Nebraska Senate Democrat will vote to confirm Alito

[Lyion]

http://today.reuters.com/business/newsa ... nN17382485

WASHINGTON, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Ben Nelson of Nebraska, a moderate voice in the U.S. Congress, on Tuesday became the first Senate Democrat to announce his support for conservative Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, who is expected to be confirmed later this month by the full Republican-led Senate.

"I have decided to vote in favor of Judge Samuel Alito," Nelson said in a statement issued by his office.

"I came to this decision after careful consideration of his impeccable judicial credentials, the American Bar Association's strong recommendation and his pledge that he would not bring a political agenda to the court," Nelson said.

The Senate Judiciary Committee, which held Alito's confirmation hearing last week, is expected to send President George W. Bush's nomination of Alito to the full Senate next week for anticipated confirmation.

If confirmed, Alito, 55, a federal appeals court judge since 1990, would replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who has often been the swing vote on the nine-member Supreme Court on abortion, civil rights and other social issues.

Most of the Senate's 44 Democrats and one independent are expected to oppose Alito, since many critics fear he would move the high court to the right.

But no Democrat has threatened to throw up the procedural hurdle known as a filibuster, largely because they are believed to lack the 41 votes that would be needed to sustain one in the 100-member Senate.

Last year, Nelson was among a group of 14 senators -- seven Democrats and seven Republicans -- who reached a compromise to end an impasse over some of Bush's most controversial judicial nominees. That preserved Democrats' right to block judicial nominees, but only under "extraordinary circumstances."

An aide to Nelson said the Nebraska Democrat sees no "extraordinary circumstance" that would warrant a filibuster of Alito.

Earlier on Tuesday, Democrat Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, who last week criticized Alito's membership in a Princeton University alumni group that opposed efforts to enroll more women and minorities, dropped out of an all-male, social club for Harvard students and alumni.

"He has discontinued his affiliation with it (the Owl Club)," said Laura Capps, a Kennedy spokeswoman. "He believes it is a mistake to be affiliated with it."

Disclosure of Kennedy's membership in the club drew charges from Republicans in recent days that the senator had been a hypocrite in criticizing Alito for having belonged to the now-defunct Concerned Alumni of Princeton, or CAP.

Kennedy spokeswoman Capps rejected such criticism, saying, "It's absurd to compare a social club like this one to an organization like CAP, which was established to push a political agenda to oppose enrollment of women and minorities."

Capps said Kennedy joined the Owl Club in 1954, "a year before Harvard first permitted women to take classes and long before women were fully integrated into campus life."

"No one can question Senator Kennedy's lifetime commitment in the fight for civil rights, equality and justice."

[brinstar]

yeah it's interesting here in NE, we have a strange dichotomy with our two senators

nelson is a conservative democrat

hagel is a liberal republican

[Lyion]

Actually, I wish more states had setups like that, and people didn't vote down party lines.

[brinstar]

yeah i like it too

i know it usually seems like i'm pretty liberal but in truth i like both of our senators quite a bit

in fact i'd even vote for hagel over clinton in 2008 if that's what it comes down to (and it might)

[Lionking]

yeah i like it too

i know it usually seems like i'm pretty liberal but in truth i like both of our senators quite a bit

in fact i'd even vote for hagel over clinton in 2008 if that's what it comes down to (and it might)

You're swimming upstream! The Oligarchy has been established...

George H.W. Bush

William Jefferson Clinton

George W. Bush

Hillary Bitch Clinton

Jeb Fatboy Bush

Chelsea Clinton

Bush Twin 1 or 2

and on and on and on.

Accept your fate. It is inevitable.

-Out

[Sorina S]

Actually, I wish more states had setups like that, and people didn't vote down party lines.

I wonder who'd be President if that came to pass..or who'd control Congress for that matter.

Hillary is a presidential canidate in your wet dreams boyz. There's no way, with her baggage, she will ever get the nomination. I'm a friggin lib and I'm pretty sure she broke the law in Whitewater...Forget the media hype, it won't happen.

Joe Biden is my man atm, although I don't think he can beat McCain. And to be honest either one of em beats what we got now. Two more years, we'll see.

I like Alito though. But I'm sure as shit mystified why they nominated that Texas spinster before him...Two more years...man I'm countin the days.

[Lyion]

It's too early to predict the races, but if I had to wager a guess, I'd go more for Wes Clark and Mitt Romney. The GOP won't elect Mccain, as he does not have base party support. Biden is good, but will pull a Dean, most likely.

Hillary won't survive the primaries, but is a valid VP candidate.

[Sorina S]

Yeah you raise a good point, Hillary as a VP, I almost think her stupid staments and Gore's on MLK day might have been a signal, heh, Gore/Clinton in 08? Sigh...Hillary couldn't win a bake off on the national front.

Biden is no Dean my friend, he's an extremely pragmatic man. I like him. I agree McCain is questionable, but you know what, I'd vote for him...I think alot of Dems would..and we all know it's all about winning. Anyways that's in the future, we shall see God willing~

[Lyion]

Biden is afflicted by the same disease Dean has: He loves to hear the sound of his own voice, and look at himself on TV.

Generally, people like that are not as strong as the cold, calculating politicians who guard against the blurb that will crater their goals of Presidency.

[Sorina S]

Biden is afflicted by the same disease Dean has: He loves to hear the sound of his own voice, and look at himself on TV.

Generally, people like that are not as strong as the cold, calculating politicians who guard against the blurb that will crater their goals of Presidency.

My gawd, that sounds sinister. We'll see, there's alot of politics tween now and then. Can't wait to hear what Abramoff has to say. Screw em all, I just hope for someone that genuinely cares. I don't belive we have that now.

We're in a hell of a mess, we need a leader and Dubya just ain't it. I think you underestimate Biden, which is your right. It's too early to debate this shit. At least we agree that Hillary is a smokescreen, while the friggin dems get their ducks in a row. I'd still vote for McCain though, but I voted for Carter, so I'm a sucker right? ces't la vie~