Why actions of 1987/88 still matter in 2006, and why today's action will matter in 19 years from now:
If Democrats had backed down in 1987 and let Bork get Senate confirmation, he would likely sit on the Supreme Court still today in 2006 - 19 years later. This would mean a SCOTUS with Scalia, Thomas, Bork, Roberts... and Alito would be the crucial fifth vote for providing a right-wing majority!
I know that Justice Kennedy is also quite conservative, but with Kennedy there might still be a little glimmer of hope that he gets in O'Connor's swing-vote position, and probably will not ALWAYS be a rubber stamp of Scalia & Co.
In 1987 Democrats had a majority in the Senate, so they could win an up-or-down vote on Bork, and they won.
In 2006 Republicans have the majority in the Senate, and they will have their 50+ votes to confirm Alito.
So the ONLY CHANCE for Democrats to keep Alito from the Court is to filibuster him, at least to TRY a Filibuster.
Today's Democratic Senators do not only have a responsibility for 2006 or 2008; they also have a responsibility for 2025: Democratic Senators of 2006 should be thankful that Democrats in 1987 tried everything they could to keep Bork from the SCOTUS... they tried - and succeeded!
If the Democrats of 2006 in the Senate are not playing EVERY card they have, and that especially includes a Filibuster, then it could very well be that Democrats of 2025 will look back and say:
"A few weeks ago President XXX [enter name here of Republican elected POTUS in 2024] submitted the nomination of right-wing extremist YYY [enter name for judge here] to the Supreme Court. After his confirmation in the Senate which we are unable to block [61 Republicans as of the 2024 election] he will be the fifth right-wing justice on the Court.
If only Democrats in 2006 had the spine to filibuster Alito, we would not have 4 right-wing justices on the SCOTUS now, so the new justice would not be the fifth and decisive vote, and our constitution would still have a little chance to exist on its 250th birthday."
Therefore I think Democrats should try everything they can to stop Alito - with a filibuster.
[This is my first diary. Sorry for some mistakes, but I am a European and English is not my native language. I am writing this around midnight because the whole world is affected if the SCOTUS allows President George to become King George. So dear Americans, try all you can to stop totalitarism and dictatorship in its root. Germans didn't stop it in the 1930s until it was too late. Fight for your democracy as if your live would depend on it. Thank you!]