A few weeks ago, before I went on vacation, I was undecided on a filibuster. After some relaxation, I realized that a filibuster was the only right political move, provided it was done, unequivocally, to BLOCK Alito from taking a seat on the Supreme Court.
The filibuster could not be about us, the Dems, or anything else. It had to draw the line and be successful, or barring success, frame the debate on the Republicans as extremists.
In recent days, I came to realize that this must be move, even if the nuclear option was invoked. Let the Republicans look like the radicals by going nuclear.
But as I watch the cheerleading for Senator Kerry's move to a filibuster, at a time when it appears he has not yet lined up the votes to stop cloture, I think we need to ask the question:
Is he doing this merely to appease the blogosphere?
Because to me, that's the exact wrong reason to do it.
Now, keep in mind, I don't know the answer to that question. But it sure seems fishy to me at this point. He waited until the votes weren't there anymore to announce, or so it seems. He's currently in Switzerland, not in the Senate in any kind of filibuster "war room", but he promises he's "working the phones". And of course, he recently paid us a visit here on dKos and has not hidden his ambitions for 2008.
I know many of you will say "So what if he is appeasing us? At least he's fighting!" Well, true. But there is a difference between fighting like you mean it and fighting to appease a constituency.
We seek the power to influence here, whether we like it or not: the power to influence elections, the power to influence policy. And our power will be greatly diminished if we jump for joy when a politician says he or she will do what we want, but only in a vain, ineffective effort to say, "See, we tried..."
The fact that, in his announcement, he's pushing for activists and bloggers doesn't bode well either. It seems he wants to be "one of us". That's a good thing if he's genuine. It's a bad thing if he wants to coopt the blogosphere. That's not netroots.
On the one hand, we've demonstrated our power to get them to pay attention and demand the filibuster. But on the other hand, if they turn it on us and try to coopt the power, that's a dangerous thing, I'm afraid.
I don't know. I'm probably being alarmist...I usually am. But I think the motiviation of a politician is important. I've been in both campaigns and in the governing side of the aisle, and too many times I've been disillusioned with the motiviation of politicians.
Netroots brought me back because it was the first time progressives could have a voice altogether to effectuate change. And, truly, that's where I think the power of netroots lies. And I don't want that diminished.
So, before we rush in to "get Kerry's back", I think we need to be asking ourselves and Sen. Kerry the key questions I've alluded. And I'm not sure we are willing to ask those questions.
So, are we?