Chris Dodd Leads Where Reid Fails

by Taylor Marsh

There's really no other way to say it. Senator Harry Reid's reported well aimed shiv into Senator Chris Dodd's shoulder blades is illustrative of so many things and for me it foreshadows the beginning of a new battle. Dodd's hold on the telecom amnesty bill is a direct shot at Mr. Bush. It bothers Reid's delicate sensibilities that abhors a confrontation. No doubt Reid's minions will send out talking points to his people taking the wait and see approach, while taking no actions to say what needs to be said; that Harry Reid will respect Dodd's hold. If Reid caves and brings the bill up anyway, as is his tradition so as not to put the genial atmosphere of the Senate into confrontation mode, ignoring that Republcians do that all of the time keeping Reid on his heels regularly, Dodd has promised to filibuster.

Via Jane at Firedoglake:

Are you willing to go to the mat to restore the Constitution?

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.

So if the hold is not honored, he is prepared to go to the Senate floor and filibuster.

Rolling back the Bush Administration assault on the rule of law has been a major focus of Chris Dodd's work in the Senate -- and it's also a centerpiece in his campaign for President.

Dodd Goes to the Mat: Says He Will Filibuster FISA

Reid's tenure as majority leader has been nothing but an exercise in timidity, which is about a lot more than not having the votes to pass legislation. It's not about having a slim majority. It's about the leader of the Senate having the passion to wage public campaigns on issues that matter to us so that in lieu of passing legislation that stops Bush at least the public knows we've got a fighter in charge and that Democrats have the passion and sense of purpose to wage battles, even when they don't have a full majority to pass what the people want.

Glenn Greenwald got the typical response:

I emailed Reid's office to ask if they actually intended to override and ignore Dodd's "hold" and this is the patronizing (though crystal clear) dismissal I received back as a "response" from Reid's spokesman, Jim Manley:

Reid will work with Dodd and other Senators to correct the deep flaws in the Protect America Act.

Clearly, Reid has nothing but contempt for Dodd's principled stand, which was generated by (and in response to) the actions of tens of thousands of Americans concerned about our constitutional liberties and the rule of law. Reid is dismissively brushing that all to the side -- as usual -- to ensure the safe and smooth passage of a Draconian bill jointly demanded by the Bush administration, the telecom industry, and their lobbyists.

Russ Feingold gets it:

As a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee, I have been working and will continue to work every step of the way to try to fix the badly flawed FISA bill. I was pleased that in the Intelligence Committee markup yesterday Senator Wyden and I were able to make some improvements to the bill, including requiring FISA court orders for wiretapping U.S. citizens overseas and more meaningful oversight by Congress and the Inspector General of the new authorities. But we still have a long way to go before this bill adequately protects the privacy of law-abiding Americans. The bill still cedes far too much power to the executive branch, which has time and again shown it will only abuse it. And I am deeply disappointed that it included retroactive immunity for anyone alleged to have cooperated with the Administration's illegal warrantless wiretapping program. I hope the bill will be further improved in the Judiciary Committee before it reaches the full Senate. If the bill that ultimately reaches the Senate floor includes immunity and does not adequately protect the privacy of Americans, I will fight it vigorously with every tool at my disposal.

Reid must honor and support Dodd's hold on FISA.

But it's not just about this one action from Reid. Democrats have got to quit supporting Democrats who haven't got the spine or the temperament for a fight. We need Democrats who understand that even when you don't have the votes to get the job done, making a public case with passion and purpose is just as important.

Comments

[provoice]

I am sad to say that America has become a nation of cowards.

Only cowards would ALLOW our government to torture and abuse prisoners in the name of self-defense. Only cowards would be cowed into giving up our rights in fear of threats of terrorism from their leadership. Only cowards would refuse to stand up to an invasion of criminals from other countries.

The nation I grew up in had heroes¦ people portrayed by John Wayne, Randolph Scott, and Gary Cooper¦ people who portrayed characters in the movies that suffered greatly when they were forced to kill and characters who would NEVER torture or abuse prisoners. Heck, the Lone Ranger never even shot anyone¦ he just shot the guns out of their hands!

We were taught that OURS was the nation of honor and courage¦ a nation of laws¦ the good guys with the white hats¦ that no matter how evil the enemy, we would treat them with a modicum of dignity.

