Hi Jane!

I am relieved and cautiously optimistic.

We need to revamp the whole Congressional process, Senator, and bring it back to within the parameters which served us so well .

Thank you, and bless you!

Can Dodd yield to other Senators so they can take over the filibuster? How does that work?

I’m confused as to the assignment - are we looking for questions to be asked of Sen. Dodd, or things for him to talk about during his filibuster?

according to Glenn Greenwald, we can presume that:

Our political leaders in both parties plainly want this limitless surveillance to continue, and they don’t think that telecoms do anything wrong even when they work with the government in spying on Americans in ways that are against the law.

working to overcome this presumption will be very difficult at this point, but it is encouraging that Senator Dodd is giving it a try.

Nonetheless, the lack of leadership on the part of the other Presidential candidates on this issue makes them unsopportable for me in a general election, even if the Republican candidate is a little bit worse in some areas.

From Looseheadprop some weeks ago:
No retroactive immunity for telcoms!
No prospective immunity for telcoms!
No basket warrants!

See:
http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/02/the-fi sa-vote-is-coming-the-fisa-vote-is-comin g/

Don’t forget there’s a new Dodd Whip Count linky for your use to push back.

Hi Jane!

Senator, can you please read the list of senators to whom AT&T, Verizo, Sprint, and any PAC to which their employees have made a significant (say over $10,000) have made campaign contributions, as ask them to recuse themselves from the vote?

http://chrisdodd.com/blog/dodd.....ement-fisa

Here is his statement on this

The fourth amendment reads:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

How should the citizenry feel about acts of Congress, signed into law by the President, executed by the Executive branch, and out of reach of the Judiciary, that directly contravene this amendment?

Thank you Senator Dodd for being a true American patriot.

The Constitution is a cornerstone of American democracy, why do you think some of the leaders in both parties are affraid of preserving it, and demonstrating to the world that America is strong and confident that our liberty and freedom can endure any challenge from the inside and out outside?

He can take “questions” from other senators during the filibuster, which can be no more than 20 minutes.

I’m also a little confused. Does this mean that each question from another Senator can only last 20 minutes?

Let us hope that this plays out. Dodd is the only one between us and oblivion.

I don’t relish the thought of having to spend the rest of this year and next trying to defeat Bush’s GOP and the Democratic leadership.

Time to play our cards.

A little “Mr Dodd goes to Washington” speechifying tomorrow would be a nice followup to the weekend viewing of “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

That’s the Fourth.

thank you, Senator Dodd, for doing something that should have been done from the very beginning of this maladministration, which is to say TALKING SENSE AND NOT SHUTTING UP.

we, as a nation, should all filibuster those who would drag us into neverending fear with the sole aim of enriching themselves until they all step down and slink away.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Joe Lieberman is set to endorse John McCain…

Explain to me again why Senate Democrats stuck with Lieberman instead of Lamont?

I get confused by this stuff.

I think what it means is that when Dodd needs to step out to visit the Little Senator’s Room, he can yield to a friendly colleague who would ask him a question . . . and this being a friendly colleague, said question could take up to twenty minutes. When Dodd returns, he gets to answer the question and then continue speaking.

Hmmm . . . wordy questions . . . Has Biden signed on to this? When it comes to asking wordy questions, there aren’t many in the Senate who can top him.

To give the telecoms retro-immunity will spell the end of democracy in the U.S. and will ensure that all Americans, especially progressive politicians and organizations, and any other government policy opposition organizations, will be targeted (even more than they are now). This is a sprint to fascism and amounts to our own U.S. version of Hitler’s “enabling act”. The bill spells the end of America.

We are under the iron hell of a criminal administration that most likely attacked us and murdered over 3000 on 9/11 in a false flag operation.

It’s time for a wakeup call. You can get yours at www.secretwarsinter.com

Oh thank God you’re here! I’ve been trying to get a good enough handle on this to write to my local progressives and get them behind this, but I’m afraid of explaining it wrong.

Question: Everything I’ve read is about telecom immunity - what about blanket warrants?

I just read Senator Dodd’s Letters from Nuremberg. Thomas Dodd must be horrified right now that the United States has come to this, but he must be proud of his son for taking on this fight.

