When Feinstein listed all the terrible things he will likely do

[BigmanPigman]

I thought I would cry. I am so depressed. I guess L will lose my home to pay for my preexisting conditions now. He'll probably make it illegal to take me off life support too. I hate him. He will let tRump fire Mueller and not be indicted, semi automatics will be in classrooms, women will get ill from crappy abortions, gay rights will be over, nothing will be regulated, etc. and that isn't even getting into his crazy partisanship, conspiracies, revenge, devotion to the fake prez, raping a woman, lying constantly, showing disrespect to senators, women and fathers of gun victims.

[bdamomma]

1. nt

[anarch]

2. the real problem is, there's a sizable segment of the population who hear this and think "hell yeah!

For far too many people, those are excellent qualifications, not horrible risks to our civil rights and our nation's integrity.

[BigmanPigman]

5. And far too many people don't even know who Kavanaugh is.

I wish I were blissfully ignorant, I would sleep better.

[samplegirl]

3. We are all so sad!

😭😭😭😭😭

[Johonny]

4. The GOPers think they're getting an end to Roe V Wade, but what they're really getting

is no worker protections, no labor protections, no environmental protections, no equal rights protections, higher health care costs, predatory lending, economic instability, the end of voting rights...

But hey they'll blame Dems for it all because they're fucking stupid.

[BigmanPigman]

7. And a lot of politically clueless Americans

will believe them since they heard it repeated a thousand times on Fux News.

[bdamomma]

6. I came here

first before turning on the TV, so did they vote this POS in yet?

[BigmanPigman]

8. Sort of, 3:30 they finally vote.

Collins said Yes but could vote NO. Flake and Murkowski voted Yes and so did Manchin. They could all change their minds and vote differently.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. Today's vote is only a cloture vote - that is, a vote to end debate.

The actual confirmation vote is next week.

[bdamomma]

13. Did any of the

Democratic Senators from the Committee say anything esp, Senator Whitehouse?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. Just keep in mind: He would be only one of nine justices.

And the Supreme Court gets involved in legislative matters only when issues of constitutionality are raised. He's a terrible choice for the Supreme Court but he will not single-handedly have the power to do all, or any, of those things because a majority of the court would have to agree with him. Keep in mind also that the Supreme Court agrees to hear only a tiny fraction of the cases that are presented to them (recent statistics: 2.8%). The Chief Justice, not an individual justice, decides who is to write a majority opinion in any of the small number of cases they do hear. There are a lot of institutional controls in place. He's a bad choice because his appointment casts doubt on the selection process and his partisanship is likely to damage the court's reputation for impartiality, but he will have no more power than any of the other justices.

[bdamomma]

11. is that right???

geez, thank you explaining that to me, but can you imagine how the women Justices are going to feel??? RBG hopes she kicks him in the balls.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

16. I'm not saying they'll like it, and I have to wonder how the other justices will react.

I expect they will be polite and cordial because the court can't function very well if they are overtly hostile toward each other. RBG actually had a very friendly relationship with Scalia even though they didn't agree on much, but Kavanaugh would come in with a huge cloud over his head. None of this disastrous mess would have been necessary at all if they hadn't insisted on that guy. There are plenty of other conservative judges out there without enough skeletons in their closet to fill a graveyard.

[samplegirl]

21. Thank you

This is more surely very frightening to many of us!

[BigmanPigman]

12. I actually feel better after reading that.

Thank you!

[bdamomma]

14. me too

thank you velveteen

[Charlotte Little]

29. Wishful thinking

Every right wing organization in this country will do everything in their power to advance their wet-dream causes to the supreme court knowing that Gorsuch and Kavanaugh will side with them. While Kavanaugh alone doesn't have the power, he is the final bookend to what will be a very conservative (and partisan) court.

I don't want anyone to panic, but downplaying the ramifications of this justice pick is naive at best, utterly dishonest at worst.

The stakes have never been higher. I yelled my voice hoarse back in 2016 arguing with every idiot I knew who planned to vote third party because s/he couldn't hold h/her nose long enough to cast a vote for Hillary.

2016 was our chance to stop this. Now, we rely on a miracle.

[SWBTATTReg]

32. Thanks for clarifying. I'm surprised it's 2.8% of cases. I wonder how many of the ...

millions of court cases heard in the 'real world' are remanded upwards to them, which quite a few will be knocked back down to the lower courts to redo/etc., and of these remaining (to the Supreme Court), a tiny percentage as you say, only 2.8% of them are heard. I'm surprised it's this high.

If it is too high a number, I don't see how they could even handle the load...

[byronius]

39. Excellent comment.

[rurallib]

41. While that is true, 3 of those pretty much line right up with Kavanaugh

already. This would leave a very "conservative" (that word really doesn't convey their politics - "authoritarian racist" maybe?) John Roberts as the "swing" vote.

So while Kavie is one of nine he is the crazy cornerstone to the set they have built over the past 30 years. There is more than ample reason to be quite concerned.

Plus all of the crazies are pretty young. Off the top of my head I think Thomas is the old man at @68, Roberts is @ 63, Alito is @ 55 with Kavanaugh @53 and Gorsuch @ 51. Most SCOTUS justices last until 85 these days. This means that they may have at least 18 years together and Kavie, Gorsuch and Alito are looking at 30+ more years.

