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.
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.
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.