Yet in less that a decade, we have allowed our leaders to institute policies that make me sick¦ to START wars based on lies, continue wars in spite of our nation"s wishes. We have allowed our leaders to turn their backs on negotiation and diplomacy in favor of the destruction of human rights and prisoner abuse¦ we and our elected representatives have allowed our leaders to become the bullies of the world and attempt to FORCE everyone to accept their way of thinking.

Virtually NONE of the candidates for president have spoken out against these assorted abominations, in fact what little they have said makes it look like most of them would just continue leading our country down the path to hatred, destruction and being sodomized by illegal invaders.

Our cowardly Congress gives away our rights and privacy to the leadership and our jobs and corporations to foreign countries for fear of being called "protectionist".

If you ask me, we are in DIRE NEED of some protectionism!

Personally, I"m in favor of voting against virtually every incumbent¦ we need to start over fresh with people who LISTEN.

[rixhex56]

provoice,

I agree with your assessment, mostly. I think your statement, "Virtually NONE of the candidates for president have spoken out against these assorted abominations..." is inaccurate.

Perhaps I'm mistaken, but Kucinich has also been outspoken about these abominations of which you speak. I don't know, but maybe you just haven't paid attention to him.

Anyway, I share your disgust, disappointment, and despair about the lows to which Bush and congress have allowed our nation to sink. Ultimately, my greatest disappointment is that anyone who DOES speak out against these acts is unlikely to be elected: a strange irony, I think.

[amctavish]

I don't remember the year, but Dodd ran for majority leader against Daschle and lost by one vote. Think of the contrast if Chis had won. He would still be majority leader. When Sen. Dodd was considering running for president, I e-mailed him and urged him to run for majority leader again insteadagainst the wimp Reid.

Dodd is a good man.

[swift_goat_pet_for_truth]

Mr. Reid:

"What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

- Patrick Henry

[flatus]

As I've written many times before, Reid is too old for the job. Hell, I'm old! Believe me, we tire easily.

Let the man take a nap.

[Plowboy]

To that I can lend the support of my wisdom ...err...
or rather, that of my experience ...
or more specificly at least, my experience of aging.
No, we don't all get wiser with age.
But we do get tireder.

[DrenchedOtter]

Excellent post, Taylor! I would just make one quibble with your last sentence -- it only takes 41 Democrats to kill this bill, there might very well have been that many votes if Reid hadn't actively thrown his support to the Republicans. Reid isn't merely timid, it seems to me he is actively working against a large part of the Democratic Party.

[Delaware22]

I agree. As a Democrat, I feel double-crossed by my own party. Reid is a wimp...Pelosi is too timid...not a backbone among them!

[elcid]

I'm afraid that the leadership of the Democratic party mostly sees its own base (not to mention the majority of the American public) as more of an annoyance than the president & his party which is openly aiming to shred NOT JUST the Constitution, but the Magna Charta (from 1215 AD) as well.

We are lucky to have a few gutsy rebels at times able to challenge the leaderships' constant efforts to undermine and alienate their own voters -- after all, it's harder to rule with a small clique of corporation & ultra-wealthy friendly gentile civil servants if the rubes think they can get involved.

[TwilightZoneResident]

Why won't Reid and Pelosi adopt the repubs' position that the only votes to make it to the floor will be the ones that have the majority of the majority's approval? Then let's hope that the dems don't start falling all over each other to cuddle up to the repubs by denouncing each other. TZR

[mellene]

Can you ever see a Republican Majority Leader stabbing one of his own in the back? The Dems weakness and undoing will be that they don't support their own. That's what kept the Republicans in charge for the last 13 years. Either the Dems adopt that behavior or their very slim margin will slip away. I understand Joe Biden will support the "hold", not what will Hillary do.

[poppycock]

Preemptive surrender - it's what we (Democrats) do.

[Binx101]

Chris Dodd has shown consistently, that he is a reasonable representation of the Democratic electorate. Feingold, without question is another reasonable voice. Webb, although a newbie, has got the stones to take stands and experience to launch assaults on incongruent reason.

Harry Reid, on the other hand, is the quintessential embodiment of timidity and fear. It's also very clear that he's made promises to the Republicans that are not in the Democratic tradition or best interests. If he's not being blackmailed - then he's just plain stupid and stubborn. He needs to pass the baton to those on our bench that have more talent, more smarts and more strength. He routinely has undermined the electorate as has Pelosi. If not for the brave Democrats that are starting to rise against this log jam of leadership - the Democratic party would be set back another 15 years from self-inflicted mediocrity.

