"Dear MoveOn member,This is it — they've pulled the trigger."

Dear MoveOn member, ^ | 5/22/05 | The nuts a move-on

[Private_Sector_Does_It_Better]

Dear MoveOn member,

This is it — they've pulled the trigger.

On Tuesday May 24th, the Senate will vote on a motion to end debate on judicial nominations, and when that motion fails Senator Bill Frist will launch the "nuclear option" — an unprecedented parliamentary maneuver to break the rules of the Senate and seize absolute control over lifetime appointments to the highest courts in the land. The vote is going to be incredibly close, and there are as many as 6 votes still up in the air — more than enough to win. We must act now.

We've launched an emergency petition and, starting Monday, we'll deliver your signatures and comments to the Senate floor every three hours until the vote is complete. As the debate rages on, Senators fighting to preserve our independent courts will read your statements from the floor of congress. And every senator, every 3 hours, will receive thousands of pages from their constituents demanding that they stand up and do the right thing.

We have less than 72 hours to win this vote and save our courts. Please sign today.

http://www.moveonpac.org/nuclear?id=5554-3453262-.YMaMBGSTw8CR.UFuk0p3w&t=3

If you care about the minimum wage — and you don't want judges ruling it unconstitutional — now's the time to act.

If you care about environmental laws — and you don't want judges striking them down — now's the time to act.

If you care about your right to privacy — and you don't want the government telling your family how to live, worship, or even how to die — now's the time to act.

As the fight escalates in Congress, thousands of MoveOn members will gather outside of Senate offices and courthouses in every state in the country, staging round the clock "Citizens' Filibusters to Stop the Right Wing Power Grab." We'll also deliver your comments to all the gatherings in your state, so your words will combine with thousands of others to show the public, the media, and our representatives in Washington that we will not give up the fight for our democracy.

It's a rare moment when a vote of such importance is actually too close to call with only hours left and a real chance to win - please sign the petition and add your voice right now:

http://www.moveonpac.org/nuclear?id=5554-3453262-.YMaMBGSTw8CR.UFuk0p3w&t=4

Here's a brief summary of what's at stake.

Bill Frist, George Bush and the far wing of the Republican party are desperate to seize absolute control over all three branches of our government. For 200 years, the rules of the Senate have blocked one party from taking complete control, because the minority has always had the right to filibuster — to extend debate and delay a vote — when their basic rights were in danger. For centuries this has kept the courts fair by ensuring that judges receive at least some support from both sides of the aisle before they are confirmed for life.

Now Senator Frist wants to break the rules of the Senate and eliminate the filibuster, ending the requirement for broad support and handing absolute control over the courts to one party for the first time in our nation's history. To begin, he'll force a handful of extremists onto the powerful U.S. Courts of Appeals. But the real targets are the up to four nominations to the Supreme Court likely to come up during Bush's second term — enough seats to permanently shift the majority and strike down decades of progress on labor rights, environmental protection, privacy rights, and civil rights.

When Frist first announced his plan, it seemed like it was only a matter of time. After all, the Republicans have 55 votes in the Senate, and Frist only needs 50. But today, with 72 hours left, the vote is still too close to call. Thanks to the amazing work of MoveOn members, our partner groups, the Democratic leadership, and basic common sense three Republicans have publicly denounced Frist's plan — Sens. John McCain (AZ), Olympia Snowe (ME), and Lincoln Chafee (RO). We need just three more to win and as many as six are still on the fence, including Sens. Arlen Specter (PA), Chuck Hagel (NE), John Warner (VA), and Susan Collins (ME).

We have one last chance to raise our voice, to help our allies stand strong and convince reasonable Republicans to step back from the brink. The courts we have for decades — and the rights they protect or the rights they strike down — may well be determined by what we do now.

Please sign today.

http://www.moveonpac.org/nuclear?id=5554-3453262-.YMaMBGSTw8CR.UFuk0p3w&t=5

Thank you for all that you do,

–Ben, Marika, Matt, Justin and the MoveOn PAC Team Sunday, May 22nd, 2005

PAID FOR BY MOVEON PAC Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

[Soul Seeker]

Why wouldn't he dare?

Frist has nothing to lose in calling for a vote. The only ones that stand to lose are those that vote no. The RINO's will be targeted with the fury of the conservative base that elects them. The Red state Dems will have that vote recorded against them in their next campaigns.

