MONDAY: SHORT STROKES

Blogger is bogging down under all the edits and traffic the last post is getting, so I need to start a new one as we reach the endgame.

Current status: The Republicans are down to 54 Party votes, with John Ensign in a car accident (not seriously injured, thankfully, but unable to attend). Independent Jim Jeffords supports the filibuster, as does Mark Dayton, and Tom Harkin will abstain.

Joe Lieberman has been jerking us around: for the filibuster, against the filibuster, not sure about the filibuster, what's a filibuster again?

On the downside, Kent Conrad is solidly against it. And we've definitely lost Ben Nelson; it's not worth calling him anymore, but we'll replace him with a real patriot during his next primary!

The Gang of 14 is meeting or has met, and likely is investigating whether they can reach a deal before the vote in less than 40 minutes. They don't understand that we WANT the nuclear showdown, and I fear a compromise that undermines everything we've done. So the message for the next half hour needs to be directed at the swing votes on the Gang of 14 and a handful of others, and it needs to say: WE'RE NOT AFRAID OF A NUCLEAR SHOWDOWN. SHOW SOME GUTS FOR A CHANGE. EITHER SUPPORT THE FILIBUSTER, OR ABSTAIN.

On that theme, here's who I'd like to target our efforts at now, in the final push:

Joseph I. Lieberman, Connecticut: UPDATE: HE WILL VOTE FOR CLOTURE. I told his staff that I will send a check for $100 to Ned Lamont, his challenger in the primary. Fuck his black Vichy heart.

Mary Landrieu, Louisiana: might be weakening in her oppo to filibuster; push abstention HARD.
Main Senate switchboard no.: 888-355-3588
DC office direct line: 202-224-5824
New Orleans office phone: 504-589-2427
Baton Rouge office phone: 225-389-0395
Lake Charles office phone: 337-436-6650
Shreveport office phone: 318-676-3085

Daniel Inouye, Hawaii
Main Senate switchboard no.: 888-355-3588
DC office direct line: 202-224-3934

Mark Pryor, Arkansas: probably a lost cause but ask him to abstain.
Main Senate switchboard no.: 888-355-3588
DC office direct line: 202-224-2353
Little Rock office phone: 501-324-6336

Ken Salazar, Colorado. UPDATE: Lost cause; will not support the filibuster.

Tim Johnson, SD
Main Senate switchboard no.: 888-355-3588
DC office direct line: 202-224-5842
Aberdeen office phone: 605-226-3440
Rapid City office phone: 605-341-3990
Sioux Falls office phone: 605-332-8896

Bill Nelson, Florida
Main Senate switchboard no.: 888-355-3588
DC office direct line: 202-224-5274
Miami office phone: 305-536-5999
Orlando office phone: 407-872-7161
Tampa office phone: 813-225-7040
Tallahassee office phone: 850-942-8415

Olympia Snowe, Maine (Republican)
Main Senate switchboard no.: 888-355-3588
DC office direct line: 202-224-5344
Auburn office phone: 207-786-2451
Bangor office phone: 207-945-0432
Portland office phone: 207-874-0883
Presque Isle office phone: 207-764-5124

That's it. Please continue to report here if their staffs commit one way or the other.

And then I'm buying you all Virtual pitchers of beer while we watch the count on C-Span. Remember, this isn't just about Alito; it's about sending a warning shot across the bows of both the Republicans and the Democratic leadership in case Bush gets to appoint another Justice, and about identifying who the Vichys are, and most of all about waking up our party's leaders to the reality that they'd DAMN WELL BETTER PAY ATTENTION TO US. In all those ways, we've already won. But let's keep working to win the filibuster, too!

Thanks, and keep plugging away down the home stretch!!