Sen. Dodd,
PLEASE do not let this crybaby fraud of a president have his way!
Filibuster!Filibuster! Take a stand on this issue and maybe on the many many other issues DEMS will wake up and get a backbone to fight this 25% failure of a preznitwit.

Perhaps Senator Dodd would like to read Hugh’s List Of Bush Scandals on the Senate floor. The list now has 289 Scandals.

Folks, time to start your engines.

Get the phone fingers ready for a blitzkrieg of calls to Senators to support Dodd. I’ve got Sen. Murray and Cantwell’s number on speed dial.

We got to make sure we have his back, otherwise it will be a fools’ errand.

Jane, thought you would want to know in case you can do something about it, the alarm line that tells of a new post upstairs leads nowhere. The name of the post is listed as: The GOP’s Huckabee Dilema. So it’s talking about a post that doesn’t exist just yet, I think.

Terrific idea! Send links to Dodd and all the others who stand up to help him(?)

Link to Hugh’s List of Scandals:

http://www.netrootsmass.net/Hugh/Bush_list.html

I promise to call every single Senator while Dodd filibusters. We need to light up their phones like bubble lights on a Christmas tree. Bubbling for the 4th amendment!

Dear Senator Dodd:

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking on this essential issue. I am a New York resident, and I have exhorted Senators Schumer and Clinton to do everything in their power to support your filibuster of the Intelligence Cmte version of the FISA bill. This is a key moment in the constitutional history of our Republic, where we as a nation either repudiate or embrace the rule of law. Allowing telecommunications companies to avoid the consequences of committing felonies while reaping massive profits rewards corporate lawlessness at the expense of ordinary citizens.

I commend you for standing staunchly on the side of embracing the rule of law, and I dearly hope that you succeed in your efforts. In these acts, you are a true patriot and defender of our Republic.

Best regards,
PhysioProf

Dear Senator Dodd and other Senators who are standing up for the Constitution;

My family and I are so proud of you!! We pay our hard-earned money to the telephone companies for telephone service, not to assist in a program that spies on us without warrants. We pay our taxes to help support America, not to spy on us without warrants. While we support protecting this Nation from external attacks, we consider spying on American citizens without warrants to be a violation of the 4th Amendment of the Constitution, and an internal attack on the citizens of this great Nation.

Clearly, the request for retroactive immunity is needed, because there must have been illegal activities perpetrated on us by our government with the complicity of the very telephone companies that service us. The Administration and the telephone companies must be held accountable, no matter how painful it is or our Constitution really is becoming worthless. We are a nation of laws not men. Therefore, you, together with the other Senators that stand up for America are true heroes!!!

Congress:

No retroactive immunity for telcoms!
No prospective immunity for telcoms!
No basket warrants!

Signed: A Patriotic American family that wants its country back!!

PS. Please make sure that at all times, the United States of America is referred to as The United States of America and never, ever, ever as The Fatherland The Homeland. It causes WWII War Veterans in our family to roll over in their graves.

Any Senate “Rules wonks” here. From what I have read, a cloture motion can be presented while a Senator is speaking, it is read by the clerk, and is acted on 24 hours later, unless it is a Friday. So a cloture motion could be presented 1 minute after Dodd start talking and it’s over 24 hours later, if 60 votes are for it. What am I missing?

Another thought, Senator Dodd…

Read out the names of the Senators that do not stand with you to protect the Constitution in this serious matter. You know, the ones that support spying on Americans and excusing illegal activities by the Administration and the Telephone companies.

Thanks.

Explain to me why, if the gutless democrats can’t get anything passed anyway, what the point of not running Liebershitz out of the party on a rali is?

Dodd gets the nod in this house.

Yes to Dodd.
Yes to Edwards.

No to Obama.
No to Hillary.

Yes to Democrats.

No to Republicans.

I think you are correct. 60 votes in favor forces invocation of cloture, and ends the filibuster. This is why it is important to also exhort your Senators to vote no on any cloture motions. If the Repubs can get 11 Dem votes in favor of cloture, the filibuster fails (assuming that all 49 Repubs vote in favor of cloture).

Ann in AZ - A hard refresh cleared this problem up here…

Senator Dodd could also list what type of legislation is on hold and being honored by the hold rules. Yet his hold is being ignored.