I cannot help thinking that there is purposeful movement within the Democratic leadership that is paralyzed with fear and is unfit for leadership, or worse, is so far in league with the rest of the ole' boy network, that this is all theater. It's the Stepford Democrats.

Dodd is taking principled stances - and although he is a candidate - he is believable because of his consistency. Feingold has been taking them, in solitude since long before the last election.

If Reid does further put the Democratic party in the position of having to fight itself - we need to very vociferously call for his head on a stick and get it done quickly. Progressives and Liberals need to be in the hands of competent, strong leaders to be more than - not the Republicans - and attractive to the huge mottled middle. The current Democratic leaders have managed to create an alternate reality, where it seems there is still a Republican majority.

This is shameful, to squander public support in such a reckless and feckless manner and we have to take action and the party has to unify in action - not tea parties and cutesy news briefs with pathetic anemic protests and whining about the math.

[zendem1]

Harry Reid is anatomically equivalent to a Ken doll.

[Dantheman99]

Reid is absolutely the wrong leader at this time. Even more than the house, the Dems need the strongest possible firebrand as leader.

The main tool the Democrats have at their disposal after subpoena power is the ability to filibuster all pro-war, pro-Bush legislation and not pass any war funding.

Letting Democrats get away with the cowardly response of not having 60 or 67 votes is based on ignorance of the power to filibuster.

Democrats like Reid want you to be ignorant of this power, because if you knew that they had the power to end and further funding for the war, then the base of the party would expect the Dems to use that power.

Ending the war by not funding it would lead to a confrontation of epic and historical proportions. What in American history worth having has been anything less? But when Congress starts actively confronting Bush, their poll numbers will rise again. It's this wimpy style that is absolutely the wrong approach.

Personally, I fear Joe "Likud" Lieberman has the Dems by the balls. If think they fear that if they push too hard to end the war, Lieberman will cross the aisle and caucus with the Republicans.

NOTE: Even if that happens, the Democrats could still defund the war with 41 votes to filibuster.

As they control both houses of Congress, no pro-war legislation or funding should even get to the House or Senate floor.

[Agentprovokatur]

This situation demonstrates the astounding lack of a spine on the part of Harry Reid as the Senate Majority Leader.

He is willing to cave on legislation whenever the Republicans signal that they will not allow a bill to come to a vote WITHOUT forcing them to go on the record for obstructionism by actually engaging in a filibuster. And here, where a member of his own party, stands up and calls Bullshit on Reid's willingness to kowtow and support this legislation so dangerous to our rights, he is ready to FORCE that Democratic Senator TO FILIBUSTER.

Watching the Pelosi - Reid Sheepleship Axis of Incompetence running the Democrats in Congress I sometimes feel like I have passed through the Wonder(Horror)Land Looking Glass and can't even recognize the world anymore.

[accountability]

You know the more I hear and read up on Dodd, and listen to him on the debates the more I like him, Isure as hell wish the MSM would give him more air time.

Instead Matthews will say something like "do you think this is a political ploy to gain a little air time?" He'll say it a number of times in a number of ways to a number of pundits, and timmah will talk about it. god knows what the hell Tucker will say and soon everyone wilol say he's only doing it as a political ploy.

Gawd the MSM choose our Presidents for us.

I would really like to see Dodd become a viable candidate instead of always being labled second tier.
He and Feingold are the 2 really strong Dems that seem to actually represnt "the people" in that quaint saying "of the people, for the people, and by the people."

[dandjus]

Dodd killed himself in the debate when he said the government should limit the price of oil to $40 a barrel. The American people understand the turmoil--lines at the pump--that would result. And the basic unfairness of that behavior. The kid working the counter at McDonalds knows more about economics than Chris Dodd.

[truthbrigade]

The Democratic Party of Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry and John Edwards is a gutless, no principal, and no self respect political organization. Every time I see Reid or Pelosi I just have this urge to slap them; expecting Harry to go down on his knees and cry like the eunuch that he is and Nancy's face (paralyzed by BTX injections) will maintain that artificial plastic smile. If the democratic nominee wins next election, it is not because of the success of the party but because of the wickedness and retardation of Republicans (ALL republicans, no exception).