Adegbile nomination comes down to the wire, Part Two [UPDATE – The nomination fails]

The nomination of Debo Adegbile — best known for leading the contemptible race-baiting defense of cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal — to head the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will be voted on today. It looks likes the vote will be close. I’m told that Joe Biden is on the scene in case he has to break a tie vote.

It’s not too late (but will be very soon) to make your feelings known. We urge you to call Democratic Senators and urge them to join their colleague Bob Casey by voting NO. Here are the numbers of some Democrats with an electoral incentive to vote NO:

Mark Begich 202-224-3004
Kay Hagan 202-224-6342
Mary Landrieu 202-224-5824
Mark Pryor 202-224-2353
Jeanne Sheehan 202-224-2841
Mark Udall 202-224-5941
Mark Warner 202-224-2023

UPDATE: The nomination failed by a vote of 47-52. I’m surprised and delighted.

Eight Democrats voted against Adegbile. They are: Chris Coons (Del.), Bob Casey (Pa.), Mark Pryor (Ark.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Joe Manchin (W.V.), Joe Donnolly (Ind.), John Walsh (Mont.), and Harry Reid (Nev.). I had expected Reid to drive the nomination through.

It’s interesting that, other than Pryor, the Dems who seem most vulnerable (see list above) in 2014 didn’t join the opposition. Maybe their opponents will be able to get some mileage out of this.

JOHN adds: It is good to see this nomination go down. I think Reid’s “no” vote was a procedural device that he has used in the past; by voting “no,” he preserves his own ability to bring the nomination back up for another vote at a later time. Not that I think that is going to happen. Every Democrat who voted to confirm this race-baiter should hear about it from now until November.

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