Glenn Greenwald writes a petition to Harry Reid:
Dear Senator Reid:
I am outraged by your efforts to enable to the Bush administration and telecoms to escape all accountability for their illegal spying on American citizens. I am appalled by your refusal to recognize the "hold" placed by Sen. Chris Dodd on the Cheney/Rockefeller bill to expand warrantless eavesdropping and provide telecoms immunity, especially given the reverence with which you treat "holds" asserted by GOP Senators. And I am truly disappointed that you have treated in such a cavalier manner revelations that the Bush administration has simply broken the law in how it has spied on Americans.
Sadly, your legacy as Senate Majority Leader thus far is one of extreme weakness and failure. It is astonishing to watch one capitulation after the next to a President who is widely discredited and historically unpopular and whose administration is patently corrupt. Your constituents did not send you to Washington to enable the Bush administration’s behavior, but rather to act as an important check on that behavior. Your role as Senate Majority Leader is to impose limits on the President’s misconduct, not to enable and endorse it. You are profoundly failing in all of your core duties.
More than ever, America needs principled and courageous leadership, and you are uniquely situated to provide it. Please start doing so. You can begin by joining in Chris Dodd’s filibuster of the horrific Senate Intelligence Committee bill and by urging your caucus members to do the same.
You can sign the petition to Reid here.
Related posts:
- Hey, Harry Reid, Stop Protecting Democrats Who Want to Filibuster the Public Option
- If Harry Reid Allows the Silent Filibuster, It’s All on Him
- Schumer Raises the Stakes: If Final Bill Has No Public Option, Blame Harry Reid
- FDL Action Launches 40,000 Call Phone Bank to Nevada Democrats Targeting Harry Reid and the Public Option
- Sunday Late Night: Your NN2010 Host, Harry Reid
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Done.
Done.
Here’s what I added to Glenn’s elegant petition:
Signed. and Dugg as well.
Harry Reid is an oathbreaker and has forsworn his oath to “preserve protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
Done. He won’t though.
Mikulski up – 2 duties; protect am people, protect the constitution. implicit in constitution is right to privacy
Done.
Toobz are really clogged today.
Teddy you’re a poet.
Jeebus — Barbara Milkulski: “A blackberry was something you ate with your breakfast cereal.”
Who does she have writing her speeches, my grandmother? These people should not be able to be making decisions about this stuff.
Signed.
Used my real name and everything.
Signed and dugg. Thanks Jane and Glenn.
Done.
Senator Harry Reid, tell the Telcos this simple statement:
“Show Me The Warrant!”
Wonder if any of those supporting immunity know what they are granting immunity FOR. The lawsuits may be the only way of finding out what ol Clusterfuck’s been up to- this would close the door to knowledge. Stupid, stupid, move.
Signed.
“Stand up for our rights!”
Signed and sent to my brother.
signed. Thank you Jane. Thank you Glenn.
Mikulski: I don’t know. As she says “Plain language”. I like it.
I admire your courage to stand with your real identity and pray you suffer no ill consequences in today’s poisonous climate.
Done.
now c-span stream cutting out on me. :-(
Were we supposed to use our real names?!?! I signed Hillary Clinton’s.
1,698 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND..
Done! Now where’s the rest of the bastards…
KEEP THE FAITH AND KEEP THE CHILDREN CLOSE, THIS IS GUNNA GET NASTY!!
Signed. Thanks so much.
Just a drive-by. Done.
Ditto.
-G
Mikulski:
Letters to Telcos signed by Ashcroft and Gonzo…Oh, yeah, and they said it was legal….(LS rolling eyes)
Done. Thanks, everyone, for your good work!
No senator is going to take seriously a petititon signature from a pseudonym.
You all are using your names, I’m not exempt
done.
I used to have respect for Mikulski. Turns out she’s in the pockets of the telecoms.
OMG! Mikulski is making my head explode. It’s one thing to hand over information under an exigent circumstances moment — in that 15 day window as provided for IN THE FISA LAW ITSELF. It’s another thing to keep doing it for 5 damned years without asking for a lawful warrant.
Jeebus, who briefs these people?
wtf is Milulski talking about. The data mining began before 9/11.
Used real name here.
used my real name too.
Done!
Mikulski – biatch.
Milkulski (D-LCD)
done – i always use real name. my comments;
Are you and others in this administration being blackmailed or your children threatened? Say so and we will take action to protect you.
Done, just wish we could convince him to step down. He is a disgrace to the founding fathers, the Constitution and the people. He serves his own self interest and those of anti-democratic forces rampant in the land.
Interesting that she said her office got attacked by the “anthrax”, and she was “scared to death”…..
Shorter: I have to do what W wants or they’ll do something…really scary..
Done and used my real name. Not that it matters. Even with my real name, I’m still just an anonymous voting citizen.