Another thing, Senator Dodd…

Those who have taken the oath of office, who do not stand up and protect the 4th Amendment of the Constitution, do not deserve to be elected to Congress or to the Presidency or Vice Presidency.

How much money have the telcos made by providing this unknown service to the government? I’m sure they were not doing this for free.

And isn’t it amazing that just the thought of a Senator actually standing up and doing his job puts me on the edge of tears.

True. Reid has honored holds of Republican Senators, yet refuses the courtesy to a member of his own party.

I think standing up for our rights as Americans is basic to being a good American. We cannot so easily slide into giving up our rights one by one to governmental overreach and expect to remain a democratic Republic. If we do give up our rights, before we know what happened, we will have become a dictatorship. Senator Dodd and the Senators who are standing with him are doing the heavy lifting necessary to maintaining our Republic as it was founded and not giving way to those politically inclined toward creating a dictatorship, and we citizens thank them very much. As for any Senator that doesn’t, you too will be remembered. Thank you for revealing your true colors, Senators, because what you do here is the proof of who you are.

Yes, yes, yes!!!

Thank you Senator Dodd for your patriotic service to our country.
I see this FISA battle you are waging as a clarion cry for our country to return to the rule of law. I am not asking that the government abandon surveillance. I am only asking that the government abide by reasonable laws and allow appropriate levels of independent oversight so that we the people can be assured that the powers which we vest in our intelligence community are used for the purposes for which they have been designated. Please make it clear to anyone listening tomorrow that the Senate Judiciary Committee version and House version of the FISA renewal do not weaken our surveillance capability in any way but instead improve the Constitutionally mandated oversight function which has been missing.
Without law, we have no government.

GG’s always been as much (if not more) con-friendly than lib-friendly; he’s done writing for The American Conservative and he went on record, pre-Salon, as stating that Bush and his crew weren’t real conservatives. That’s one reason why it’s so funny to see people like Joe Klein attack him as an ultra-liberal, because he himself has said that he isn’t.

Don’t forget to read the 4th Amendment out loud as many times as you can!!!

A little “Mr Dodd goes to Washington” speechifying tomorrow would be a nice followup to the weekend viewing of “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

In “Mr. Smith’s” day, it took the equivalent if 67 votes to get cloture. A huge difference for the 60 votes today. That is also one of the reasons that the anti-civil rights filibusters were so successful.

That’s a great idea! Perhaps he could be steered toward that sight that showed the size of Hugh’s list if printed on banner paper and unrolled like a scroll. He could start reading it like a scroll on the floor of the Senate. I’m sure they’d all love that!

digg it

John Conyers is in Chris Dodd’s corner:

The Senate will soon consider legislation addressing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). I emailed you about this issue recently responding to inaccuracies in the press about Democratic efforts to improve protection of civil liberties. I am writing you today to update you on the current state of the bill and to ask for your help.

One critical question being considered in the Senate’s FISA bill is whether to offer telecom companies retroactive immunity for any actions they undertook in the wireless surveillance program. The Bush Administration has claimed that this is necessary for national security reasons, but I am skeptical.

If the Administration was serious about arguing for this immunity, I suspect they would take steps to demonstrate to Congress the extent of this surveillance program and what role the phone companies played. Yet they have refused to share even this information with the House. Clearly, it is a bit much to ask for immunity from prosecution without explaining why it is necessary.

Because of these reservations, the House-passed FISA bill did not include the immunity the president sought. In the Senate, however, it is becoming clear that a tough battle will now ensue over this provision. Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut has been a vocal opponent of telecom immunity and has promised to filibuster any FISA legislation that includes this provision.

Senator Dodd needs your help right now. Please visit his site and lend your support to the filibuster now. Your help can make a difference at this important juncture.

Thank you again for your continued support for a better democracy.

Your Friend,

John Conyers, Jr.

Thanks Senator
jo6pac

Photos of the scroll available at firedog ET’s blog.

