Unless a bombshell is found in Roberts' papers or personal background (highly unlikely) there isn't anything the Democrats can do to block his nomination. To the winner goes the spoils, and if the right can find two well obfuscated movement conservatives to put up for nomination, they're going to sail through and the court is going to shift rightward.

Roberts is such a good wordsmith (or weaseler) that it's impossible to tell where he is on the controversial issues. So, absent the documentation of some of his rabid personal conservatism, he's going to have to be taken at face value.

I'll take this guy over Scalia/Thomas getting promoted to CJ.

Posted at September 14, 2005 7:40 AM in response to The Ventriloquist

"Giving in to terrorists"? Sharon took his Likud/Belligerocon blinders off for a moment and saw that far-flung settlements that have no strategic value and act only as flies in the Palest. ointment aren't in Israel's interests. I think think the withdrawal is an important precedent, that an Israeli leader can take the peace process forward while ignoring the terrorists and the Belligerocons that use them as excuses to continue the blood-feud.

If Sharon/his successors can hold the Israeli right's rabid wolves at bay and Mazen can suppress or mitigate Hamas, methinks peace (and Palest. statehood) has a chance.
 
 

Posted at August 14, 2005 6:50 PM in response to Two Cheers for Sharon

"Liberals support killing babies" pulls in millions of dollars and voters every cycle.

We need to find out how to marginalize religious fundamentalism, without pissing off otherwise rational/tolerant religious folks. Repubs flagrantly flaunt their religious views and opinions derived thereof every election, I think the "principled" avoidance by many Dems to display their Christian-ness is turning off more voters than it's drawing. Jesus' teachings are not exactly contradictory to progressive ideas...

Posted at July 3, 2005 3:40 PM in response to That Supreme Battle

Buuut, for drawing in twenty-somethings all I can suggest is keep stepping up support and/or encouragement to college progressives to get bigger and stronger. That's for the future leaders and opinion makers. For just ordinary twenty-something 9-5ers it's anything that helps with getting the coveted "rootendness", like home ownership incentives, good wages, secure healtcare and so on.

Posted at June 30, 2005 11:43 PM in response to Young Folk

If you want to help create more progressives for the future, concentrate on your own kids. Teach them to be compassionate to others and to always imagine that the world can be improved, that just because something is shitty now doesn't mean it always has to be. Compassion and idealism are the cores of progressivism.

Posted at June 30, 2005 11:33 PM in response to Young Folk

It's hard to find an inspiring political word that starts with M, I learned that from this thread.

My main thought for '06 is that we've got to at least fight to parity with Repubs on the terrorism/security/defense issues. Candidate selection, rhetoric, everything.

Posted at June 29, 2005 11:25 PM in response to A Thought

Duty. Empowerment. Merit.

Being a Democrat means duty to country, community, and party.

Being a Democrat means empowering Americans to live better, make your own decisions, and create opportunity for everyone.

Being a Democrat means knowing everyone has worth, everyone deserves to be treated fairly and have a chance to succeed. In the Democratic Party, ideas are judged by their benefit to ALL Americans, not just to those who donate to us or vote for us.

-- 

Ok I'm not too good at this... One for the activists:

Dare. Engage. Mobilize.

Posted at June 29, 2005 9:50 PM in response to A Thought

Totten:

 I will probably vote for Democrats in 2006. My opinions on the two parties are divided. I can go either way, depending on what we're talking about. The Republicans dominate all three branches of government, and voting Democratic is a balance-restoring corrective. I have no idea which party I will vote for in the 2008 presidential election. No idea at all. It depends on way too many unpredictable variables.

Power corrupts, absolute:absolutely and I think Americans are clearly seeing that now. Bush and Co. are shooting themselves in the foot with the dumb domestic policies and social issue gambits. Color me optimistic about 2006.

Posted at June 29, 2005 6:16 PM in response to Taranto Chides TPMCafe

Why not refine that list and take out some duplications, two questions in one etc. I'm not coy so here's 1-10.

1. No 2. I'm not a military commander 3. a 4. b 5. e 6. a 7&8. a 9. b 10. a

Posted at June 28, 2005 8:25 PM in response to Bush on Iraq: Nothing New

JimG,

I don't see how many swing voters (or many other voters for that matter) would have gotten a negative impression from this speech. I think it was delivered well and will give reinforcement to some people who were getting nervous about the Iraq effort over the last few months but who hadn't decided completely against it yet. Score one for the prez.

My hope would be that the falling confidence of the public on this issue would give Bush some pause perhaps to reassess his methods, but, unfortunately, he just saw a need to shore up his numbers with a decent speech instead of taking the hint.

Posted at June 28, 2005 7:24 PM in response to Prez says Dance with the Girl Who Brung Ya