Opposition Required

It's really not my intention to only post once a week. It's just worked out that way lately. I've had mid term exams, work, and the death of a pet to deal with in the past week.

And then, on top of all that, the nomination of Alito to replace Sandra Day O'Connor. I expected a far right Conservative (and, honestly, I think that's what Miers was, too). This one comes with a long paper trail demonstrating his far right Judicial activism, which should make it easier for the Democrats to filibuster the nomination.

Of course, that could lead to the elimination of the filibuster, since the infamous 'Gang of 14' is said to be splintering. What a shock that the Republicans who agreed to that deal (that they would vote to protect the filibuster if the Democratic Senators would agree to only filibuster 'extreme' nominees) would break it the minute the issue arises!

The message the public is getting is that Congress will only be an independent branch of the Government when it suits the Religious Right. At least it's a message that's coming through loud and clear, and one that can only benefit the left in 2006.

One of the things that bothers me the most about the nomination of Alito, aside from the obvious, is that Bush would be cutting the number of women serving on the court in half. Do we really need another white male on the court? The answer to that is a resounding NO.

A picture from a few years back comes to mind. Remember when Congress passed that bill banning so called Partial Birth abortions, and the picture was of Bush, surrounded by a group of other white men, signing the bill into law as they all smiled?

Make one of the men African American and slap on some Judicial Robes, and you could have the future slim majority of five on the Roberts court as they take away a woman's right to choose.

The Democrats may be fighting a losing battle, but even if they are they've got to fight it. They can't back down from using the filibuster on Alito. If nothing else, it sends the strong message that the Democrats WILL be an Opposition Party. They may even be able to cobble together enough votes from some of those seven Republicans from the 'Gang of 14' or other more moderate Republicans to actually save the filibuster and keep Alito off the Supreme Court at the same time.

We'll never know unless they try.

The Senate Dems showed some backbone yesterday, surprisingly, by forcing the Senate into a closed session to discuss the lack of follow through by the Republicans on an investigation into the pre-War intelligence and the Bush Administration's possible manipulation of it. Let's hope they continue that trend of standing up and making themselves heard with Alito.

They also need to start an investigation immediately into the revelations today that the CIA is running a secret prison system for terror suspects in Eastern Europe, Afghanistan, and Thailand. We've seen what the Bush administration allows to happen to prisoners in non-secret prisons like Abu Ghraib. My blood runs cold at the thought of what the CIA are getting up to in the secret ones.

I'd say 'That's not America', but the sad fact is that it IS America these days, and we've got to put a stop to that.

I've got to work tonight. I have some e-mails to respond to, which I may write about after work tonight, but if I don't get to it then, I will tomorrow.