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer

[joshcryer]

15. She was so powerful.

Clear and concise.

[calimary]

34. She does have her moments, doesn't she.

She’s not perfect. Sometimes too deliberative. Sometimes too cautious. But overall, good.

[WhiteTara]

17. women will die from crappy abortions

[BigmanPigman]

18. I was going to write that but thought someone would criticize me for exaggerating.

I made a pin several weeks ago with Kavanaugh's name with a red slash through it and a little coat hanger hanging from it. It swings when I move and have had a lot of good/positive conversations with strangers about it. We all hate him.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

19. Overturning Roe v. Wade would not make all abortions illegal; instead it would allow states

to restrict or outlaw them. That's why state elections are as important as federal ones. We need to devote as much effort as possible to electing pro-choice state legislators.

[CTyankee]

33. Yes, the women in red states will suffer...

and , as usual, they will be among the poorest and least able to afford to travel to a blue state.

[CousinIT]

20. Women will DIE from crappy abortions. n/t

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

22. Keep your chin up teach'

Everything always looks worse at the beginning. Turn the tv off? America isn't going to fold bc of these guys. If we have to war like it's the late 1800's...then that's what we have to do. It's a slow motion train wreck. There's no need to stress yourself about things you can't change today. Sorry you're distressed.
There's no better reason now, to disconnect the cable/satellite and start un-hooking from all things corporate that we can to make it hurt. There's no reason to watch the propaganda everyday. Deep breathe buddy.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

23. That's the right attitude, I think. It's time to fight back but with the understanding

that it will be a long, slow, tough battle. The civil rights movement took decades and had some successes but obviously it's not really over yet. The women's movement started in the early '70s and although progress has been made we are seeing setbacks because the old white guys aren't liking it. Be angry but don't be discouraged.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

25. Thanks

The real kick in the 'nads is that we fought all these battles already...and won. Now, bc our enemy Russia, and the folks who love them, will force us to fight alllll over again instead of America having a peaceful advance to better days after an Obama and Clinton presidency. And we won the correct way.
The gop mantra...if you can't win. Cheat. If that's what it takes...wait till the educated side of America starts cheating as well. They havent seen anything yet. We'll show them "liberal tears."
I'm going for a stroll. Have a good weekend everyone.

[BigmanPigman]

24. Thanks, I'll have positive thoughts...

like maybe there will be a sudden outbreak of a new, highly contagious strain of flu in the GOP meeting room. That makes me smile!

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

26. It's going to be ok. The youth of America just got a wake-up call.

We had it all set for them...now it's THEIR turn to invest some skin in the game. Hopefully, they learned something from computer games and facebook likes. We shall see.

[BigmanPigman]

28. Have you seen this?

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

36. Heh heh. Too bad they can't pay the bills and feed themselves w fb 'likes'...

Never thought I'd be so glad to see an old man in the mirror. Let's see what they've got. My guess? Nothing. Suddenly they'll claim to be repubs., and sit on their fannies more. There's always the military, and 4 slave-wage jobs apiece for them I suppose. Pretty disappointing, but, WE are going to be ok. Groaning..My gods.
The gravy train and promise of America...just went Red Dawn on them. Ugh.
Yo kids...they're hands...not magic wands, and we can't save you anymore. How do you "like" them apples? Let us older folks know w a cute fb post and a picture?...Or maybe a meme? Put a stamp on it though, bc, we won't be online w you.
Shut the lights off, and lock the doors when you go. (And turn down the heat...we aren't heating the outdoors anymore...YOU are.)

[mythology]

27. Depression is a fairly useless emotion. Get angry instead

Vote, protest, support local candidates and issues. Find small changes you can make to make the world a better place.

We didn't get here overnight, we can't fix it overnight. But the only way that we guarantee we can't win is to give up.

We fought a civil war to free slaves and yet it took 100 years to secure blacks the right to vote, the right to a seat on a damn bus, the right to decent public education. The fight for justice isn't linear, no fight is. It's about pushing, scratching, clawing, going over, around or through obstacles.

[BigmanPigman]

30. Oh, I am plenty angry, believe me.

I have been a big activist, you should read my posts under Activist Headquarters. I am angry and depressed and stubborn...RESIST!

[homegirl]

40. If I am correct

black men got the vote long before women, I think it was about 50 years.

[cwydro]

31. Weren't you the same poster who instructed others

not to post “downer” posts?

[BigmanPigman]

35. It isn't over yet!

I won't be calling since the mailboxes are all full. Since Manchin and Collins are iffy and there is a chance and I will send them emails since they will still get through before 3:30 and definitely by tomorrow.

Here is Manchin's email contact info...
https://www.manchin.senate.gov/contact-joe/email-joe

And here is Collins's...
https://www.collins.senate.gov/contact

P.ease keep trying to contact them. We can still stop this RW nut! RESIST!

[demmiblue]

37. Yes. n/t

[Bernardo de La Paz]

38. Never despair. Carry on. Remain calm. . . . nt

[unitedwethrive]

42. Easier said than done.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

43. Yes. But just do it (be it). Results will be better and you will feel better

Change the things you can.
Let go of the things you can't change.
Grant you the wisdom to tell the two apart.