A little “Mr Dodd goes to Washington” speechifying tomorrow would be a nice followup to the weekend viewing of “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Lieberman, Feinstein, Rockefeller, Nelson, Nelson, Bayh, Baucus, Johnson, Landrieu, Pryor, Lincoln, Carper, Whitehouse(?)…..Who have I missed?

many thanks to senator dodd and senators feingold and kennedy. it’s exciting to see someone fight for something - been hoping for something like this since january with the new congress.

senator dodd - would you please have your team explain the process to us, and take questions? it’s quite frustrating to not understand the how the senate rules play out here.

i have a lot more reading to do this afternoon/tonight - but here’s may layperson’s understanding so far:

the cloture vote on the motion to proceed will be at 12 noon monday after a bit of debate.

will you be (or have you) submitted amendments? when do they have to be submitted to be considered?

after the cloture vote on the motion to proceed (which i expect to pass), the debate will begin but can not last more than 30 hours. i understand you will be limited in how much time you are able to speak (how much time are you limited to, and how much time will senators feingold and kennedy be limited to - in total)? will you be able to use the entire 30 hours? if now, how many other senators will you need to be able to use the entire 30 hours?

when the debate is done - either in 30 hours or before. then, i think, there will be the vote on the motion to proceed. i expect that will pass.

then what happens? is senator reid expected to file a cloture motion at that time? if so do you expect it to be on the ssci version (with the sjc version as an amendment in the nature of a substitute)? or something else - for example, maybe controversial amendments like the the sjc version?

that would mean another cloture motion, a two day wait, then the vote on the motion to proceed, another debate of up to 30 hours and then the vote on whatever bill/amendments are in order (depending on what the cloture motion was).

is that close to being the process for next week? is your goal to drag it out through next weekend, and so put pressure on everyone who wants to go home for the holidays (i like that!).

or am i thoroughly confused?

one more question, while i’m on a roll… why didn’t you object to the consent agreement friday night? wouldn’t that have given you one more day?

thanks for everything - and i’d be very grateful if you would ask someone on your staff to explain these process issues to us.

Sorry wrong quote:

I think you are correct. 60 votes in favor forces invocation of cloture, and ends the filibuster. This is why it is important to also exhort your Senators to vote no on any cloture motions. If the Repubs can get 11 Dem votes in favor of cloture, the filibuster fails (assuming that all 49 Repubs vote in favor of cloture).

Our view is that Dodd is presidential timber. He has respect abroad and will do the proper job here at home.

After one of those Senators that want to spy on Americans and grant immunity to the Telcos throws some silly justification at you, you could always respond with Tom Petty’s lyrics: *G*

Well I won’t back down
No I won’t back down
You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won’t back down

No I’ll stand my ground, won’t be turned around
And I’ll keep this world from draggin me down
gonna stand my ground
… and I won’t back down

Chorus:
(I won’t back down…)
Hey baby, there ain’t no easy way out
(and I won’t back down…)
hey I will stand my ground
and I won’t back down

Well I know what’s right, I got just one life
in a world that keeps on pushin me around
but I’ll stand my ground
…and I won’t back down

(I won’t back down…)
Hey baby, there ain’t no easy way out
(and I won’t back down…)
hey I will stand my ground
(I won’t back down)
and I won’t back down…

(I won’t back down…)
Hey baby, there ain’t no easy way out
(I won’t back down)
hey I won’t back down
(and I won’t back down)
hey baby, there ain’t no easy way out
(and I won’t back down)
hey I will stand my ground
(and I won’t back down)
and I won’t back down
(I won’t back down)
No I won’t back down…

It has the word “hell” in it, so that may be considered inappropriate in Congress, I dunno…

I promise to call every single Senator while Dodd filibusters. We need to light up their phones like bubble lights on a Christmas tree. Bubbling for the 4th amendment!

excellent idea.

i pledge to call every senator’s office while senator dodd filibusters.

The ideal situation. Dodd becomes president and Lamont takes President Dodd’s place in CT. Delicious. ;0)

Ding Dong!

Lieberman, Feinstein, Rockefeller, Nelson, Nelson, Bayh, Baucus, Johnson, Landrieu, Pryor, Lincoln, Carper, Whitehouse(?)…..Who have I missed?

