CALIFORNIA YANKEE

Chafee Will Vote Against Alito

Rhode Island Senator Lincoln Chafee announced he will vote against the confirmation of Judge Alito.

He is the only member of the Republican Party to announce that he will vote against Alito. 

During his 2000 campaign, Chafee said that he would not vote for a supreme court nominee who did not pledge to affirm Roe v. Wade.

Chafee re-affirmed his commitment not to support a filibuster of the nomination.

California Yankee continues to track Senators' positions on Alito's confirmation here.

Biden Joins Kerry's Filibuster

Delaware's Senator Joe joined Senators Feinstein and Reid in flip flopping to say he will now support the filibuster attempt against Alito's confirmation, even though he knows it will fail.

"I think a filibuster make sense when you have a prospect of actually succeeding," Biden said on CNN's Late Edition.

There are still six Democratic Senators who have said they will not support a filibuster against Alito's confirmation:

Akaka, Conrad, Dorgan, Landrieu, Pryor and Salazar.

Then there are the three Democrats who have announced they will vote for Alito's confirmation - Byrd, Johnson and Ben Nelson.

No Republican senator will support Kerry's filibuster. Even the two Republicans that haven't revealed whether they will vote for Alito's confirmation, Chafee and Snowe, say they will oppose a filibuster.

That leaves 64 votes to end the filibuster regardless of which side of the filibuster fence Senators Bayh, Cantwell, Lautenberg, Menendez and Rockefeller fall on.

California Yankee continues to track Senators' positions on Alito's confirmation here.

Obama Criticizes Democrats Stalling Tactic

Illinois Senator Barack Obama criticizes Democrats' stalling tactics and predicts Kerry's filibuster to block a final vote on Alito would fail:

"We need to recognize, because Judge Alito will be confirmed, that, if we're going to oppose a nominee that we've got to persuade the American people that, in fact, their values are at stake," Obama said.

"There is an over-reliance on the part of Democrats for procedural maneuvers," he told ABC's "This Week."

Even though Obama, like Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Senators Joe Biden of Delaware and Charles Schumer of New York, is critical of Kerry's stalling tactics, he nevertheless says he will support Kerry's filibuster to block a confirmation vote on Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito.

Senator Obama also said the Democrats rely too heavily on procedural maneuvers like filibusters and Democrats could do a better job of persuading the American people directly.

Just two days ago, Obama told the Quad-City Times editorial board the filibuster is largely a symbolic motion:

I have to tell you that the votes are probably not there for a filibuster. My understanding is that at least seven Democrats have announced that they won’t be supportive, which means at most we get 38 votes. It’s largely a symbolic vote. The question is whether we’re going to vote once or twice against Alito. I’ve already said that I will not be supporting his nomination.

[. . .]

My argument is, at this point, that Alito’s going to be on the bench and we should focus on issues of health care and education. In some ways, the filibuster is largely a symbolic motion. I haven’t yet determined whether or not that symbolism is worth it.

Perhaps Obama is right, the Democrats might be able to do a better job of persuading the American people. They won't do that by tilting at windmills Alito.

Saddam Ordered WMD Strike On Israel

The Jerusalem Post reports Saddam ordered Israeli population centers attacked with chemical weapons during the first Gulf War.

General Georges Sada, former deputy of the Iraqi air force,  ordered 96 Russian fighter jets to be armed with chemical weapons and sent to bomb Israel.

Sada revealed Saddam's order to use chemical weapons in recently published book, Saddam's Secrets.

In the book, Sada also claims that Iraq's chemical weapons were taken to Syria aboard civilian Iraqi "Boeing" airplanes, flying under the guise of humanitarian aid, just prior to the US invasion.

Sada isn't the first general to say Saddam transferred WMD's, or at least material related to the arms programs, to Syria. In December, it was reported that retired Israeli Lieutenant General Moshe Yaalon, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Force from July 2002 to June 2005, says Saddam “transferred the chemical agents from Iraq to Syria."
he had seen such reports.

Two years ago it was reported that Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. James Clapper, head of the National Imagery and Mapping Agency, said vehicle traffic photographed by U.S. spy satellites indicated that material and documents related to the arms programs were shipped to Syria.

Saddam's Trial Continues

The trial's new chief judge, Raouf Rasheed Abdel-Rahman, attemted to establish order in the courtroom, saying that he would not tolerate any defendants making political speeches or disobeying his authority.

His predecessor, Judge Rizgar Amin, had resigned after criticism that he had been too lenient towards the defendants.

CNN reports Rahman told the court that "political speeches" would not be tolerated:

"Any accused who oversteps the line will be thrown out of court and will be tried in absentia."

Then the histrionics began. Hassan, Hussein's half brother and former chief of intelligence, launched into a lengthy complaint about his medical condition and treatment and challenged the court's legitimacy, calling it the "daughter of a whore."

Hassan was forcibly removed from the courtroom.

According to the BBC, Judge Rahman told the defense lawyers that they had contributed to the atmosphere that allowed defendants to think they could make lengthy speeches and disrespect the authority of the court.

Next, one of the defense attorneys began screaming at Judge Rahmanand and was ejected from the court. The rest of Saddam's defence team walked out, despite the judge warning "any lawyer who walks out will not be allowed back into this courtroom."

