Chris Dodd stands up against telecom amnesty, BushCo spying

Finally, someone gets it. Chris Dodd has raised the issue of filibuster against the awful FISA/Telecom Amnesty bill:

While the President may think that it's right to offer immunity to those who break the law and violate the right to privacy of thousands of law-abiding Americans, I want to assure him it is not a value we have in common and I hope the same can be said of my fellow Democrats in the Senate.

For too long we have failed to respect the rule of law and failed to protect our fundamental civil liberties. I will do what I can to see to it that no telecommunications giant that was complicit in this Administration's assault on the Constitution is given a get-out-of-jail-free card.

And this:

Just last night, we heard there are plans to disregard Senator Dodd's intention to place a hold on a FISA bill that includes amnesty for telecommunications companies.

That would be a pretty extraordinary move, but Chris Dodd has pledged to stop this horrible bill any way he can.

By threatening to put a hold on the bill, and filibuster any attempt by Harry Reid to bring it to the floor, Dodd is actually doing what his constituency is asking. This may seem symbolic, but is carries real meaning, something the Democratic side of the aisle in both houses seems to be missing.

Since the '06 election, we've waited, not always patiently, for Congress to do what we asked them to do: End the war, bring troops home, stop the Neocon-driven Executive Branch power grab, and assert some of the power given to Congress by the Constitution.

Fear of appearing weak to the far-right wing of the Republican Party has resulted in the Democratic leadership appearing weak to the whole country. Reid and Pelosi have capitulated too often, and the entire political width of the American public is pissed. Congress was empowered by the Constitution to enact legislation, and there is no reason for them to swallow GWBush's bitter pill.

Chris Dodd has risen to the top of the pack of Presidential andidates with this move, and I applaud him for it. And I challenge the other Democratic candidates to join him.

SteveAudio.blogspot.com

Comments

[cheriamee]

I am so sick and tired of all these presidential candidates filling my ears with the crap they are trying to sell me. Vote for me and I promise to end this war, universal health-care, corporate accountability and so on. The same old crap coming out of all these politicians mouths. No real hope.
Then there was Senator Dodd stepping away from the pack. To be exact he was way in front. Showing true leadership and showing Americans that actions speak louder than B.S. words. I am proud of Senator Dodd and I hope there is an great shift in the polls after this. It is well deserved.

[RDixon]

I will be closely watching this and if Senator Dodd does as he says he will and filibuster's the Reid rollover for Bush's crimes; he will not only be getting my vote, but also my political donation money as well.

Is there anything we can do to force both Reid and Pelosi to give up the gavels now to real Democrats who are not afraid to use them?

[mrbadmood]

The strangest thing about this are the efforts the news media seems to have gone to bury this story. I sure haven't heard much about it in my newspaper, CNN or even Fakes News channel. Not even a peep from the White House's talking heads on the matter. The FISA bill was all over the news for the last few weeks. Where did it go all of a sudden?

Sometimes I wonder whether the Dems in congress might be more inclined to promote their constituencies' interests if we had some better means of positive reinforcement. We sure can't count on big media to do it for us, that's clear enough.

Dodd is doing the very thing the 2006 election results mandated him to do, and we should be praising the hell out of him for it and supporting him. And I don't mind saying he's given me serious pause to consider who deserves my vote in 2008.

[horhay]

Thank you Senator Dodd. Where are the rest of the Democrats?

I signed a petition of support for placing a hold on the bill.

Here's the link:
http://action.chrisdodd.com/
tellafriend.jsp?tell_a_friend_KEY=813

[horhay]

http://action.chrisdodd.com/tellafriend.jsp?tell_a_friend_KEY=813

[texanna]

The other candidates, indeed! They are huddled with their strategists at this very moment. But, I don't get it -- how much strategizing does it take to do the right thing! I swear, I will not vote for anyone who doesn't stand up with Sen. Dodd. There ought to be no problem keeping a filibuster going because there ought to be no shortage of Democratic senators clamoring to speak. And, shame on Sen. Reid for how he's handled this patriotic action of Sen. Dodd. Shame on Sen. Rockerfeller, too, for selling out to the Bushies and the telecom industry. Take your 30 pieces of silver, sir, and leave my Senate. You're not fit to serve there!

[oldpotsmuggler]

Clemency, pardon, something. Why should Congress take the heat for something that Bush could already accomplish himself? He doesn't want the publicity, obviously, because he has certainly never been bashful about exercising extraordinary Presidential powers before this. Normally he just loves to get all puffed up and do whatever he wants, and then challenge anyone who doesn't like it.

If Congress falls for this trick, them folks ain't running nothing but their mouths.