Done, dugg, and sent to 10.
Thank you.
Sessions seems to be losing track of what he’s talking about.
Signed.
Done.
I even put my rarely used “Dr.” on mine.
Multiple choice answer:
1. Junya.
2. Deadeye.
3. Mikey McConnell.
4. Telcos.
5. All of the above.
Signed, forwarded and sent to local Air America talk show host….
Reminded Reid of his oath of office, that little thing to uphold and defend the Constitution. Maybe he needs a new copy as he seems to misplaced his own copy?
Senator Sessions’ analogy is bogus crap. A person asked by a policeman to help capture a fleeing suspect does not have access to sophisticated corporate lawyers to tell him or her whether the requested act is legal.
Harry Reid is an utter failure to Preznit Temper Tantrum’s mere “miserable Failure”. If we could still do one of those google links to Reid with the key words “Utter failure” “Contemptabile wimp” and such, it might get his attention.
Can the Majority Leader be “recalled” by the Majority? What a schmuck.
Signed
She’s obviously a tired, frightened old person. It’s ok to be afraid, but it isn’t ok to be cowardly. She should be more fearful that her sacred oath to uphold the constitution is in more jeopardy than her person. If a threat of anthrax (however illogical) can result in her having an illogical reaction and propose poor law accordingly, then she has no business in the Senate.
This is a time for courage and action, not fear and retro action.
Memo to Sen. Sessions’ staff: Citizen acquiescence to “apparant legal authority” of Government request not analogous to colossal corporation massively endowed with legal genii.
Signed with comment.
Yep. Digg this post!
She has no business being in the Senate.
When is one of our Democratic leaders going to bring this home so the GOP will be on board? All we need is for one Democrat to point out that if a Democratic controlled administration determined that gun ownership was a threat to national security and decided to confiscate all guns in order to protect us from terrorists the Right Wing would be out protesting in the streets. They have no problem trashing our bill of rights and violating our 4th amendment. We need to remind them that the 2nd amendment will be next if they go down this slippery slope.
Not only is Preview your friend….. so is mute… can prevent exploding head syndrome. Good supply of nerf balls is always a good Christmas present.
Signed my real name and sent it to the family. I asked old gutless Harry to stand up or step down.
me too.
My dog told me it was ok to rob this bank. Can I have retroactive immunity too?
I propose a compromise to Sessions, Hatch, Mikulski, ad nauseum:
We will go along with telecom immunity if you promise to hold accountable the government officials who asked the companies to break the law. This means impeachment in the cases of Bush and Cheney, and a special prosecutor for the attorney general and others who perpetrated this crime.
Signed and forwarded to a couple of friends.
Not that I expect Reid to pay any attention to what we think: we’re all DFH bloggers, right?
Signed.
Used my real name and everything.
me too.
I don’t get what the point of not signing your real name. You think these gutless fuckers are coming to get you?
Yep. I signed to. Nice to see Mikulski (R-MD, /snark) is working for the telcos — correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t one of the big AT&T/NSA centers in MD?
Somebody on the floor in this debate needs to bring it around to the oath of office: Protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. To work to enable the evasion of the Fourth Amendment is to assail the Constitution. Tell it like it is.
re real names: always use my real name. Used to my full name on FDL, until the change over when I had to switch. I refuse to go under a psuedonym. We’re supposed to be afraid that someone is listening in, who will note what we say? Fuck. Them.
Note: I realize many of you have job sensitive issues, and need to remain anonymous.
BTW, I had to drive to the office this morning right in the middle of Dodd’s speech. I tought it would be OK because surely the speech would be broadcast live onthe radio, right?
Wrong. In the metor NYC needia market, not one radio station ran that speech.
Sam Seder was actually wasting everyone’s time talking about the difference between being dumped and stalking. Do I CARE about his love life?
Air America needs to get back to it’s founding purpose.
Dugg this post.
Shorter Sen. Sessions,
If we don’t let the corporations break the law they won’t have a financial incentive to protect the people who provide their bandwidth.
Sen. Sessions: “How we got into this, I do not know.”
Simple, senator: we turned our government over to a pack of lawless thugs.
Does anybody here really believe Sen. Reid cares one fucking bit what we think?
No.
Oh christ almighty it’s MoveOn’s fault!
Nice use of facebook, Jane! (For others, facebook fdls just got an invitation to sign the petition).
Dodd for Majority Leader (if he doesn’t get elected president)
Perhaps a little OT, or covered somewhere else? I just read the roll call for the cloture vote, and saw that Kennedy voted yes and Kerry no. Am I missing something here?
Sessons – leftist blame-america-first crowd. we have listened to Moveon.org They have called our fabulous Gen Patraeus a betrayer
No, but we should still go on the record about what we think about him.
Can blaming Clinton be far behind?
