Steve Clemons on Senate Vote for Cloture

[Boo Boo]

On other fronts, this is sad news. I have mixed feelings about this last minute filibuster, that should have been planned a month ago.

Alito will contribute to a vast expansion of Executive Power, and this will seriously harm our democracy. No one "owned" this battle in the progressive community, and those who rallied troops at the end were encouraged by the cynical electioneering stances of John Kerry, Hillary Clinton and others. I believe Ted Kennedy's opposition was real, as was Pat Leahy's -- but the machine against Alito should have been launched day one.

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/001211.php

[Straight Shooter]

1. Cynical electioneering stances?

Excuse me, but if it had been launched from day one, the noise from the right wing media machine would have been deafening. At least we were able to catch the Repubs off-guard for a little bit.

It never should have gotten beyond hearings. Hail Caesar.

[Totally Committed]

2. I think what he was saying is, for a battle as important as this was...

we should have done better than "catch the Repubs off-guard for a little bit". I tend to agree with him, but am so numb with it all right now, I'm going to wait until I've slept on it before I decide what it is that I do think about all of this.

But, Steve Clemons is a good guy, and knows the ins and outs of Washington very well. He has his opinion.

TC