Judge Rahman then appointed four new defense attorneys and Saddam started acting like Saddam telling the judge that he wanted to leave and be tried in absentia:

"I want to leave the court," Saddam demanded of the judge, who in turn ordered the former leader out.

"I led you for 35 years and you order me out of the court?" Saddam responded angrily.

"I am the judge, you are the defendant. You have to obey me," the judge hit back.

He accused Judge Rahman of abusing his rights as a defendant who was "innocent until proven guilty".

As the argument became more heated Saddam banged his hands on the dock and hurled insults at the judge.

Eventually, the judge said that Saddam should also be removed and he was led from the court too, shouting "Down with the traitors!" as he went.

After Saddam and two other defendants left, testimony resumed.

A witness testified her family was detained and she and her husband were tortured following the failed assassination attempt in Dujail. Her husband, she said, was killed.

She named two defendants still in the courtroom as being involved -- Ali Dayem Ali and Mizhir Abdullah Kadhim Ruwayid.

The trial was adjourned until Wednesday.

Saddam and seven others are on trial for the 1982 killing of 148 villagers following an assassination attempt on Saddam in the village of Dujail.

The defense attorneys are making a circus of this proceeding. They need to be held in contempt of court until the proceedinis over or until the agree to act in a civil manner in the court.

Weicker Backs Lamont

In December, former Connecticut Governor and U.S. Senator Lowell Weicker said if no one challenges Senator Lieberman in the 2006 election, he would consider running.

According to the Greenwich Times, Weicker now says he will back Ned Lamont, a Greenwich Democrat and millionaire cable company owner, who is considering challenging Lieberman for the Democratic nomination:

"I can assure you, if Ned Lamont wins the Democratic nomination for United States Senate, at that point I would be gladly willing to step aside," Weicker said.

[. . .]

"I think he'd make a terrific candidate," Weicker said of Lamont, who could not be reached for comment. "I wish him all the best."

Lamont was chairman of Connecticut's Investment Advisory Council, when Weicker was governor.

Weicker remains a political maverick saying he would run as an Independent in a race against Lieberman.

Reid Concedes Dems Lack The Votes

Reuters reports Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said  Democrats lack the votes to block Judge Alito's confirmation:

"Everyone knows there is not enough votes to support a filibuster," Reid said, referring to the procedural roadblock that some Democrats wanted to use to put off a vote on Alito.

Even after Senators Feinstein and Reid flipped flopped and decided they would now support Kerry's filibuster against Alito, there are still seven Democratic Senators who have said they will not support a filibuster against Alito's confirmation:

Akaka, Biden, Conrad, Dorgan, Landrieu, Pryor and Salazar.

Then there are the three Democrats who have announced they will vote for Alito's confirmation - Byrd, Johnson and Ben Nelson.

No Republican senator will support Kerry's filibuster. Even the two Republicans that haven't revealed whether they will vote for Alito's confirmation, Chafee and Snowe, say they will oppose a filibuster.

According to the Boston Globe, Kerry won't find more than 30 votes:

But high-ranking Senate aides said the best Kerry and Kennedy can hope for is to persuade 25 or 30 Democrats to sign on -- well short of the 41 votes they need to lock in unlimited Senate debate and kill the nomination.

Reid said he would support Kerry's filibuster "to at least send a message." Sadly, the message is that the Democrats are obstructionist sore losers.

California Yankee continues to track Senators' positions on Alito's confirmation here.

UPDATE: I just noticed Durbin was listed in the seven Democratic Senators who have said they will not support a filibuster against Alito's confirmation. The error, left over from an earlier draft has been corrected.

Pryor Leaves Nine

Senator Pryor's announcement that he will vote against Alito's confirmation, along with Senator Conrad's announcement that "he is leaning toward voting for Judge Samuel Alito," and Senator Stevens finally announcing he will vote for Alito's confirmation, leaves nine senators unaccounted for:

Bayh (D - IN), Cantwell (D - WA), Chafee (R - RI), Dorgan (D - ND), Landrieu (D - LA)Lautenberg (D - NJ), Menendez (D - NJ), Rockefeller, (D - WV) and Snowe (R - ME).

Five of the nine - Chaffee, Dorgan, Landrieu, Rockefeller and Snowe - voted for the confirmation of Chief Judge Roberts. Judge Alito might still receive sixty votes for confirmation.

California Yankee continues to track Senators' positions on Alito's confirmation here.

Status

I am attending a conference in New York City. Posting will be sporadic until the weekend.

Originally posted 1/26/2006 at 6:00 AM.

At Least Nine Dems Will Vote Against Kerry's Filibuster

At least nine Senate Democrats will vote to end Kerry's filibuster against judge Alito's confirmation.

In addition to the three Democrats who say they will vote for Judge Alito's confirmation - Byrd, Johnson and Ben Nelson, Bloomberg reports  Democrats Landrieu, Pryor, Conrad, Feinstein and Salazar have said they oppose using a filibuster to block a Senate vote.

Senator Akaka has also said he won't support a filibuster against Alito's confirmation.

California Yankee continues to track Senators' positions on Alito's confirmation here.