Nope. I get better actual responses from my Reep rep Jon Porter. Cat has surprised me a couple of times. Senator Ensign is a Bu’ushlicker all the way. And Harry Reid, if he responds at all, usually responds with generic boilerplate platitudes obviously written by staff.
I don’t really give a damn whether he cares. He is supposed to serve the people of this country and he can just fucking well deal with it.
Not in the way you mean, but silence from our side would allow him to delude himself that all of America supports what he is doing.
He needs to know that we don’t approve, that we are not complicit. That he’s going to hellfire and damnation in the afterlife, all by himslef (well, there’s Shrub and Deadeye, and and and–OK, so not all by himslef, but not with us in tow)
Interesting.
We can listen to Cspan and react in the moment. We are all in the same living room, a town hall meeting in real time. Again, this space is making history.
w00t.
sessions – we need to be careful of our thought process as we go forward
Our Phoenix AAR station goes local from 4pm-10pm which allows us to get on the air and bring up issues.
I am listening to Sedar right now and he is supporting Dodd and demanding his listeners to go to his website and voice their opinion.
Done. And Obama is so full of crap with this business of how not voting on cloture is the equivalent of voting against it. Look at the paltry roster of those who actively voted to support the filibuster. These are the Few, the Brave, the On-Record. Anything less is acquiescence, in spirit if not in technical fact.
MoveOn.org speaks for me, and my real name ain’t bluejeans.
It’s John!
(LHP: i left you a follow-up question at the end of the last thread if you get a moment. thx!)
OT: Isn’t it an interesting development that out of the ashes rises Perot, who is the seller of the Magna Carta…..what a statement.
Just sent the petition request to 19 people from the congregation that want to be active. What an issue to start the group with!
Between Hatch and Sessions’ pearl clutching it is almost funny. Just let them talk and talk and talk and maybe we’ll reach into Feb and revert to the original bill.
astraltechnician – w00t. May i pass you some sandwiches?
Done, dugg, and passed it on!
Geez, Jeff Sessions, why don’t you just come out and blame the hippies, blacks and Jews? You know you want to.
I’d love to here the ongoing commentary at AAR. But I’ve got Cspan on realplayer.
Well, I’m glad to hear that. I was so frustrated this morning, that I almost punched out my car radio.
Couldn’t hear Chris Dodd anywhere, Dan Fogelberg on the other hand, I think even the rap stations were playing him
no. but there’s a reason i don’t use my real name. and it’s not that i worry bushco spying on me. they’d just be wasting their time. i do worry about non gov. people trying to cause me personal grief.
I’m breaking out the wine and cheese, there’s beer in the fridge, Help yourselves. Smoke it if you got it.
OK, pups, I signed and wrote:
I really don’t think you care one iota about what we think on this important issue, but I’ll join the protest here.
History will look back sadly upon this time of destruction of our Nation’s legacy as a beacon of light. Your place will and should be in the shadows created by that extinction of illumination.
So often it seems like our country has two major political parties – the We Fuck Up EVERYTHING We Put Our Hands On! Party (The GOP), and the Enablers of the We Fuck Up EVERYTHING We Put Our Hands On! Party (The Democrats)….
Petition signed.
Senator Benjamin Cardin (MD) is good, too
Breaking News:
John McCains’ Straight Talk Express spotted in NH covered with shaving cream and dragging cans tied to strings from the rear bumper.
I think the new couple are headed to Niagra Falls for the big night.
-G
Here’s to you ET! We won’t go gentle into the darkness! (It sure as hell ain’t a good night.)
Signed and called Durbin’s office.
I asked where Durbin stood on telecom immunity and the FISA bill, and they responded that he voted for cloture in order to allow the bill — with an amendment negating immunity — to come-up for a vote. Durbin’s office stated that he is of the camp that wants this legislation to be voted on in order to get to “other business of the Senate” (e.g. other necessary appropriations bills).
The operator expressed the view that if this FISA bill isn’t voted on now, then it won’t be voted on before the Fall FISA bill tweak expires in February, to which I responded “who cares?” FISA will still be in place, as it had been until Fall 2007, so there is no emergency,no rush, to put cement bad legislation in place.
Durbin’s position is deeply disappointing. And every Illinoisan needs to let him know.
I answered at bottom of that thread, so as to not OT too much over here
If the R’s really believe that Article II wartime powers trump Article I and the Bill of Rights, then they should not be afraid to take it to the Courts and get a reported decision to settle the issue. I’m sure at least one of the cases in play on this point could be litigated without revealing essential state secrets. And clearly SCOTUS is in their pocket. According to Jack Goldsmith, the reason why they don’t is that simply by consenting to litigate the question, the Executive would be establish Article III’s precedence over Article II wartime powers, an outcome they would find just as intolerable as a precedence of Article I over Article II wartime powers. Executive assertion of exceptional Article II wartime powers is the common blocking issue in every single important instance of Executive overreach.
