The filibuster has begun—call Sen. Dayton now 1/27/06

01/27/2006

copy of letter from moveon.org and forwarded by Lori Selner

Dear MoveOn Member,

Late yesterday afternoon, Senators Kerry and Kennedy announced that they will lead a filibuster against the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. The vote will come Monday, and now the rest of the Democrats have just over 48 hours to decide which side they are on.

To successfully block the nomination, 41 senators must join the Democratic filibuster. Most Republicans and a few conservative Democrats have already pledged to vote for Alito, so getting to 41 won’t be easy. Every single Democrat could end up casting the last crucial vote--and this is the moment for us to weigh in.

Please call Sen. Dayton right now and ask him to join the filibuster against Samuel Alito.

Senator Mark Dayton Phone: 202-224-3244 District Offices: Biwabik: 218-865-4480 East Grand Forks: 218-773-1110 Fort Snelling: 888-224-9043 Renville: 320-905 3007

Then please report your call by clicking here:

http://political.moveon.org/call?tg=FSMN_1&cp_id=220&id=6739-4241085-Ac0cnHlQFusLp4u4KcwJvA&t=2

Filibustering the Alito nomination isn’t just the right policy for the country, it’s good politics for progressives. Voters want leaders with the courage to fight for their true convictions. Democrats have said they oppose Alito’s extreme views on unchecked presidential power and limited rights for the rest of us--now it’s time to show they mean it.

As John Edwards put it when he declared his support for the filibuster:

In an era when the president of the United States declares himself to be above the law, it is more important than ever to have a Supreme Court that fulfills its duty as the ultimate guardian of our rights; yet Samuel Alito’s nomination puts those very rights in danger...together we can deliver one united message: it’s time for Democrats to stand up for what we believe in. We will not shy away from important fights like this because the cost is far, far too great.

Yesterday, the New York Times came out with a blistering a editorial calling for a filbuster, called “Senators in Need of a Spine,” Here are some highlights:

It is hard to imagine a moment when it would be more appropriate for senators to fight for a principle… ...It is indefensible for...any senator who has promised constituents to protect a woman’s right to an abortion to turn around and hand Judge Alito a potent vote to undermine or even end it...The judge’s record strongly suggests that he is an eager lieutenant in the ranks of the conservative theorists who ignore our system of checks and balances, elevating the presidency over everything else… ...A filibuster is a radical tool. It’s easy to see why Democrats are frightened of it. But from our perspective, there are some things far more frightening. One of them is Samuel Alito on the Supreme Court.

If George Bush is able to replace Sandra Day O’Connor with Samuel Alito, it may become his most damaging legacy: a Supreme Court that frees the president to spy, detain and torture at will, and leaves Congress powerless to protect workers, women, the environment, and to combat discrimination.

We fought hard together all last year to defeat the nuclear option and save the filibuster for a moment just like this--and now it’s all hands on deck.

As Senator Kerry wrote yesterday:

It takes more than one or two people to fillibuster. It’s not “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” I’m doing what I can, Senator Kennedy is doing what he can, but if, like me, you want to stop Judge Alito from becoming Justice Alito, we can’t just preach to our own choir. We need even more of your advocacy.

Please call Sen. Dayton and ask him to filibuster the nomination of Samuel Alito.

Thank you for all that you do,

--Ben, Eli, Marika, Justin and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team Friday, January 27th, 2006