From CNN:
Sen. John Kerry has decided to support a filibuster to block the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court, CNN’s Congressional Correspondent Ed Henry reported Thursday.
Kerry, in Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum, was marshaling support in phone calls during the day, Henry said.
He announced his decision Wednesday to a group of Democratic senators, urging they join him, Henry said. Kerry also has the support of his fellow Massachusetts senator, Democrat Edward Kennedy.
Some senior Democrats said they are worried that the move could backfire.
Republicans need 60 votes to overturn a filibuster.
Senior White House officials said the move makes the Democrats look bad, and Republicans already have enough votes to overcome any filibuster attempt.
Which, ironically, is precisely why Kerry is doing it.
Because let’s face it: this Kerry statement is less “news” than it is a rather predictable and cynical fundraising appeal aimed at the liberal-left activist crowd and those special interest lobbyists who have opposed Alito from the get go. It is, not to put too fine a point on it, an exercise in branding, a marketing campaign that is eminating, unsurprisingly, from the Mass Democratic camp, and from Senator Kerry in particular—a pure political animal who still believes he has an olive’s chance in Teddy Kennedy’s martini pitcher to win the 2008 presidency if he can Kos(t) past Hillary and her formidable cankles in the primaries. And to do so, he realizes he must stroke the hard left base.
What makes the move so risibly calculated is that the votes for a filibuster simply aren’t there, and Kerry knows it—Dick Durbin all but pronounced the filibuster dead today, and no less than Robert Byrd committed to supporting Alito’s affirmation. And just to be on the safe side, Bill Frist has apparently already counted up the 60 votes needed for cloture.
So what we have here from Kerry is Kerry at his political “best”—taking the safely contrarian position (an attempted filibuster of Alito would be disastrous for the Democratic party, as their leadership well recognizes, and the so the best time to advocate for it is when it is unlikely to work—Kerry can press his position as a sign of “principle”) in order to appeal to the portion of the Democratic party faithful that vote in primaries.
As he did during his 2004 Presidential run, Kerry continues to believe careful political caluculation and taking the odd, showily “independent” positions on certain issues that won’t harm the caucus but that will score him points with the base, is a more effective strategy than simply doing what is right and honorable.
A nearly unanimous party-line vote against Samuel Alito, as I noted elsewhere, bespeaks a broken system of advice and consent; and politicians like John Kerry embody the cynicism and partisanship that has turned the judicial confirmation process into an extension of electoral politics based around ideology and the power to control its spread and influence into social policy.
****
(h/t Stop the ACLU)
I smell backfire. Rove could advise using the threat of a filibuster to invoke the nuclear option, declare the gentlemen’s agreement dead and then nuke Iran – just on principle.
So I asked myself; Just what the hell is wrong with the people Massachusetts and why do they send wacko gasbags to the senate and house ad nauseum?
Yeah, a filibuster is a great way to stop this Imperial Presidency!
John and Teresa must have been poking around Daily Kos again. Maybe DarkSyde will let them do a guest front-page dairy.
Plus, Kerry does this while out of the country, avoiding the media in the US and looking strong to the European elite while in Europe.
And, he makes sure that there will be lots of press (likely more sympathetic press, or at least a press that understands less about why his filibuster idea is terrible for the American political system) for him while he’s in Europe.
If this strategy doesn’t work, he could always drop the Kerry from his last name, move to Pennsylvania and run as John Heinz.
tw:research-> shows it has worked before
Are you suggesting that John Kerry is doing something for political reasons, rather than based on principle? Surely you jest, sir.
tw: “would,” as in “The Alice in Chains song ‘Would?’ totally rocks. You know, unlike John Kerry.”
Ah, John Forbes Kerry… always the last monkey to touch the monolith…
Mark Steyn suggested he should stay in Switzerland, that he could be Senator of Switzerland or something
You are right on the money!
“I’ve never promised that. I’m not going to, because that would be pandering.”
Notice how this happens the same day that the NYT publishes a deranged editorial calling for the Dems to grow a spine.
What a coincidence.
It’s almost as if the NYT and Kerry’s now permanent campaign are co-ordinating attack stategies.
Hmm. Now where have we seen this before? Cough * Plame * cough * ammunition dump * cough * cough
Oh, dear God.