This is a Constitutional crisis. How do we arrive at a resolution of the underlying Article II wartime powers argument when it will never be brought to a Court of law? Can this debate be broadened out from the telco retroactive immunity issue to address the Constitutional crisis?
Hmmm.
Petition signed. Thom Hartmann reported the Firedoglake coverage. Now Sam Seder is on in place of Randy Rhodes and is asking his listeners to go to Firedoglake and sign the petition. He said listening was not free today that the fee was signing the petition.
moved from lurker status to register and sign the post. My message: Sen. Reid, either support Sen. Dodd or resign and join the Republicans.
Used my real name, which on hind sight might not be so great job wise. *shrug*
I’m sure McCain and Lieberman will be very happy together.
I think Cardin is really outraged and emotional about this…you can hear it in his voice…the frustration is palpable.
(hee hee hee.) Hope they have a barrel of fun.
Done, and I asked Reid to step down if he can’t support Dodd’s efforts to protect my civil liberties. Said also that the least he can do is step aside and get out of the way! I thought about telling him how I see his actions as a sign he is in the deep pockets of the telecoms, but I thought the better of it.
“This is a Constitutional crisis.”
Yes it is, one met largely with a Wal-Mart Dollar Daze yawn.
The Fourth Amendment is being nullified wholesale.
I’d like to think I’m pretty well educated, well-read and well informed (Hey, I come here, don’t I?) But truth be told, I don’t understand FISA for nuthin’. A very basic question. And my mom taught me the only stupid question is the one you don’t ask. So here goes.
I keep hearing that the Intelligence Committee bill requires a warrant to eavesdrop on American citizens, wherever they are. Question(s):
1. True?
2. If so, what’s wrong with that?
Remember, this is apart from retroactive immunity, which is odious in the extreme.
I have another question but that’ll be in another comment.
done
I have had a hard time getting into FDL today. Is there any sense yet on how long this filibuster will last? Will it last the day? All night and into tomorrow?
Done, and I added a comment.
welcome akak. ya know once you delurk, it’s hard to go back. ;-)
Senator Finegold up.
Signed, sealed, sent.
Called my senator, Sherrod Brown (D,Ohio) and he’s supporting the Dodd filibuster, etc.
Now that you’ve made the plunge (into the lake) Hope to see more coments from you
Disgusting: Obama issues a nice statement but won’t get his ass on a jet and get back to DC for the actual vote. So he says he won’t be supporting the wrong bill. Gee, thanks, Bud. Guess the Iowa primary is MORE IMPORTANT THAN STANDING UP FOR THE CONSTITUTION AND THE RULE OF LAW.
We’ll remember in November; or February, or January….
My message to Reid: Lead or get out of the way.
If I ever refer to DAD Dana at this site, it’s Dana Perino, not you. OK?
FINE GOLD!
w00t!
Beerfart: Feingold is explaining what FISA is intended to do right now on CSpan2
The Intelligence Committee bill is not odious in every word. Hell, there are probely at least 3 or 4 sentences that are completely OK. (I’m exxagerating) Just b/c some clause of the bill is unobjectionalable, why would that make a bill with lots of other objectionable parts be OK?
I was told by Durbin’s office that Dodd has been given only 30 hours until the bill goes for a vote.
Reid’s not stepping down and he’s not stepping up either. He’s too busy leading the Republics back inot control of the Senate.
Seems to me the normal sitemeter hourly range of “visits” per “hour” on the sitemeter is around 4,000….about an hour ago…the previous hour had 5,100 per hour, now, it is…. Last Hour 6,644.
Wow.
He should refuse to leave…I’d like to see those nasty Capitol Police…drag him away from the podium for standing up for the Constitution…(not hurt him of course)…
That…would make the news.
Signed my name and made this comment:
Time after time I have watched in disappointment as our civil liberties are further and further destroyed. Under your leadership we are seeing Congressional enabling on both sides of the aisle that Sinclair Lewis’ It Can’t Happen Here has become It Can Happen Here.
This is not a battle between Democrats and Republicans. This is a battle between democracy and tyranny.
Thank you, Jane and Christy and Marcy and LHP and everyone who has advocated for and signed this petition.
I signed, too.
Thanks, Jane!
Bob in HI
There is no leadership with either Obama or Clinton, just focus-grouped smooth as a baby’s ass rhetoric and platitudes.
Obama is running because of his post 2004 convention Ego, and HRC is running because of her Uber-Ego. Neither is qualified to be the nominee. Their behavior in light of this clear assault on the Constitution is proof enough for me.
Is it any wonder when they, the actual members of a governing body of the Republic can’t be bothered to go back and vote on absolutely critical legislation, that average men and women think “My vote doesn’t count”?