The rest of the Republicans will escape our ire for doing what they were able. their careers will be safe.

[Soul Seeker]

Spectre signed the cloture motion. I think they can scratch him off their list.

Hagel floats on the wind but he did assert through a spokesperson that he would vote to end the filibuster.

Warner and Graham are the ones flirting with betrayal. Graham better think hard if he wants this to be his last senate term.

[BobL]

Actually, I give Chaffee more credit than that. He is from a total left-wing state and thus he has good reason to be moderate, although I would agree that he goes too far.

Hagel, McCain, Warner, and Graham have no reason at all to be playing footsie with the Dems, and I'd love to see them get tossed out in their next Primary (and they very well might if we lose this nuke vote because of them).

[Soul Seeker]

When a Senator chooses to identify with the Republican party, than during the election year announces he will not vote for their presidential candidate (when he could just keep his mouth shut if he prefers not to give endorsement) I give him no credit at all. It is one thing to be a Liberal Republican. It is another to use the Party to be elected, than disregard the Party to be for all intent a Democrat.

At that point the cord need to be cut.

[BobL]

"At that point the cord need to be cut."

A valid point. Chaffee may have gone over the edge there. Collins and Snowe do seem to have more class, and their state is just as liberal.

[vipervomit]

Trigger not Ed...how fitting.

[MNnice]

"If you care about the minimum wage — and you don't want judges ruling it unconstitutional — now's the time to act."

Hey! Great idea. I never thought about that one.

[BobL]

"If you care about the minimum wage — and you don't want judges ruling it unconstitutional — now's the time to act."

Easy way around that, just impose the minimum wage at the state level. Heck half of the states already do that, with higher wages than required by the feds.

Next scare tactic, please.

[kcvl]

blah, blah, blah

MoveOn is just making noise again. I am so happy that I am not the only idiot to place myself on their mailing list. lol!

[FreeKeys]

I think the minimum wage is unconstitutional.

Of course it is. Just read Article I, Section 8, and Amendment X of the Constitution. Also it's counterproductive. See: http://freedomkeys.com/minwage.htm

[BobL]

"Of course it (the minimum wage) is."

No - it is perfectly legal. But at the state level. Why do the Dems fear that so much? (and I do know the answer, by the way - it has to do with the reason all the auto jobs are moving to the south)

[Reactionary]

Ah. The smell of seething liberal soothes my savage breast.

It smells like chicken, too.

[Private_Sector_Does_It_Better]

"Ah. The smell of seething liberal soothes my savage breast."


I know it's wrong of me, but I too am really enjoying seeing the lefties out of power, confused, disoriented and seething with anger.

[shellshocked]

"It smells like chicken, too."


yes, but it smokes like snake!

[Paul Atreides]

FOX NEWS ALERT: Trent Lott's Pom-poms Burst Into Flames

[dvan]

"VOTE HERE?" I don't think so, This is their petition.

[Palladin]

Frist has a chance this week to prove that he is presidential material.

I hope he has the guts to go with the "nucular" option.

[JayNorth]

They just don't "get" the fact that most American agree with us and not them.

And that's in spite of the fact that the MSM has continuously presented it as "far-right wing idealogues who are trying to change the senate rules". I listen to ABCCNNNBCCBS from time to time just to see what they're up to and have not heard a single word about how the filibuster has been abused by the DemonRATs for the first time in history over the past five years. If the roles were reversed they would be running puff pieces on each blocked appointee listing their humble roots, all their accomplishments, and demanding that, after FIVE YEARS of waiting these qualified individuals be given an up or down vote. Instead, their silence is deafening. All I hear about these appointees from the MSM is "Bush's controversial candidate".

[politico777]

So it isn't true that the republicans filibustered the nomination of Abe Fortas and threatened a filibuster of Richard Paez? I had heard (from some reasonably reliable sources) that it was true. Do you have a source for your information that I could check?

[CyberAnt]

This is very funny .. because the RINO's are all over the place saying they are talking compromise .. but MoveOn is saying it's a done deal for the Constitutional Option ..??

And .. I happened to catch the last part of Bob Beckel's interview on FOX this morning and he was NOT a happy camper. What that told me was THERE AIN'T NO COMPROMISE - period!!!