Dem senator: 'Not inclined to filibuster' Gorsuch

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill



BY JORDAIN CARNEY - 03/27/17 11:01 AM EDT

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is signaling that he could buck Democratic leadership and help President Trump's Supreme Court nominee clear a 60-vote threshold in the Senate.

“I am not inclined to filibuster, even though I’m not inclined to vote for him," Leahy — a former ranking member on the Judiciary Committee — told a Vermont news outlet.

Neil Gorsuch will need 60 votes — including the support of at least eight Democratic senators — to overcome an initial procedural hurdle. GOP leadership has refused to rule out using the "nuclear" option, which would allow Gorsuch and future Supreme Court nominees to clear the Senate with only a simple majority. Leahy warned Republicans against going nuclear, saying that eliminating the 60-vote threshold to end debate on a nominee "hurts everybody."

“I was very reluctant to see us the use nuclear option, though I don’t think we would have seen any of President Obama’s judges go through without it," he told VTDigger.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/325890-dem-senator-not-included-to-filibuster-gorsuch

[Maven]

1. Why We Lose Against Republican Scum: Exhibit A. nt

[kacekwl]

2. Cut the B.S. Senator,

are you going to vote for him or not ? Inclined is a bullshit word.

[yallerdawg]

3. Leahy is still clinging to a delusion.

The Republicans went nuclear on Obama for six years.

There is no civil, cordial, thoughtful Senate anymore.

It is all scorched earth now.

[yurbud]

22. the only thing Dems have to gain from filibustering Gorsuch is trust of voters

[KingCharlemagne]

26. +Infinity - nt

[zentrum]

4. Spoke to his office

Last edited Mon Mar 27, 2017, 12:19 PM - Edit history (1)

...this morning. He doesn't like to use methods that can hurt the Dems later yada yada.

I told the person who picked up the phone that Gorsuch will hurt all of us for the next 30 years, long after Trump and Leahy and all of them are out of office and to please stay united with the Democratic leadership and to filibuster if needed.

Call him: 1-802-863-2525

[WePurrsevere]

7. Well done. Also if Republicans go nuclear it will hurt them too eventually. nt

[Amaryllis]

17. THey seem to be operating under the delusion that the pubs will not go nuclear if they wait till

the next time to filibuster. Sen. Merkley said that is completely delusional. But of course we know that.

[zentrum]

18. Heard on NPR

...this morning that he is rated as more conservative than Scalia. Good God.

This is a horror show for the country if his nomination goes through.

[JudyM]

19. Yes, he is, and he's young.

[zentrum]

21. He's got over 30 years

...in him.

[harun]

5. Dem's don't need to block him forever but if they don't block for at least a year I am done with

them.

This was Obama's pick.

[FBaggins]

35. Prepare to be "done with them" then

There is no chance of blocking him for a year.

[still_one]

6. I guess you had no problem with Cheney telling you to "go fuck yourself"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3699-2004Jun24.html

Maybe it is time Senator Leahy that you grow up, and recognize the reality of the situation. If you cannot understand why taking this stand is more important now than at any other time, maybe it is time for you to retire and move out of the way

[vi5]

8. Hey, don't get mad he has to please the conservative voters in his red state!

There's just no way to get a more progressive Dem elected in some states!! People have to remember that! Take a civics class!!


Oh. Wait. What?

[Stand and Fight]

20. *Snort* Mic drop.

[nevergiveup]

9. and so it begins

[zentrum]

11. Really really

..shocked by Leahy.

Please call his office. A person actually picked up the phone earlier today. Burlington.

1-802-863-2525.

Also called Durbin in Illinois, because he hasn't publicly declared. Another shock. Send some spine to these folks:

1-309-786-5173

[sprinkleeninow]

32. I did do. Left comments w/ Leahy's staff. Said Dems

should not show tolerance and not 'do nice'. I mentioned what about when cheney*dick told the senator to go expletive himself. And that gorsuck* would be worse than scalia*.

Then rang up Sen. Durbin and said block gorsuck*.

(I'm getting pooped out from all of this, but Ima persistent kid. Takin' a lickin' and keep ona tickin'.)

[OnDoutside]

34. Well done you. If the Reps pull the Filibuster, then it's gone for them too, when they are next in

opposition.

[FBaggins]

36. That was the point that some of us tried to make when Reid started this ball rolling originally

The odd thing is that it's many of the same people who were pushing it then who are having trouble living with the consequences.

[OnDoutside]

37. Over the long term this can be a good thing, provided the Democratic Party does get off its butt and

re-energise their supporters for the long term. We all know that there are more moderate to progressive voters out there, if they can be encouraged to get out and vote all the time.

[zentrum]

38. Thanks sprinkleeninow!

Their goal is to wear us down and exhaust us. Your post spurs me to make more calls today!

[Demsrule86]

10. Go on twitter and shut his twitter down with tweets about how he could face a primary

if he does this. Let's use social media to our advantage.

[zentrum]

12. Good idea.

Here's his Burlington Number.

1-802-863-2525

[elmac]

13. any dem who goes with tRump should be primaried. NT

[Laffy Kat]

29. Yes! This should be shouted from the rooftops loud and clear. nt

[Demsrule86]

14. use twitter to show him what a bad move that would be...

make it go viral...also do Leahy.