A less favorable interpretation of their actions might be that they don’t want to cut off their future supply of TELCO $$ if they have to be on record against immunity. I would never be so cynical as to suggest that. Well, maybe except today.
I’m getting database connection errors a lot. You need bigger hamsters.
There was once a day in the Senate, when a member could use the cold logic and precision Feingold is exhibiting, and the other members would be persuaded. I miss that day.
Anybody noticed the MSM on this? Even Tweety couldn’t keep a straight face as he asked if Bill Clinton really wants his wife to win…upcoming Ralph Nader…mention of Dodd’s stand? Not so much.
And where are MoveOn and DFA?
How can anything be done when the Pres broke the law. No wonder they are having trouble.
I got a Facebook request and signed the petition.
Dodd’s people, if you read this, don’t give up after 30 hours, don’t back down…it would be the best thing that ever happened…
Hang tough, no matter what they tell you to do!!
ok, taking a break from calling senators… i’ve worked my way down to hutchison – i think that’s the halfway point.
Yay Selise … I’m trying to catch up with you!
Signed (real name, of course) when I got the FB email.
More importantly, I gave Dodd $25 a few days ago when he promised to fillibuster. Words don’t mean much to politicians. Money does. (Ron Paul’s haul must be causing some consternation.)
It will be interesting to see if Dodd moves up in Iowa because of this. I’d like to believe that he will but only time will really tell.
Feingold! Now THAT is how a Senator looks and acts. Hell, I wish to God that was the way a Presidential candidate looked and acted!
oh, barf: Lieberman now claiming to be a Democrat on Hardball.
He wasn’t given the time, those are the Senate rules.
Here are links for the possible results under Senate rules.
link
link
Sen John Warner (VA) giving kudos to intelligence peeps.
Done and Dugg.
Milkulski is useless. Her responses to my emails prove that she is in the same league as LIEberman.
Got this from Kos…yesterday, Reid wrote to McConnell:
December 16, 2007
Admiral John M. McConnell
Director of National Intelligence
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Washington, DC 20511
Dear Admiral McConnell:
As you know, the Senate will begin debate on the FISA Amendments Act of 2007 this week. Among the issues the Senate will consider is whether to grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that are alleged to have assisted the government in its warrantless wiretapping program. You recently wrote in the New York Times that immunity is one of the three most critical issues in this bill.
We appreciate that you have provided access to the documents necessary for evaluation of this issue to the Senate Intelligence and Judiciary Committees, as each has in turn considered it. As the debate now moves to the full Senate, I believe it is of critical importance that all Senators who will be called upon to vote on this important question have an opportunity to review these key documents themselves so that they may draw their own conclusions. In my view, each sitting Senator has a constitutional right of access to these documents before voting on this matter.
I strongly urge you to make the documents previously provided to the Intelligence and Judiciary Committee regarding retroactive immunity available in a secure location to any Senator who wishes to review them during the floor debate. I appreciate your cooperation in this matter.”
Durbin’s line is forever busy for me – get a tape saying call back – argh.
Obama’s and Sander’s folks saying they have not decided yet if they will go to the floor in support of Dodd, so time to keep up the pressure on them to do just that.
Trying not to throw up watching Sen. Warner of Virginia and others sing paens to the intelligence community (”their children go to the same schools, i see them in church!” ).. how quickly has the GOP changed its tune, from questioning their competence and integrity over the NIE report. shameless
i originally hoped to do them all today, but got side tracked by cbolt who thought s/he heard a uc agreement this morning that turned out (apparently) to mean nothing.
Over at Talking Points, they have a link for an interview where JoeL says McCain was the only candidate who wanted his endorsement.
That tells you something about Lieberman: not even Clinton and Obama wanted him to endorse them. The stink coming off him must be really bad these days.
Yeah. I get the retroactive immunity part and that sucks. But I don’t get how any version allows spying on Americans without a warrant from FISA court.
Has anyone pointed out that, although the “corporations as individuals” of the Telcos would get immunity, all of their employees wherever they are will lose their 4th Amendment rights???
And here’s my second question:
Mikulski (useless) said that the first letter to tjhe telecoms was signed by Ashcroft. I thought Ashcroft opposed the program -you know, the bedside hospital visit scene. Or did he sign off on an earlier illegal program?
Senator Warner cryin’ those ol’ crocodile tears for those poor, poor ol’ Telcos.
Cry me a feckin’ river Warner!
i didn’t get through to durbin either. several offices had busy signals or full mail boxes.. but i kept note and will call them tomorrow.
p.s. i did get one R who’s going to vote with us – Coburn. appreciated my concern about giving all this power to a possible future pres. hillary clinton. ;-)
Ashcroft signed off on teh program for months (years?) until Comey (following Goldsmith’s review) told him not to.
