72-25: That's All You Need To Know

That's the vote for cloture ending debate on the nomination of Samuel Alito to the US Supreme Court.

Kerry had requested a futile act signifying Democratic opposition to Alito's certain approval to the Supreme Court. He got one. And nothing beats Sen. Kennedy showing just how tone deaf the Left wing of the Democratic party has become to mainstream Americans - you know, the ones who are considered swing voters in Presidential elections, and the ones who both sides court in local elections because they're independents or moderates.

This was a highly blogged subject today. Lots of folks were astonished at Kennedy's performance on the Senate floor. And indeed, it was a performance. It was purposefully done to cater to the Left wing and rally the base. It wasn't about winning national elections, or even trying to reclaim the Senate, though the DNC would certainly love to spin it in that way.

It's also interesting that a number of bloggers are trying to portray the cloture vote as the confirmation vote. That's one way to look at it - since you've got far more people who realize that filibustering a qualified candidate is something that is simply not done, even if you disagree with the candidate's temperament. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island is one person being singled out for voting for cloture, but who will vote against Alito in the actual confirmation.

There is a difference between letting an issue coming up to a vote and actually voting on a position. It's not just a matter of degree, but one of intellectual honesty. In the former, the vote is to make sure that a candidate gets a fair shake with an up or down vote to approve a candiate; it's a purely procedural move. In the latter, the candidate's merits are actually voted upon.