Democrats.com links to a list of all Senators, some identified as "Democratic swing vote" and others as "Democrat not supporting filibuster."

I cut out all of those and pasted them below. Note that the list includes local office fax and phone numbers, which may be useful since reports are that many the DC voicemail boxes and fax machines are now full or turned off. (WOO-HOO! We're getting through!)

If you fax - it has been suggested that hand-written faxes have more of an impact.

I've also included the pro-choice Republicans. This may give you some ammunition for them:

RMC Opposes Judge Alito for Supreme Court

The Republican Majority for Choice (RMC) regrettably announces its opposition to the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court.

Suggested message - for swing voters, ask them to support the filibuster. For those who have declared that they are opposed to a filibuster, ask them to vote "present" on the cloture vote. Remind them that a no vote is meaningless if they vote yes on cloture.

Howie in Seattle reports:

One aide said part of the problem is that Democratic senators haven't felt a groundswell of opposition from constituents. . . .

"People aren't engaged in this fight," one senior aide said. "The reality is this isn't something that American people are calling in droves about.

"This is a fight for history, you can't just take the issue off the table," the aide continued. "Does the country understand what's at stake right now? Probably not. But they will when Alito does damage to our Constitution, and if we don't fight now, voters will say a pox on both our houses."

Phone them all. Or fax them. Or as many as you can. Here are the numbers:

I'm posting this as a diary so y'all can hotlist for easy reference if you like. Please let me know if you find any errors so I can correct them.

Here's a link to the For Justice Day 12 diary which has links to the other 11 days, in case you need more ammunition. (What can I say, you guys? Amazing work. Thanks.)

And to today's NYTimes editorial, Judging Samuel Alito. Lays out what's at stake very well.

General format for a letter or fax:

Date
The Honorable (full name)
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator (last name):

[Your letter]

Sincerely,
[Your name and address]

Now go get 'em!

Just what the hell is this "Democratic Party" that various people on this blog are threatening to leave?

Look, in the 70's and early 80's Democrats were losing elections right and left. The Reaganauts were dismantling everything they could of whatever was left of the New Deal and the Great Society and the War on Poverty and the Civil Rights movement as fast as they could. Most of the Democrats in office and in visible support roles were supine, rolling over. They had no new ideas. They had the enthusiasm and energy of overcooked broccoli. All they cared about was protecting whatever crumbs of their own personal power they could.

So some Democrat governors got together and made an alternative to the entrenched party structure. They called it the DLC. They had some good ideas. They had some bad ideas. But they didn't like what they saw and got to work making an alternative to it. They won elections.  

Now the DLC is the entrenched, moribund wing of the Democratic Party. Fuck `em. Their time is past.

The Spitting Image: Myth, Memory, and the Legacy of Vietnam by Jerry Lembcke examines the myth of the spat-upon Vietnam veteran and comes to some conclusions that extend far beyond the question of whether or not soldiers returning from Vietnam were actually spat upon by anti-war protesters.

While acknowledging that it is impossible to prove a negative (that no veteran anywhere, anytime was ever spat upon) he presents convincing evidence that the "spat-upon veteran" was actually a fabrication designed to whip up support for wars of American empire (most specifically, Bush I's Gulf War) and to discredit anti-war Vietnam vets and to rob them of their historical legacy.

In light of the front page stories posted by BooMan today Taking Care of our Vets and Don't Expect the Truth, We are the Enemy it is critical that anyone who is opposed to the Iraq war heed what Lembcke has to say. BooMan's two posts are not two separate topics - they are intimately related.

Extended quotes from The Spitting Image below. I've transcribed them from my copy - any errors mine. I'm going to let them stand without comment from me - if you want to know my memories of the Vietnam era - as a young woman opposed to the Vietnam war with many friends who were Vietnam vets, see my comment on leftvet's diary Coming Home: A Vietnam Veteran Remembers. And please read his diary and the many comments left by veterans (of several wars) on it.

It was an incredible weekend at DemFest here in Austin. This morning was Grassroots Training 101 - brilliant, common sense "how-to's" from two campaign managers and a candidate. Our blogger's caucus Friday afternoon was packed and the speakers, especially TX State Rep. Mark Strama, lined up by othniel were great. Being able to hang out with folks like Jeffrey Feldman (sole proprietor of the Frameshop), Barbara Radnovsky (our next Senator from Texas - woo hoo! - go Barbara!), listen to Molly Ivins and Glen Maxey tell hilarious stories about life as a liberal in Texas . . . . wow.

But I can't put it all in one diary, and others of our group (the Austin Kossacks - here's roses diary which includes links to more) will surely be posting some too, so I'd just like to say a few words about Jesse Jackson, Jr tonight.

Rep. Jackson and Rep. Lloyd Doggett led a panel on Legislative Updates.  

I had never heard Jackson speak. I swear I'm surprised the walls of the buildings at Huston-Tillotson University (where DemFest is being held) are still standing. The passion of the man is beautiful.