The nature of the program is that it sucks up everyone’s information, so that is a moot point; that is why they want immunity from needing warrants. They can’t get individual warrants, because they are spying on everyone.
warner – telcos need immunity or they won’t voluntarily cooperate.
me – exactly! we don’t want them cooperating unless they are compelled to do so by law. duh.
Kos now reporting on a second potential hold-up on the Senate version of the FISA bill, by Wyden, if his SSCI amendment (requiring the government to secure a warrant from the FISA court before targeting an American overseas) gets stripped out during the floor debate:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyo…..657/423426
He says he’ll block unanimous consent, this is not a conventinal hold.
While I’m at it – “it” being asking stupid questions and exhibiting ignorance – I gotta admit (well, I don’t have to; but I will) that I really didn’t know anything about Senator Wyden. He impressed me. At least today.
warner – telcos need immunity or they won’t voluntarily cooperate.
me – exactly! we don’t want them cooperating unless they are compelled to do so by law. duh.
Done, and sent to a friend.
Reading between the lines of Warner’s speech:
He fears that individual members of the intelligence community will be the subject of lawsuits. These are people he earlier praises as fine citizens that live in his community, their kids go to local schools, they are his friends etc.
Broader issue of this legislation [not Warner here, just me]: the phone companies are afraid their collection AND SALE of information about your purchases will become known. All credit card transactions…all bank statements…purchases at the local store with a card that uniquely identifies certain products with you…this is commercially valuable data. This data is being gathered and sold. They give it to private contractors who aren’t covered under the law, so the contractors can look for “terrorists.” And if they happen to find commercially available data besides? Bonus.
While I’m at it – “it” being asking stupid questions and exhibiting ignorance – I gotta admit (well, I don’t have to; but I will) that I really didn’t know anything about Senator Wyden. He impressed me. At least today.
If we had gone through the tricky part of the Cold War – the period between the Berlin Blockade and the Civil Rights Act – with the selfishness, rudeness, disregard of 1,000 years of the growth of human rights, wanton waste of human life, mistreatment of our own soldiers, lack of concern for building usable infrastructure in the countries of our allies, and just plain stupidity our country’s leadership has shown for the past seven years, we’d all be speaking Russian and Chinese now.
If Osama were alive, he’d be laughing, saying “We hate you for WHAT freedoms, idiots?”
I ot a blast email from Move On hours ago, right after Dodd spoke with contact info urging me to call , fax and email senators.
Their on it
Wow…sitemeter last hour now up to: Last Hour 9,787
No wonder the toobz are jerky!!!!
If we had gone through the tricky part of the Cold War – the period between the Berlin Blockade and the Civil Rights Act – with the selfishness, rudeness, disregard of 1,000 years of the growth of human rights, wanton waste of human life, mistreatment of our own soldiers, lack of concern for building usable infrastructure in the countries of our allies, and just plain stupidity our country’s leadership has shown for the past seven years, we’d all be speaking Russian and Chinese now.
If Osama were alive, he’d be laughing, saying “We hate you for WHAT freedoms, idiots?”
The world will be a much better place when the cliche ridden Bush rubber stamp John Warner cleans out his desk and leaves the Senate soon.
Another blow for the Cheney “4 branches of government”(or whatever he and Addington think they are) brigade–
From Matt Apuzzo (AP)
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/s…..TE=DEFAULT
“U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth ruled logs from the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney’s residence remain Secret Service documents and are subject to public records requests rejecting a legal strategy that the Bush administration had hoped would get around public records laws and let them keep their guests a secret.”
https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2006cv1912-44
Wow…sitemeter last hour now up to: Last Hour 9,787
No wonder the toobz are jerky!!!! That is about 2X an average daily hour count.
Sen Dodd reading whistleblower Klein’s letter re the splitters in the secret room in many cities. a ‘dumb’ splitter which copies everything. Klein is now witness in lawsuit. Dodd reading Dr Reid re infrastructure – wholesale dragnet copying of all communications, absolutely everything.
I ot a blast email from Move On hours ago, right after Dodd spoke with contact info urging me to call , fax and email senators.
They’re on it
OT some good news for George Bush, he has delivered to his base:
“The total income of the top 1.1 million households was $1.8 trillion, or 18.1 percent of the total income of all Americans, up from 14.3 percent of all income in 2003. The total 2005 income of the three million individual Americans at the top was roughly equal to that of the bottom 166 million Americans, analysis of the report showed.”
via Froomkin
Beerfart Liberal,
I got it. If you refer to DAD Dana, it’s not me. I would’ve guessed that, though.
Oops, my comment was not in response to Carolyn U@120. Must have clicked on the wrong “reply” button.
