Roberts is your political death

In the interests of full and honest disclosure, I have to tell you all at this time that I am working part-time raising funds for the Democratic National Committee. I really enjoy this, as I get to do my activist thing, raise money for the party (even though I’m not a registered Democrat), and best of all, talk to people all over the country.

Let me tell you folks, and you Senators Feingold, Clinton, Leiberman, all of you, every single person that I have talked to over the last week has been screaming in my ear:

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU PEOPLE DOING??”

These folks are upset, they are angry, and they are not going to vote for you. Take my word for it. These people don’t care about your Gang of 14, they want you to vote NO.

A vote for Roberts is a nail in your political coffin.

(Screaming, I’m telling you, pissed off and just screaming.)

Market watch: not so good

So you think everything is just ducky and we don’t face utter ruin? Here’s the latest tear from the ticker at MarketWatch:

U.S. leading indicators fall 0.2%

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - A gauge of future economic activity declined in August for the second straight month, falling 0.2%, the Conference Board said Thursday ... Economists surveyed by MarketWatch were expecting the leading index to fall 0.3% ... Over the past six months, the leading index has increased 0.4%, with half of the 10 indicators improving. The index is designed to forecast economic activity six to nine months ahead.

In a separate report, the Labor Department said first-time jobless claims rose by 8,000 to 432,000 last week, putting the total number of Katrina-related claims at 214,000

Jobless claims surge on Katrina ... Initial claims increase by 8,000 to 432,000

About 103,000 of the new unadjusted claims were related to Hurricane Katrina, a department spokesman said. So far, about 214,000 claims related to Katrina have been filed in the three weeks since the storm struck.

That's a huge amount of people out of work, both for natural (Hurricane Katrina) and unnatural reasons (Bush administration).

Now Feingold turns

This just in (via The Capitol times):

WASHINGTON (AP) - Wisconsin Sens. Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl said Thursday they would vote to confirm John Roberts as chief justice, with both senators saying they were reassured by the nominee's commitment to upholding precedent.

"This has not been an easy decision, but I believe it is the correct one," said Feingold, a Democrat and possible presidential candidate, at a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting.

Added Kohl, also a Democrat, "I will vote my hopes and not my fears."

Here's a fear for you: start packing, you just lost your next Senate race.

Just say no

Will Rogers was once asked what political party he belonged to he. He replied, “If you mean do I belong to an organized political party, the answer is no; I’m a Democrat.”

Once again, we can see just what he was talking about: just recently, Senator Hillary Clinton (D, NY) was revealed by ‘sources’ (the ole’ Drudge Report) announced that she was voting to confirm Judge John Roberts. One feels like hitting one’s head against a wall, saying ‘there they go again,’ over and over. Because the Dems just did it again, rolled over and played dead. What’s the excuse?

‘He’s going to be confirmed anyway, let’s just get this over with.’

Well, sure he’s going to be confirmed, and by the President’s men, as is his prerogative. So you vote to confirm, well, let’s not be too subtle here, your vote to confirm makes you one of the President’s men. And that’s the point.

This country is locked in a terrible ideological battle where every single vote counts. The lines have been drawn and you have stepped over, become one of Them.

Roberts should be confirmed only over our dead Democratic bodies. In other words, confirmed only after a fight and only with Republican votes. Key phrase: only with Republican votes.

Screw conciliation, that shit’s dead. No compromise; the Republicans have proven they don’t care spit about compromise. You’re probably justifying your vote by telling yourself that you’ve ‘consulted your conscience.’ But this recent statement is complete bullshit:

"Look, we're not thrilled President Bush is in office and gets to make these choices," said a top Hillary source, "but we have to make the best of the situation until the next election!"

You’re a politician, you don’t have a conscience or a backbone, either. You were elected to represent your Democrat constituents, and they want you to fight for them. Fight the Republicans at every turn, over every confirmation, every screwed-up anti-consumer bankruptcy bill, every Child Left behind, every civil rights-busting Patriot Act, every party hack appointment, every corrupt thing they do. Fight them on the barricades and in the streets. Because Republicans play to win, and they intend to bury you.

You are a Democratic turncoat, as we rightly used to call you. Your party members, all Americans in fact, are watching you at this moment. Because when the tide turns, and it is turning, slowly but inevitably, you are on a list of people to ship out on that tide and over the political horizon, never to be seen again.

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(Oops! My apologies for a mis-posting that appeared here moments ago. I had problems with Blogger and two draft posts got scrambled together. I'll endeavor not to let that happen again. Thanks 'anonymous' for your quick comment.)
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More: To add insult to injury, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) has indicated that he, too will cast his vote for Roberts. This is just crazy. The man can and will win with Republicans only voting for, and this perception that voters will give Dems a pass on this vote is asinine, for all the above reasons.

They can keep playing politics, but so can voters, and we will come election time.

Bet on it.