Senate Dems: Don't toy with me

Over at Kos, georgia 10 reports the following:

Sen. Patrick Leahy, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said he and Committee Chairman Arlen Specter discussed the timing of the vote over the holiday weekend and agreed to move it to Jan. 24th. [...]

Judge Samuel Alito's nomination to serve on the Supreme Court will be voted on by the Committee on Jan. 24 and the full Senate is to begin debate the following day.

Leahy says he has "assured Chairman Specter that no Democratic Senator" will ask for a second delay in the vote, and Specter, according to Leahy, does not expect any delays coming from the GOP.

Harry Reid isn't letting the Democrats be rushed into an up-or-down vote:

"This is a key swing vote on the Supreme Court and Democrats are not going to be rushed into anything," said Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

I'm hoping the Democrats are using the delay productively to their advantage. Could they have a really big rabbit to pull out of their hat--like a filibuster?

One can only hope.

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