Dodd – i don’t know if they are guilty – i’m not a judge. nor are my collegues nor is the President. President seems to believe in the courts only if they go his way.
imo dodd is doing great.
i’m exhausted and all i’ve done is listen and make some phone calls.
1,698 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND..
Citizen Hamsher and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:
Is FDL under attack from the Orcs? Anyone else havin’ trounle with the download if ya leave the site?
KEEP THE FAITH…GEEZE I HATE WAITIN FOR A MACHINE TA TELL ME WHAT TA DO!!
if extend immunity to telcos because they acted patriotically, why not extend immunity to administation? Speaks to their guilt and their fears of liability
Dodd: This belongs in the Courts b/c only the Courts can decide whether the telcos are guilty or innocent of breaking the laws. This is what W and Team Dick are not willing to see, because it goes to the heart of their Article II wartime powers (what can I call it? not an argument b/c not supported by facts, just belief) religion.
True enough. It’s exhausting to watch our remaining rights being sold down the river.
I wonder if KO is prepping Special Comment for tonight?
Dodd deserves one…..
all messages swept up by splitters are not just enemies foreign and domestic but of everyone.
I don’t understand the rules but didn’t the senate vote for cloture already? ANd what is the deal for Reid demanding 60 votes on amendments when he won’t require it to end the filibuster?
Dodd earlier today: “every email, every text message, every phone call”
Please all forgive my ignorance, I was here this am and spent several hours making phone calls, but I had to go out (to take my mom to the doctors) and now I’m back and someone tell me where we are at.
I see Dodd on CSPAN-2. Is this the filibuster?
I checked out several other sites and could not find out.
Also, with all the traffic here, it’s been tedious and please someone tell me where we are at with the FISA vote.
When I left the senate had just voted for closure.
Please?
Or else, we might send you another stern letter. Don’t worry, we will always vote for and support the (D) party, the Party of the Least Worst, no matter what you do, because, lord knows, you’ve already done worse than anyone could have imagined with your capitulations on habeas and unfettered domestic surveillance.
signed, The Progressive Blogosphere, (D) captured faction.
Telcos get immmunity when they have a court order – required to do so and protected indefinitely – been the law for 25 years.
The more effective this site becomes the more it is a target, which is why is use my own John Hancock.
This is Lexington and Concord, April 1776, “The shot heard throughout the world.
I am an Edwards precinct captain but Dodd owns my heart!
Just called Obama’s office and a staffer told me the Senator is “considering” coming back to Washington for the filibuster. Please give them a call and encourage this!
(202) 224-4744
Dodd is amazing. This has got to break in MSM soon.
Signed. My comment to Reid “No Guts – No Glory”
Dugged, but my postal code is not welcomed at the petition.
So the answer to my first question, I guess is “false” the intel committee bill does not require a FISA court warrant for each discrete act of spying on an American. Is that right? Sorry to be such a chowderhead about this.
Done and thanks. Senator Dodd is the true leader!
Here is an LTE I’m sending to my local paper today.
Anyone who is watching the Senate debate the FISA bill and Senator Dodd’s amendment to it is witnessing the further destruction of our Constitution.
Aided and abetted by the Democratic leadership, the travesty of this debate shows just how broken our government is. Senator Chris Dodd put a hold (which Senate Leader Harry Reid refused to honor) on the Senate Intelligence Committee FISA bill because it includes immunity to the telecom industry for what appears to be illegal spying of American citizens without a court order as required by Federal law. Spying, according to a recent NY Times article, going back to January of 2001—eight months before 9/11. The esteemed members of the Intelligence Committee determined that the telecoms did nothing illegal, they were simply doing their ‘patriotic duty’ when this administration asked them to vacuum up every citizen’s phone calls (domestic and foreign) and all emails; they did nothing illegal these committee members determined. The salient question to this rationale is: What patriotic duty were they performing in January, 2001, when we were NOT at war and during the time when the administration had placed the threat from al Qaeda well down on their list of priorities? Congress’s responsibility does not extend to determining the legality/illegality of any actions taken. This is the responsibility of the Judicial Branch, i.e., the court system. System of checks and balances anyone? Should this immunity bill pass, 40 pending court cases against the telecoms that conducted this illegal wiretapping will immediately be dismissed. We will not have our day in court to find out the extent of the invasion of our privacy.
Senator Dodd is planning to filibuster this bill, with the help of Senators Feingold and Kennedy. Where are the Senators looking to become President—Clinton, Biden, Obama? It appears it is more important to them to campaign to be our leader than show leadership, unlike Senator Dodd.
If members of Congress will not perform their oath of office to “protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, both foreign and domestic” and the court system is kept from determining legality of actions taken, why doesn’t the government make it official: abolish both the Legislative (Congress) and the Judicial branches and become an officially acknowledged dictatorship. After all, Mr. Bush insists he is the ‘decider,’ but with his usual mangling of the English language, the word he really means is dictator—which is exactly how he acts and this Congress continues to enable him.