[QC]

15. This is why we can't have nice things. n/t

[NurseJackie]

16. Scorched Earth, Baby! SCORCHED EARTH!! Screw those bastards! You know, I'm still amazed ...

... that as recently as this past weekend, someone was all up on their high-horse quoting Michelle Obama's "we go high" proverb and wagging their finger at me. It's been shown time and time again that "going high" is a sign of weakness.

[Dawson Leery]

23. As a fan of Senator Leahy, it may be time for his retirement.

Vermont is DARK BLUE. No need to play nice with the Rethugs.
Manchin, Heitkamp, and Donnelly, I can understand, (Tester can filibuster as Montanans love politicos who do not tow the line)
but Leahy?

[diva77]

24. California is blue too, yet Feinstein won't divulge where she stands on this

what in the world is in it for her???

k&R for visibility

Please call her office!!!!!!

Los Angeles
11111 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 915
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

331 Hart Senate Office Building. Washington, D.C. 20510. Phone: [phone]. Fax: [phone].

San Francisco
One Post Street, Suite 2450
San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

San Diego
880 Front Street, Suite 4236
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Fresno
2500 Tulare Street, Suite 4290
Fresno, CA 93721
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

[sprinkleeninow]

33. Oh, c'mon. Not Feinstein too. Will give her a ringy dingy later today.

Ya know what? All of our efforts will pay off some way, somehow. I said to a dear friend, where we born for a time such as this?

[zentrum]

39. But she said...

.....she'd vote no on him. Right?

I guess I'm not getting the distinctions.

My memory of her is that she's got to be watched closely and often compromises too much. Thanks for the numbers. I'll call her too.

[diva77]

42. It's like she has the blinders on - she's giving the process every consideration as if it were legit

She refuses to say how she'll vote and whether she'll filibuster as well as long as the hearings are still in committee.

[sprinkleeninow]

43. Jumpin' jehosaphat. What the frick. Whatta... Can't

hardly finish my words.
She's got the power.
Wait and see whattt?
We're out here bustin'our azzz.
Geez, whose team are you playing on?

Had to let off some percolatin'. Nevertheless, WE SHALL PREVAIL!!
🇺🇸✊

[KingCharlemagne]

25. hes way past his sell-by date. That ship sailed when they refused to bring

Garland to the floor.

Leahy is USELESS.

[RoadhogRidesAgain]

27. Primary the shit out of him

[pfitz59]

28. Leahy will be dead long before Gorsuch hits his stride

time for new blood in Vermont!

[DonCoquixote]

30. no surprise

Once again, we see that anytime the Democrats actually have unity against the Republicans, some Democrats cannot help but want to make nice. We just had a major victory, albeit one that was probably achieved more by the people threatened to vote Democrats out of office them by any amount of suddenly grown spine achieved by Democrats. Immediately there is the concern, like the one thread here are the called celebration unseemly.

Never forget what Obama learned the hard way, there are many Democrats who are more than happy to just take a paycheck and say "those mean old Republicans are just too strong for us to do anything against." Let's say we know with 100% certainty that Neil will get in. Indeed, I think that we should already make posters with this fellow's callow, cadaver like face with the inscription "those who did not vote for Hillary put me in the Supreme Court!" When, not if, when he abuses a court decision to go after Roe V Wade, we should also show a picture of his face. So, why should we still fight this?

Because we need to extract every ounce of blood sweat and tears from our enemy that we can. We need to make sure that every victory they win is costly, leaving them with less energy to make future victories. We need to go ahead and string a chain of defeats so that we can lead up to 2018 and 2020, because that is what will get people out of their seats to vote.

If we're going to have any hope of rebuilding the nation but Steve Bannon and Donald Trump are in the active process of destroying we need to remind the Democrats that they serve us; the days of taking a paycheck just to be a performer, to be the fake pro wrestler that gets pin by one of Vince McMahon's superstars, are over. They can lead, they can follow, or they can get the hell out of the way, or they can take option number four, which is to get rolled over flat as a pancake but the momentum we are building. If they want to be roadkill, let them be roadkill!

[zentrum]

40. His office

...told me he didn't want to use the filibuster because it might come back later to bite the Democrats at some future time.

This is the kind of thinking that has so weakened our power over time. The Republicans will always do whatever the hell they want to the Dems. Will filibuster or shut down the government, or make "deals" and renege at the last minute, no matter how nice the Dems are.

Dems have got to take a strong stand and stick to it, because the Repugs will be SOB's no matter what.

Leahy still thinks that if you bring a pen to a knife fight you can make the other guy bring a pen too.

[Bradical79]

41. Yes, it's backwards thinking

If you don't want to use the filibuster on something this damaging because of fear of future backlash, you should have just pushed to eliminate it entirely while President Obama was in charge. Maybe we should have anyway seeing as how the Republicans gave up any pretense of compromise, and would likely use the "nuclear" option to get their man into such an important position regardless.

[Stargleamer]

31. so, Sen. Leahy, it was just fine with you that Republicans. ..

blocked Merrick Garland from the Court. No need to hold them accountable for that.

WTF is this? He's just letting them get away with it, without even a whimper.