Those are the Senators whose contituents need to press hard to vote against cloture.

clammyc over at BooTrib has this point to make about the fisa debate in reference to lack of funding being provided by either bush or the congress for homeland security:

“Put differently, Bush and Congressional leaders it is more important to provide cover for illegal acts in the name of national security than it is to actually step up and provide funding for national security.”

it’s an interesting observation and thought it might be helpful.

Thank you Senator Dodd.

I too will call every Senator tomorrow morning while you filibuster.

Sen. Dodds’ backstabbing colleague is set to endorse John McCain in NH.

Could this be the beginning of the Lieberpud-McCain war, war, war bus tour?

-G

Senator Dodd, please read this:

Congress, please stand up! Stand up for the Constitution! Stand up for the Rule of Law. Stand up for your Oath to the Constitution! Forget about re-election and be ready to die a political death rather than comply with the special interests and this administration.

We the People are in need of brave leaders, who will, for once this century, please do as the people want, not as the special interests say. Stand up for what is right. And the people will stand up for you.

Hoorah for Senator Dodd! and any Senator who supports his filibuster in person. This is the email I sent to Senator Reid (I sent other emails to Senator Feinstein and Senator Boxer)…

Dera Senator Reid:

I am extremely concerned that you seem to be managing the FISA Bill to make it impossible to remove the section of the Bill that gives retroactive immunity to the telecommunication companies who have been illegally spying on Americans since George Bush took office. Some telecommunication companies knew this spying was illegal at the time and correctly refused to break the law. This illegal spying has nothing to do with the “War on Terror” because it was started before there was such a thing. Why is the Bush Administration illegally spying on every one of us all of the time?

Please stand up for our rights in our Constitution, for the rule of law FOR EVERYONE, and for our democracy that is supposed to have three equal branches of government. Please stand up to maintain the checks and balances of our democracy and stand up for the right of Congress and the people of this country to know what this President has secretly authorized. George Bush is not a king and our democracy is not a dictatorship.

Please pull this Bill and get all the facts in front of Congress and the American people before you reintroduce any bill to rework FISA. There is no need to rush this legislation when so many important questions remain unanswered.

If you do not pull the FISA Bill that includes retroactive immunity for illegal spying, I am in total support of the filibuster by Senator Dodd, and by any other member of Congress, to stop you and this Bill. I will be watching to see if any of the Democratic candidates for president lend their voice and their physical presence to the filibuster. My vote in 2008 depends on it.

I think what it means is that when Dodd needs to step out to visit the Little Senator’s Room, he can yield to a friendly colleague who would ask him a question . . . and this being a friendly colleague, said question could take up to twenty minutes. When Dodd returns, he gets to answer the question and then continue speaking.

Ok, that’s terms I can understand. I think what is needed is an essay, scholarly treatise, or something of that nature which could be read in its entirety, then have Feingold or Kennedy end with “what are your thoughts on that, Senator Dodd?”

Maybe a chapter from a good history of the Constitutional Convention, dealing with the original thoughts behind the Separation of Powers issue, and something on the history and thought behind the institution of the Fourth Amendmentment.

BTW, it is sad that the Dems in the Senate “need 60 votes to move forward with legislation”, but they also need to filibuster to prevent this fiasco. Remind me who is in the majority?

Let me share a fear I have. The description of what’s going to happen states that “Dodd takes the floor” - what if Dodd doesn’t GET the floor? What if Reid refuses to recognize him? Can he do that?

We need to remember that Reid is the Senate Majority Leader and is on the wrong side of this. We’re in this situation today because he’s bringing to the floor the bill WITH immunity rather than the one without it, because he’s breaking with decades-old Senate tradition by refusing to recognize Dodd’s hold on the bill. For some reason that escapes me, he WANTS immunity to pass, and he’s willing to trample Senate precedence and Senatorial courtesy to get it. So I can’t help but fear that if it’s POSSIBLE for him to refuse Dodd permission to speak, he’ll do so.

Any parliamentarians here who can lay my fears to rest?

Remind me who is in the majority?

Oh, I just remembered. It is the bipartisan pro-Bush coalition.

Senator Dodd,

Thank-you, and God bless! You will be standing representing the Constitution of the United States of America, do not yield and allow its power to fracture further.

