15 of the 22 Democrats who supported Roberts say no to Alito (good tally)

[ProSense]

Senate to End Alito Debate as Democrats Filibuster (Update3)
Jan. 27 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Senate Republican leaders have enough support to end debate on Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr. and confirm him next week as some Democrats stage a last-ditch filibuster to try to derail his confirmation.

Snip...

North Dakota Senator Kent Conrad, another Democrat seeking re-election this year from a state Bush won, signaled today he was likely to vote for Alito. After meeting with the nominee for a second time, Conrad told reporters, ``I feel more favorably disposed toward him.''

Conrad, who declined to announce his vote today, said Alito had allayed his concerns that as a justice he would be overly deferential to presidential power. ``He represented to me he does not have a view of an unchecked executive,'' Conrad said.

Another red-state Democrat, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, hasn't announced how she will vote.

Four other Democrats from states Bush won in 2004, Arkansas Senators Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln, Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico and Tom Harkin of Iowa, said they will oppose Alito. They cited concerns about his support for expanded presidential power and what they regard as his hostility to lawsuits alleging discrimination.

Fifteen of the 22 Democrats who supported the confirmation of Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. in September have now announced they will oppose Alito. Lawmakers in both parties predict Alito will receive fewer than a half-dozen Democratic votes.

In addition to the three Democrats who support Alito's confirmation, Democrats Landrieu, Pryor, Biden, Conrad and Ken Salazar of Colorado and say they oppose using a filibuster to block a Senate vote. With those eight, Republicans have the votes to stop any filibuster.


http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=aywxrpe95HpY

[Bumblebee]

1. A weekend is an eternity, esp if we try hard. Reid has to be

careful, even if he thinks there is a greater chance than people are led -- by him -- to believe. Tip the GOP early and they will pre-empt with the nuclear option before the vote on Monday. Keep downplaying it, and they won't. Even if at some point he knows he has 41, I hope he still keeps telling the reporters it's not going to happen...

PS: Also all the ridicule from GOP is surely making many of them, who are not supporting the filibuster at this point, angry. To save the collective face of the party, they may actually decide to support it if they are voting no anyway, just to prove GOP wrong. Party dynamics is a curious thing...

[understandinglife]

2. Agree. A weekend is an eternity .... fight, fight, fight, ...

Peace.

[MsLeopard]

3. Thank you!

Your insight makes a lot of sense. I've been needing something to hang onto as we suffer through the Rethug noise machine and its constant message of doom. And I have to admit, I'd never thought of like that. Gosh, I hope you're right.