I am trying not to speak ill of some Dems but it is really hard

[saracat]

with the possibility of their rolling over on this nomination. Roberts came out publicly against the Violence Against Women Act. Can someone explain to me why I should support these Senators? It seems that nothing is able to be filibustered! Nothing is important enough. Well, This involves my constitutional rights as a citizen and I don't give a rats ass if they vote with us on other issues.I am fed up. Thank God for Kerry, but he isn't able to do much.
If they allow Roe to be overturned, I told DH, I want to get out. I am serious.I am trying to hang on, but I really don't see any support for women at the moment.What difference does it make if we get rid of Rove but have this jerk on the Court for the next thirty years? It isn't as if the next nominee is going to be a liberal.
I wish we could do something but I don't think anything matters to the rollovers, and we know who they are.

[TayTay]

1. I agree with you

I can see Sen. Reid having to be civil on his first meeting with Roberts but some Dems seem to be conceeding the nomination right now. This needs a thorough investigation. We need to quiz this guy and find out his thinking.

He may not have much of a paper trail as a Circuit Court Judge, but he sure has a paper trail as a trial attorney and as a Repub (or Rethug, maybe.)

I am glad that Kerry put out that statement. He is doing his job.
The Rethugs have already constructed their work sheet for Roberts:

Rethugs:He's very smart and went to Harvard. (So he has actually lived in a Blue State and he even went to uber-'Blue State' U. What more do you guys want?) Dems: Blow me, so did *. What does that prove? Lots of Rethugs go to Harvard, so what? What are his views on the important issues that might come before the Court?

R: We were extremely nice to that extremist liberal do-gooder Ginsberg. (And she wanted to substitute Parent's Day for Mother's Day. If there is anything more evil than libs attacking Mother's Day, well, we just can't name it.) D: You guys are fried. Saying that we have to be nice to Roberts because you didn't toast Ginsberg is like a little kid saying, 'You let her have a cookie, why can't I have a cookie too.' Grow up.

R: We won the election. We get to do anything we want. We can appoint anyone we want. Na na na na na! You can't stop us! D: Sigh! What a bunch of ignorant bastards. We want fair and thorough hearings that will delve into Roberts views. This is a lifetime appointment so we need to investigate him. This is a constitutional obligation of the Senate.

Did I miss any of the talking points? Feel free to add on.

[rox63]

2. Apparently Joe Loserman is already on board with Roberts

Apparently, Joementum mentioned Roberts as someone he'd find acceptable in the days leading up to *'s announcement of his nomination. And if Loserman thinks Roberts is just swell, where do you think the other conservative Dems will land? Probably right where * wants them. :mad:

[Mass]

3. So is Feinstein, from what I read.

Seems the 7 are already saying that they dont think he is a good fit for a filibuster.

But, once again, yesterday, GDP was full of threads saying that we should confirm him quickly and move on and focus on other things; as if the Dems could not do two things at the same time. So, I am not sure people will be that shocked if the Dems do not make this a battle for our rights (not to speak the number of threads saying that we should abandon Roe vs Wade as a political move against the Republicans).

[TayTay]

4. Sigh! Let me guess

Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Byrd (D-WV)
Carper (D-DE)
Conrad (D-ND)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reid (D-NV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Stabenow (D-MI)

They voted FOR the Bankruptcy Bill. I gotta feeling.

[JohnKleeb]

7. I wouldnt use the bankruptcy bill to use as a prediction for Roberts

Especially with Biden who has a history of being critical of most controversial judicial picks, not all though, but Biden is mostly on the correct side of judges.

[sandnsea]

5. This is time to peel an onion

One layer at a time. Patiently. I don't think most of the country even knows there's been a nominee, when they find out it probably shouldn't be along with and "democrats are threatening filibuster". Most people would see that as pure partisanship. Peel the onion, one awful thing after another, gain a consensus against the guy. Then, at the right time, talk filibuster.

[karynnj]

6. Sounds sensible to me

I would imagine the liberal Senators are trying to get information, not just on Roberts but an likely alternatives. As they get more information, one thing I imagine they need to assess is how bad Roberts is compared to the likely alternatives Bush would push if the Democrats did filibuster.

This is why, on the other hand, it surprises me that Lieberman and others are going out of their way to approve him now. Just as it would be premature to threaten a filibuster now, isn't it better to reserve statements of approval until he is thoroughly investigated (esp as he has a very short record.) With Lieberman, could it be a promise on the submarine base?

[sandnsea]

8. Lieberman *sigh*

How do you get Lieberman and Dodd out of the same state? It's a puzzlement. Yes, it's too soon for him to be talking approval. From a strictly Democratic position, the guy isn't anywhere near Democratic views. He's not mainstream, at all. So I don't understand giving him glowing reports. I'd be saying, 'he's a conservative, I don't believe he's mainstream, so I'm not voting for him. But he'll probably get the nomination.' No need to threaten filisubster right now, but also no need to pretend conservative is just as good as liberal. It's not, or we'd all be Republicans.

[whometense]

9. Lieberman -

I don't get it. His constituents can't be pleased to be hearing him say that.

But I agree with Sandansea - it would do the dems no good to come roaring out of the gate on this guy. That might work well against an outright loony, but this guy - geez, has anyone else noticed the superficial similarities to John Edwards?

John Roberts - John Edwards!
High school football star - High school football star!
Worked in a cotton mill - Worked in a steel mill!
White boy good looks - White boy good looks!
Two adorable little kids - Two adorable little kids!

Weird. Anyway, if they hope to undermine the nom it will have to be a research job. Save the screaming for the screaming nominees.

[Mass]

10. That struck me too.

I was wondering to what point this was part of BushCo thinking when they selected him. They saw that people liked the profile and thought that this would diminish the opposition.

[whometense]

11. I wonder too.

It seems too weird to be coincidental.

Hey - John Edwards had no real government background and people liked him! But you can't be mean to anyone so cute.

Or something like that. It made me feel kind of ill, actually, when that struck me. Not to be mean to John Edwards, who seems to be a genuinely good guy, but who I never thought for an instant ought to be president, but god. Edwards has his wonderful, wonderful wife and a truly horrific tragedy in his background that give him grit and substance.

This guy is like Edwards-lite. Mr. White Bread.

[Mass]

12. It did not escape to the Washington Post either

in an interesting article on how Roberts's image was a little too well prepared.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/21/AR2005072102347.html

(Who among us did a double take? Two cute blond children with a boyish-looking father getting ready to take the lectern -- Jack Edwards? Emma Claire? Is that you? Are all little boys now named Jack?)

[whometense]

13. Thanks for pointing that out!

Quite a bit of (well-deserved) snark in there:

His wife and children stood before the cameras, groomed and glossy in pastel hues -- like a trio of Easter eggs, a handful of Jelly Bellies, three little Necco wafers.

I looked at his wife's CV online, and she graduated from college in 1976. Pretty young kids for someone her age...

[Mass]

14. The kids are adopted, according to Wikipedia.

[saracat]

15. So Roberts bought some props?

Always be prepared.And notice he has adopted perfect "white" children who appear to be healthy.I wonder what that cost him?