This fool still wants to be President? He’ll be lucky to keep his Senate seat if he keeps hanging around that dump.
tw: progress I shit you not. I didn’t believe it at first either.
*cough* Rathergate *cough*
OK, not the NYT, but your coughing fit set off mine.
I think that the democrats are laying the base of their pushbacks in 06 and 08. They may be wrong and they may be right, depending on the solidity of the present thinking in charge of their party. Kos may be right in thinking that ideology doesn’t matter, only victory. Of course victory, even against the current President, does not matter if there is no ideology behind that victory. Kos is a hater.
I’d love to be flip here about Carter, Clinton, etc, but to kos, et al, victory is not a historically neccessity, it is only a goal. But, but, it seems that that has become the mantra of those that feel that the terrorists vision is less important that their vision of Bush’s vision. Their hope is that victory is the goal and we, as a nation, will settle that goal’s objevtive later. All because the current President is so unacceptable.
Dean (howie) loves this, I think, and Reid has bought into it, as well as the expected actors that inhabit Capitol Hill. How sad.
I worked the hill for many years and enjoyed the “loyal opposition”. It was as I had hoped, and remembered and learned about our government from my father. The give and take of a Republic growing and improving through debate, arguement and dissention. We worked it, lost it, gained ground there and here, but argued the points to exhaustion. We loved our work. Not now.
Congress and its supporters, detractors and agenda driven losers now wish to lie, alter history and worse, just to set a point within which they can claim a small victory. Been there, done that and those like kos are assholes and losers. They are the people that make Reid, in his Robertson little voice, sound so resonable.
I believe that the democrat leadership has gone past Copperhead to mere infants that stomp their feet and get some attention from their adoring press. They think good, people are listening.
What is the quality of those listening? Yes, the number may grow, but what is the quality of the listeners? From what I have read, that quality is little. More importantly, those listeners will nod their heads just before they stick them back into their pathetic lives that consume their every moment.
Too bad for our Republic. Too bad for our country’s discourse. In fact, too bad for the world that, maybe quietly, hopes for our success, for them. How many Iranians are praying tonight that we succeed and their government fails?
I think a lot.
Ooh, my goodness, too long.
MayBee wrote:
John and Teresa must have been poking around Daily Kos again.
Yes, actually. The honorable Senator from Taxachusetts has become a writer on The Lost Kos!
Pablo,
Great link, Kerry is a fool. Hillary at 16% Kerry at Kos I will ask again who is next?
Lou,
The Sausage?
Leave it to Kerry to seek to be the Howard Dean of ‘08. Earth to John…
YARGGGHHHHHHHHH!!
As Kerry’s campaign started sinkin’
Teresa resumed merlot drinkin’
It’s really too bad, cause we could have had,
the craziest First Lady since Mary-Todd Lincoln.
The two senators from Mass–to quote Mandy Pepperidge from Animal House (or was it Babs?)–“A wimp and a blimp.”
BRAVO, proud.
The 2004 Democratic ticket: “A fool and a ghoul”…
So, Jeff, how much would we have to pay you not to ever write the phrase “he must stroke the hard left base” ever again?
Many years ago, as a child living on Holloman Air Force Base in Alamagordo, NM, on the edge of White Sands Missile Range, I ventured into the front yard to find a tarantula on the sidewalk. Mr. T had a long chin—some might call it a mutant chin. And a full head of hair. He spoke to me, and would not stop speaking.
There were no natural weapons at hand, this being the desert—no ready firewood, and I was far too young for the Charter Arms snub nose .38 special I would acquire later in life.
So I turned around and went back into the house. The tarantula, on the other hand, moved to Massachusetts and became a U.S. senator.
Long-time readers of this blog will know I did not make that mistake again with the Port Allen armadillo or the distempered Lewisville raccoon, who might, had they lived, become a member of the Long dynasty and an ambulance-chasing dandy from Raleigh, respectively.
Apology accepted, then.
Maybe if I posted weird shit at my own blog, I’d get some readers. But then I wouldn’t get comments like, “Hmmm. That was a chin-stroker!”
As opposed to, “Jeff, how much would we have to pay you not to ever write the phrase “he must stroke the hard left base†ever again?”