I also agree with this comment from above:

“Senator, can you please read the list of senators to whom AT&T, Verizo, Sprint, and any PAC to which their employees have made a significant (say over $10,000) have made campaign contributions, as ask them to recuse themselves from the vote?”

I’ll support you in this endeavor any way I possibly can.

I guess my point is that the game was lost when Rockefeller, Feinstein and Whitehouse turned coat and voted the SIC bill out of committee..that is where it should have been stopped. As far as I am aware there is no effective “discharge petition” mechanism in the Senate.

So I can’t help but fear that if it’s POSSIBLE for him to refuse Dodd permission to speak, he’ll do so.

Good question. We need a Senate rules expert to weigh in.

Where will Senators Clinton, Obama and Biden be tomorrow? Will they be supporting Senator Dodd as promised? I sure hope so!

i think the problem is that senator dodd will be filibustering against members of our own party (see jello jay senator rockefeller).

I’m in Indiana, so I’m on the case tomorrow with Bayh’s office. Multiple calls to multiple offices, and will follow up with a fax.

When the Democrats we elected turn out to be Republicans in disguise, then we have a single party system and nothing to counter it. When we are in that situation(now) there is no actual Democracy. Thanks to the few brave enough to speak truth to power. Thanks Mr. Dodd.
If we manage to get through this without the Gestapo armed and monitoring every street corner, then we have a lot of work to do just to undo the worst of the damage that has already be done. But as bad as things have turned out to be I believe we can do it.

Let me share a fear I have. The description of what’s going to happen states that “Dodd takes the floor” - what if Dodd doesn’t GET the floor? What if Reid refuses to recognize him? Can he do that?

Reid already said Friday that he would grant Dodd and Feingold “Opponents’ Time”. How sad is that that the Democratic Majority Leader is reduced to publicly recognizing that his own party is largely against him?

(and I think that he is require to allow such time, having no choice in who his “opponents” choose to speak).

All Dodd has to say is something this,

1) There is absolutely no reason for us to grant immunity at this time. We have no idea how vast this conspiracy of lawlessness reaches. If after the facts come out we determine the TELCOS acted in good faith then we can consider immunity at that time. But, for all we know every single call made in the US is being illegally recorded by the NSA. If the TELCOS were to be found guilty we have plenty of time during any appeal process to remove their liability. The only thing granting immunity does is cover up for the crimes of George Bush and Dick Cheney.

2) No prosecutor in his right mind would ever grant immunity unless he had some idea of what the underlying crime was. Not one prosecutor would do that. And if they did grant immunity it is rarely blanket immunity for anything they might have done. Rather, it is very specifically tailored to “forgive” a limited set of actions.

Otherwise, I would just read a litany of criminal accusations against the Bush Cheney administration so it appears on all the Television stations. Or just keep reading the Kucinich articles of impeachment.

I am not going to say what I’d like seen done with Joe Lieberman. This is the holiday season in full swing in this house. So we will just say Merry Christmas or Happy Whatevers, Mr. Lieberman.

Let me share a fear I have. The description of what’s going to happen states that “Dodd takes the floor” - what if Dodd doesn’t GET the floor? What if Reid refuses to recognize him? Can he do that?

i don’t think so - here’s rule 22 .

this is a perfect opportunity for us to learn more about how the senate operates, if there is an expert willing to teach us.

BTW, it is sad that the Dems in the Senate “need 60 votes to move forward with legislation”, but they also need to filibuster to prevent this fiasco. Remind me who is in the majority?

Could be worse…if the rules hadn’t been changed in 1974, it would have taken 67 votes.

Thank you Senator Dodd for doing your job and for showing the proud legacy of the Dodd family in service and honor to this country, democracy, and the world.

Senator Lieberman–you are beneath contempt. Your warmongering selfishness betrays democracy. Being a wholly-owned subsidiary of BushCo is no legacy to be proud of. Have your children enlisted yet?

Sorry for going OT.

Sen. Dodd, you are clearly listening to the people.

Please continue on with this present course. You have my utmost support and respect.

-G

As far as I am aware there is no effective “discharge petition” mechanism in the Senate.

I’m not sure what that means, but if there is insufficient support for cloture, then the continued filibuster could eventually induce Reid to withdraw the SIC version and allow consideration of either the JC or House version.

