YEAS AND NAYS

Want to know how Senate Democrats (and the liberal-leaning Independent) plan to vote on the confirmation of Judge Sam Alito for the United States Supreme Court? Click Here.

UPDATE (1.30.2006)

From CBSNews.com:

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito enjoys sufficient bipartisan support to surmount any Senate filibuster attempt by minority Democrats, Senate leaders said Friday.

A final vote making the New Jersey jurist the nation's 110th Supreme Court justice is scheduled for Tuesday, hours before President Bush gives his State of the Union address to Congress and the nation. ...

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., also announced Friday he is "leaning in favor of voting for" the conservative judge. "It is clear to me that a majority of the American people and the people I represent support his confirmation," he said after meeting with Alito in his office. ...

Senator Conrad becomes the fourth Democrat Senator today to announce his support for Judge Alito's confirmation. While only two Senators remain unannounced (Mary Landrieu and Jay Rockefeller) on the eve of the vote, Indiana Senator (and 2008 Presidential hopeful) Evan Bayh has announced that he will vote against Judge Alito's confirmation.

From IndyStar.com:

While Bayh called Alito’s judicial career “more than respectable,” he said his biography was not enough to go on when considering a lifetime appointment.

“The burden of proof lies with the nominee to show that he or she will be an impartial jurist and will not bring an ideological agenda to the court,” Bayh said. “Meeting this burden is more onerous since the president implied that he intended to nominate individuals acceptable to his most extreme supporters.” ...

Bayh had a private meeting with Alito on Friday morning but said afterward through his spokesman that he had not decided how he would vote.

Bayh was one of the last senators to announce his position and was the last to declare of the five Senate Democrats considered possible 2008 candidates.

Send a letter to Senator Conrad thanking him for supporting Judge Alito. And while you're at it, send a letter to Senator Bayh and condem him for lacking the courage to stand up for the rule of law.

Joe

UPDATE (1.26.2006)

Two more Democrat Senators have announced their support for Judge Alito's confirmation to the Supreme Court: Tim Johnson of South Dakota and Robert Byrd of West Virginia. I urge you to contact these Senators and thank them for supporting Judge Alito's confirmation.

Pavlov proved long ago that positive reinforcement encourages repeated desired behavior. Show these fine Senators a little positive reinforcement today.

Joe

UPDATE (1.20.2006)

Democrat Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska has announced his support for Judge Alito for confirmation to the Supreme Court. Senator Nelson also voted for the confirmation of Chief Justice John Roberts last year. Contact Senator Nelson (even if you don't live in Nevada) and show your support for his courage to stand up to the party line and do what's right! You can find my letter to Senator Nelson here.

Joe