So I asked myself; Just what the hell is wrong with the people Massachusetts and why do they send wacko gasbags to the senate and house ad nauseum? –
Funny how, 49 -oh wait…,
64% of the nation though just what the fuck is going on with some other dry drunk assshole as well…
Remember how to duck and cover, kids….
you know you have to be on the floor of the Senate, which is not near switzerland, in order to conduct a fillibuster.
Well, he does have to consult with foreign leaders before making decisions…
What was that again, pass a “Global Test” or some such?
How much time ya got?
Poor Kerry, of course, can’t even count on the support of the two or three !Stolen Election! protesters who had dogggedly staked out Beacon Hill for a few months after the 2004 election, anymore. It seems that ‘Jesus is Coming soon–get ready!’ is still a more resilient message of hope for your average crazy folks in sandwich boards on a street corner than ‘The election results will be declared invalid soon–get ready!’.
In addition to announcing his support for Alito’s appointment to SCOTUS, Senator Byrd had this to say about the reaction from his home state to the way the Alito hearings were conducted:
Byrd:
You’d think a former Kleagle would be able to recognize “an outrage and a disgrace” without needing letters from his constituents. He sees one in the mirror every morning, after all.
Awww, why you gotta make fun of Byrd when he actually does seem to be standing on principle?
Anyway, I’m not sure what this whole filibuster thing gets Kerry besides some NARAL money, a speaking engagement at an Emily’s List banquet, and (fingers crossed!) a step closer to that front-page diary (and beanie and badge) without having to go through the grueling recommends process.
If he does think he might one day be President…isn’t he basically taping a ”Filibuster Me” sign to his future nominee’s back?
You’re really reaching there, Jeff. Otherwise, well done.
TW: Thanks, I’ll show myself the door.
Because the principles of a man who began his political career as a recruiter for the terrorist wing of the Democratic party aren’t likely to be worth all that much.
Ha. We’ll be needing this one come 2008.
Duely noted; penned 26-Jan-06 by JG. You heard it here first.
Y’all really think JFK is bright enough to calculate this? I think someone’s hand is shoulder deep up his butt. Teddy’s?
PS: I’m a pun nut, Jeff. One reason I keep comin back.
Too wordy. Look:
“John Kerry is a cynical, opportunistic asshole.”
See?
SB: lost
in translation
Byrd got all those letters because we West Virginians have the anti-Kerry for our governor (the most popular governor, and for good reason, in the nation), Joe Manchin. The first Dem in as long as I can remember that I like. A grown-up. No shit.
When Byrd, the king of filibusters, is against your filibuster, it just might not be the right time for it, you know?
TW: Filibuster? The Constitutional option is the right response.
I could do without mental images of Hillary’s cankles as well.
TW, stop. Indeed.
Anyone for
Aha! Secret handshaKKKe! Byrd’s coming out pro-Alito proves Alito is a racist, just like we all said! Gotcha!
�
No?
C’mon. It’s right there, waiting. Take it.
It’s win-win for Kerry, the most forgettable candidate since Walter Mondale: If Alito and Roberts manage an unholy fundamentalist sway over the other Supremes and get a case that allows them to overturn Roe (between now and 2007), Kerry can stand up and say, “I told you so; I was the only one to stand up to the fascist tide besetting us from the high court – now elect me, or it’s Armageddon!”
Whoops – got a little carried away. If Kerry learned anything from 04, it should be to keep it short.
It’s also likely that Kerry’s campaigning for some off-shore funding as well as dodging the local press.
The idea that Kerry fell into a trap seems right to me.
The NYT, which will back Hillary anyway, calls for a filibuster. Almost no one thinks it will work.
Kerry, from overseas, bites. And worse for 2008, he says he is doing it with the widely dispised Teddy.
Next day the NYT says Kerry isn’t getting much support. Columns all over the US and blogs more or less call Kerry foolish. Or worse.
This move might help Kerry a little at nomination time with far left voters. But it costs him a lot more in swing voters disgust. The purpose of running is to become president not nominated.
Two scenarios can help Kerry. Both are real long-shots.
First scenario. Alito is confirmed and swings some really reactionary rulings in the next two years.
Second chance: the filibuster works beautifully defying conventional wisdom. That would enhance Kerry but hurt Democrats running this year.
Odds. Kerry hurt 95% chance, Hillary 5 chance, NYT hurt no chance. Either way Gore is helped a little although he is destroying himself unless the Earth ignites from global warming and oil execs all confess.