Joyce,
One of the first calls I will place tomorrow morning will be to Senator Byrd’s office, asking him to comment on Reid’s break with Senate tradition. As the longest-serving member of the Senate and a long time student of Senate procedure, Senator Byrd is just the person to point out how large a break with tradition Reid has made.

Exactly. And that makes me sad.

Could be worse…if the rules hadn’t been changed in 1974, it would have taken 67 votes.

or better - if the goal is block bad legislation from this administration.

put some elbow grease in this one, folks, we’ll be publishing many on the front page of FDL.

This is an opportunity for all Democrats in Congress to show what they are made of. Democratic Congresspersons; don’t let us down.

i think the problem is that senator dodd will be filibustering against members of our own party (see jello jay senator rockefeller).

and…

Feinstein, Nelson, Nelson, Bayh, Baucus, Johnson, Landrieu, Pryor, Lincoln, Carper, Whitehouse(?)

Senator Dodd, please remind your colleagues of the findings of the Church Report:

The findings which have emerged from our investigation convince us that the Government’s domestic intelligence policies and practices require fundamental reform. We have attempted to set out the basic facts; now it is time for Congress to turn its attention to legislating restraints upon intelligence activities which may endanger the constitutional rights of Americans.

The Committee’s fundamental conclusion is that intelligence activities have undermined the constitutional rights of citizens and that they have done so primarily because checks and balances designed by the framers of the Constitution to assure accountability have not been applied.

Before examining that conclusion, we make the following observations.

-While nearly all of our findings focus on excesses and things that went wrong, we do not question the need for lawful domestic intelligence. We recognize that certain intelligence activities serve perfectly proper and clearly necessary ends of government. Surely, catching spies and stopping crime, including acts of terrorism, is essential to insure “domestic tranquility” and to “provide for the common defense.” Therefore, the power of government to conduct proper domestic intelligence activities under effective restraints and controls must be preserved.

-We are aware that the few earlier efforts to limit domestic intelligence activities have proven ineffectual. This pattern reinforces the need for statutory restraints coupled with much more effective oversight from all branches of the Government.

-The crescendo of improper intelligence activity in the latter part of the 1960s and the early 1970s shows what we must watch out for: In time of crisis, the Government will exercise its power to conduct domestic intelligence activities to the fullest extent. The distinction between legal dissent and criminal conduct is easily forgotten. Our job is to recommend means to help ensure that the distinction will always be observed.

-In an era where the technological capability of Government relentlessly increases, we must be wary about the drift toward “big brother government.” The potential for abuse is awesome and requires special attention to fashioning restraints which not only cure past problems but anticipate and prevent the future misuse of technology.

-We cannot dismiss what we have found as isolated acts which were limited in time and confined to a few willful men. The failures to obey the law and, in the words of the oath of office, to “preserve, protect, and defend” the Constitution, have occurred repeatedly throughout administrations of both political parties going back four decades.

-We must acknowledge that the assignment which the Government has given to the intelligence community has, in many ways, been impossible to fulfill. It has been expected to predict or prevent every crisis, respond immediately with information on any question, act to meet all threats, and anticipate the special needs of Presidents. And then it is chastised for its zeal. Certainly, a fair assessment must place a major part of the blame upon the failures of senior executive officials and Congress.

In the final analysis, however, the purpose of this Committee’s work is not to allocate blame among individuals. Indeed, to focus on personal culpability may divert attention from the underlying institutional causes and thus may become an excuse for inaction.

According to Clinton and Obama’s Web sites they have campaign appearances scheduled tomorrow. I didn’t see anything on Biden’s site about appearances.

I’m in Indiana, so I’m on the case tomorrow with Bayh’s office. Multiple calls to multiple offices, and will follow up with a fax.

Maybe you could mention my name, and report back as to how loud the responding groan was?

What I think it means that, unlike the HR, if a bill is held in committee there is no mechanism to get it out.(other than back room threats.)

Maybe you could mention my name, and report back as to how loud the responding groan was?

You have familiarized Bayh with your views previously?

Hillary? Barack? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

Screw Clinton and screw Obama if they pull a disappearing act on this one. I mean it - if these supposed “front runners” duck out on this one, the rebuke should be immediate and painful.