his place in it, as a climber) intact. What I wish someone had asked him at the hearings is "Judge Alito, what would you say are the 3 most important principles that people should uphold?" The question didn't get asked, but from everything I've seen, his answer would boil down to respecting the system, trusting that the people in power will do their jobs and protect us, and not upsetting the status quo.
Maybe once upon a time this would have been ok. Maybe once upon a time, someone like this would indeed be harmless.
That time is not today. Today, we are in a situation where we are getting daily reminders that the people in power are not deserving of simple trust. When such trust is given to them, they do not uphold the common good of society. Unless watched and needled and confronted, they lie and take bribes and when the results of their bad decisions come to pass, they say that noboby could have foreseen such results. Even when there were articles, books, interviews directly predicting such results, at the time the aforesaid bad decision was made.
And so today, someone who goes along to get along is not ok. This country needs patriots, people with courage, people who care about more than blindly following the current system. The country needs people who can think, people who respond to new evidence not by denying it & wishing it away, but who can accept new facts as they appear & use them to move us all forward. Some of the new facts that will appear in the years to come will be painful. This country needs people who can deal with that pain, not necessarily unflinchingly, but as adults. It's ok to get bummed sometimes, and to want the pain to go away, but the adults need to get in charge of the ship & read the maps & find a harbor. Wailing in the cabin, or sitting on the poop deck with a margarita, is all well & good. But not today. Today, someone needs to get focused on the steering, and on those funny noises coming from the engine room.
It's time for the Democrats to be adults, and get focused on the ship, because the Republicans have shown us that they are not willing to take that on. In recent years, the Democrats in congress have taken on this "going along to get along" persona. They don't want to be obstructionist, b/c that seems so pointless. Especially because "we're going to lose anyway". So they kinda protest the votes that they know are bad for the country, but then basically they just pass the buck. "well, we can just blame the Republicans for this at the next election", they seem to keep saying. Maybe for a few years that was an ok strategy, whatever, but not anymore.
It's time to end this unequal "politeness", that seems to encourage the Senators to not stand up to their colleagues. It's time for the Democrats to realize that if Congress is corrupt, that they are corrupt too, unless they fight for something.
Samuel Alito, and the Patriot Act, and the NSA eavesdropping violations, are where the line needs to be drawn. These principles are worth fighting for, and the current Senators, by their vows to represent the interests of their states and this country, need to hold the line. The next election is too late. They need to do this today.
This filibuster could be a historic moment, and the Democratic Senators have it in their power to change history. They have the chance to make a stand. If they let this go now, they will have the rest of their lives to share in the blame for this man on the Supreme Court. And ok, if Lincoln Chafee takes this opportunity, I will take back my assertion that he's weak & a coward.
Filibuster Alito. Vote Nay on cloture, or just abstain. Do something good for the country, and keep fighting.