Crisitunity!

The only way we have a chance to get a filibuster is if the Dems are looking at it as the start of something instead of the end.   If they buy into Aravosis'  8-Point Why I Won't Filibuster Manifesto, then we're sunk.  But if they wake up and realize that filibustering gives them the only opportunity they have to make the case against Alito on their terms, then we have a shot. 

I'm not saying that getting the story out will be easy.  Far from it, it'll be insanely difficult (poor babies) but if they take a page from BushCo's book and stay on message and keep pushing through the flak and never apologize for doing the right thing, (technically not a page from BushCo's book since he's always doing the wrong thing) then the majority of Americans who already support them will keep doing so and they'll win a few more percentage points over.  And that's all they need.  Alito's nomination dead in the water.  Polls on their side.  The corporate media weeping and confused in the corner and nobody talking about the SOTU on Dear Leader's  big night.

And if the GOP threaten to go nuclear, good.  Let them sit in the procedural hot seat for a while - although it's never quite as hot when the GOP is sitting in it is it?

Comments

[albert]

i just watched Mr. Smith Goes to Washington 2 weekends ago. _great_ film.

[norbizness]

But wouldn't trying to start a filibuster when you know you don't have the votes to avoid cloture the worst possible outcome?

[eRobin]

Believe it our not, I'm on the fence about that. What are we worried about here really? The press making fun of the Dems? That's going to happen no matter what. If I were Queen of the Universe and the Dems didn't have the votes, I'd want a Senator to filibuster the good old fashioned way. I think it would pull public opinion along - especially if the Dems marketed it right. Then they'd get all the votes they needed to block Alito. The thing here is time and using that time to control the message. If they're filibustering, they have a chance to control the message a tiny bit. Caving yet again to conventional wisdom is the worst possible thing that could happen.

Back to reality: I think they have the votes for a one-time, empty, remember-this-when-we-ask-for-money cloture vote. That would be the typical compromise. Getting that second vote will probably be impossible - especially because in the face of the first, the corporate media will scare the Dems to death. The Dems will believe the hype and run for cover as soon as they can.