Dodd is totally on fire!
Aha….that is what the “basket warrants” would do…as I understand it. Our position is: no basket warrants in any bill. No immunity for Telcos. No retroactive immunity for Telcos.
Good luck with the LTE. For whatever it’s worth, I like it. Shoot that paper an e-mail and let ‘em know that Beerfart likes it.
the earlier vote today was the cloture vote on the motion to proceed. since it passed, debate (on the motion to proceed) is limited to 30 hours. then comes the vote on the motion to proceed
after that there will probably be a cloture petition on s.2248 (teh ssci version). if there is, then there will be a two day wait until the cloture vote, which if it passes will then be followed by another 30 hours of debate before voting.
or not …i don’t know exactly what is planned or how those plans might change during the week. but dragging the process out is good because pretty soon people are going to want to go hom for the christmas break.
Ron Wyden just offered another hold
http://www.dailykos.com/story/…..657/423426
Check this out. Im too tired to figure it out.
either very good news or outstandingly important good news.
snoopy dance potential.
That is a very good question….. Just why…did Qwest say no and the others did that very thing your own mother said….”do you always do what everyone else does? Are you going to jump off a bridge if they do it too?”
Ok. Got it. i mean, I opposed the bill just because of the retroactive immunity provision. But I never got the “spying on Americans” part. Both sides made claims that seemed at least competely opposite of the other.
Me, too.
demi – here is a a chart showing the process. we are in post cloture arguments
Senator Dodd @ 2:56 pacific:
“I’ve been here for 8 hours, and I’ll be here as long as it takes.”
Like I said @ 159:
Signed the petition to mr. harry.
Go Dodd Go!
dodd notes an absence of a quorum. calling the roll.
Yours and mine both!
Thanks for the kind words. Have had 3 LTE’s printed in recent past, keeping fingers crossed on this one.
pow wow gave analyses of the various bill (pow wow read them all in their various version)… but i’m too tired and frustrated wit hteh site to look up the links now. remind me later and i’ll be happy to do it.
i miss pow wow’s comments, don’t think i’ve seen any since the migration to the new system…. pow wow, if you see this comment: i hope all is well with you and i miss your insights.
Did it, under my real name. Can’t understand why anyone would do it differently. I don’t have much hope, but at least honour is saved. The future will remember us.
you rock!
Sorry, my bad last post #211. Reply was meant for Beerfart. Need to learn to read.
Having real trouble posting comments. I believe the Intl bill has “basket warrants”
Thanks Kathryn
for the process chart.
Maybe Orrin Hatch, who is up now, will explain this to me. Ha!
Jane alluded earlier that there may be contingent reasons we are having problems with this site.
Since I’m already a friend of an enemy of the administration, I didn’t figure that my involvement with this site would make it worse for me.
Am I wrong?
Speaking of Orrin…… Is he ill or does he have a crummy tailor? His suit was, like, draped on him. the shoulder saeems were down the arms. It was obviously too big. Is he wasting away?
These are also people who have sworn to preserve and protect the constitution, right? John, if they haven’t done anything wrong, why should they worry? How about we just agree to reimburse their defense, if they are sued and found to have done nothing wrong.. It’s all about personal responsibility, isn’t it?
“dodd notes an absence of a quorum. calling the roll.”
One of the little sidebars to this whole controversy today is that we’re seeing a little contest between Harry Reid, the current Majority Leader, and Chris Dodd, a possible future Majority Leader, on who can master the intricacies of Senate rules and muster the votes best. Dodd lacks the powers of the ML, but is not without allies. He is working the floor as well as making speeches. Forcing a rollcall gives him an opportunity to work the floor a bit.
My guess is that Dodd may be the better chessmaster, and is practicing his chops. CSPAN is giving him some free airtime in Iowa. So there are some interesting sideshows going on here.
Bob in HI
Jane & empywheel,
Thanx for you work on this VERY important issue.
Steve J.
Delurking just to be counted.
Here is my added comment, not that it will help.
When will you get around to protecting the Constitution from domestic enemies? The First Amendment and the Fourth Amendment need defense against this lawless administration.
just got in, do my ears deceive me? reid has the gall to stand up and speak in favor of Dodd’s amendment after doing everything possible to make sure telcos get immunity. what a slimeball
Procedurally, I’m afraid with regard to S. 2248, besides that it’ll be taken up after Santa comes,I will never understand the cascade of cloture, debate, etc.
Dear Senator Reid,
If you’re going to continue to be a political coward, please stop all of your references to Harry “Give ‘Em Hell” Truman. It’s defamatory to his memory.
Thank you.
yes. you will. because i am determined to understand it too…. and i can be obnoxiously stubborn. :-)