Why Things Won't Change

I'm in a Black Mood this morning.

So I'll keep it simple.

Things won't change, no matter how you wish them to.

Because many of the Republicans have no guts.

They are not Conservatives; they are Republicans.

Elena Kagan was easily confirmed on Thursday:

The Democratic-led Senate voted largely along party lines, 63-37, to confirm the former Harvard Law School dean as the fourth female justice in U.S. history and the 112th high court member.

All Democratic senators but one voted for her, two independent senators voted for her and five Republicans voted for her. All other Republican senators opposed her nomination.

U.S. appeals court Judge Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed last year by a 68-31 vote as the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice. [A "wise latina." -BZ *]

Five Republicans voted for her.

Only five Republicans voted in favor of Kagan's nomination. Last year, just nine Republicans voted for Sotomayor.

Today's yes votes included Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the lone Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee to support Kagan when the panel recommended the nomination to the full Senate on a 13-6 vote. Other GOP yes votes came from Richard Lugar of Indiana, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, and Judd Gregg of New Hampshire.

Kagan also lost the vote of one Democrat, Ben Nelson of Nebraska.

The 63-37 tally is the third closest Supreme Court vote since the rejection of Robert Bork in 1987; only justices Clarence Thomas (52-48) and Samuel Alito (58-42) had narrower confirmations.

Unanimity? You can forget it. The Republicans want to go along in order to get along. And getting along means keeping a seat, not making waves, not angering those with money and influence, remaining primarily background when necessary and -- most importantly -- keeping those checks coming consistently.

You want to know why things won't change? As I wrote in the comments at TejasFred:

comment number 5 by: Bloviating Zeppelin

Today at 10:06 PM (3 seconds ago)

You and I, people that read Fred’s blog and my blog, we just don’t matter. Those in power quite frankly couldn’t care one whit LESS about us.

It has always been my contention that an insufficient number of judges, attorneys, CEOs, politicians, magistrates, county executives, aldermen, city council members, commissioners, senators, legislators, representatives and other officials get shot, stabbed, raped, sodomized, beaten, defrauded, cheated, victimized — or their families or loved ones.

Primarily it is because they are insulated — and purposely so — by multiple levels of security, money, gates, gatekeepers, and by purposely written laws specifically excluding them from those strictures imposed upon the general electorate.

I suppose that an insufficient number of drunken illegal aliens have killed members of the above groups or their families. Or perpetrated crimes upon their persons.

Once again, my people, hear me:

You simply don’t count.

Your JOB is to pay taxes, put up, shut up, wear your blinders, open your mouth and take your pablum.

Good little baby. Good little sheepie.

BZ

So there you have it.

Good night and good luck.

We are so going to need it.

BZ

* P.S.
Again, let's be blunt: my wife isn't "latina" or "hispanic," she's Mexican. And she has a geometrically-greater amount of common sense than Sotomayor without playing the "wise latina" card. Her significant intelligence doesn't require a fallback position.