The Spark

the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist

“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx

Alito Nomination:
An Attack on Democratic Rights by Both Parties

Jan 30, 2006

Democrats are claiming they have no way to stop the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. That’s pure bull.

Democrats may be a minority in the Senate, but they could still prevent the nomination from going to a vote. All they need are 41 votes to stop it–and there are 45 Democrats in the Senate.

Alito CLEARLY opposes a woman’s right to abortion, and any restrictions on government power or corporate power. There’s no question that he opposes everything the Democrats SAY they support. Yet they say they can’t muster the votes to stop his confirmation!

Of course they could–if they wanted to. Republicans were able to block the health care bill pushed by Clinton early in his presidency–and they were a smaller minority than the Democrats are now. Just a few months ago, a small minority of conservative Republicans were able to block Bush’s nomination of Harriet Miers to the Court–just by yelling about it.

Clearly, a deal has been cut: Democrats won’t stand in the way of Alito’s confirmation, while Republicans agreed to take a roll-call vote–so Democrats can make a big deal about their no-votes when they run for election later this year.

Why would anyone put their hopes in two-faced windbags like these?