Here's what he had to say:

The republicans have a simple theme: Less government, lower taxes, strong defense. It doesn't matter which Republican is running for whatever office - the theme is consistent and clear. Democrats don't have a theme. We wait for the presidential candidate to tell us what the theme is, and we rally round. Four years later - a new candidate sets a different theme, and we rally round it. Then four years later - another candidate, another theme . . . We wait each time to be told what the theme is - what Democrats stand for - this time. It's time for us, the people, to say what Democrats stand for and for the candidate to take our message to the country.

Our Austin Kossacks group has been excited about DemFest since we first heard about it. Looking for a way to contribute, we decided to host a Blogger's Caucus in the Specific Interests Caucuses timeslot. Note that we're the only caucus with a link - and it's to our Kos at DemFest blog, natch.

Othniel has been working hard to line up speakers for the caucus and now Democracy for Texas has put up a special shout out and press release about our caucus.

[Update] - If you read this diary earlier and want to know how the politicking is going, please read othniel's comments below. All Texan BooTribbers - please call, fax, email your senators, with thanks and support for the good guys and making your views known to those who haven't yet committed. This can still be stopped, but it won't be easy.

I just got back from testifying before the State Affairs Committee of the Texas Senate at the hearing on HJR 6. This is a bill that would ask Texans to vote on a constitutional amendment that would write denying equality of marriage rights to gay and lesbian citizens into our state constitution. Similar moves to change state constitutions are afoot in many states - very likely in yours.

My purpose in posting this diary is to remind the members of the community how important it is for those of us who are not gay to speak out when the rights of gay citizens are under attack.

(Warning! It's going to be long since I'm including my written statement to the committee at the end of this diary.)

The National Conference for Media Reform in St Louis concluded today. It was inspiring, overwhelming, inspiring, exhausting, and frightening.

From the rousing call to action delivered by Amy Goodman Friday morning to Bill Moyer's powerful closing speech this afternoon, the weekend was filled with warnings, rants, history, inspiration, practical advice, pep talks, and wonkery of all kinds.

The bottom line is this: No matter what you are passionate about as a progressive - ending the war, saving the environment, economic justice, women's issues, LGBT issues, returning the Democratic party to power, access to health care, protection of the vulnerable, the marginalized, the children, the poor, the sick, the elderly, and many more issues and causes just as urgent and important - we will be able to accomplish none of it if we do not have access to the media.

If citizens cannot communicate with each other, there can be no democracy.

If citizens cannot hear the truth, there can be no democracy.

In his diary today, Othniel asks us to remember Kent State.

I remember. I remember walking past the student union at the University of Texas early that Monday and seeing Jeff Jones and some of the SDS people sitting on the steps planning a protest of the bombing of Cambodia.

Don't forget. At a time when most of the American people were sick to death of the Vietnam war, sick of their children coming home in coffins, sick of fighting the draft, sick of napalmed children - Nixon was expanding the war into another country. By the time the bombing was over, 600,000 Cambodians were dead. The devastation of that once peaceful and independent country by American bombs opened the door for Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.

That's what the students at Kent State were protesting. That's what got four of them killed. Saying, stop, stop, stop this madness.

This morning's Austin American Statesman has an article that introduces us to a family that would be destroyed by Rep. Robert Talton's, [R (of course)-Pasadena] hateful amendment to the Child Protective Services bill (brought to the attention of BooTrib folks by tom 47 yesterday).

Gay foster parents decry proposed ban

Eva Thibaudeau, back from left, Christina Rodriguez and Rep. Garnet Coleman expressed their opposition Wednesday to a proposed ban on gays in foster care. Thibaudeau and Rodriguez brought their children with them, front from left, Isaiah, 10; Quincy, 2; Saleem, 9, and Maya, 2.

Rep. Coleman, of course, is a Democrat.

In diane101's diary ?What isPurpose of Political Forums and Blogs??, she expressed her concern

In a comment, I wondered why I've seen no interest in Democracy Fest 2005:

and Nanette replied to me

(Note: Title changed in hopes of alerting more BooPersons to this opportunity. Same diary.)

I just received an email from the organizers of Democracy Fest 2005 and wondered if y'all were aware that this is coming up - June 17-19 (Fri, Sat, and Sun) at Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, the capitol of Texas.

What is DemFest? From their flyer, " . . . a gathering of progressives from all over the country who will meet . . . to hear nationally known speakers, receive grassroots training, and enjoy an evening of entertainment with stellar musical and political guests."

Here are some of the people who will be there:

Saturday night speakers include Gov. Howard Dean, Jim Hightower, and Molly Ivins.

Workshops include:

Got your attention yet?

There's more . . .

[This began as a comment to PastorDan's excellent Word for the Week for Easter Sunday. It got so long that it put me in mind of the "community standard" that if your comment is really long, you probably need to post your own diary. So I am. With a "Thank you" to PastorDan for his many diaries and comments and sermons that offer so much food for thought for believers and non-believers alike.]

Let me begin by saying that I am not a believer, but I do spend some time thinking about what is the best way to live life, and in order to find the answers to my own questions about these things, from time to time I read the words of the great philosophers and teachers of history - or more often, I read someone else's explanation of their thoughts and teachings, because I do this at a very superficial level.