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John Edwards should challenge his rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to go back to Washington, DC and fight against retroactive immunity for the telecoms.
The Republicans are not going to let Reid punt and extend the Protect America Act for another 18 months so it looks like the FISA bill is going to come back up again on Monday. Chris Dodd's objection to Unanimous Consent still stands, so they will pick up in the middle of the Motion to Proceed debate.
It will be increasingly difficult to listen to Edwards, Obama and Clinton tout their supreme leadership attributes and their commitment to "changing the way Washington works" if they choose to sit by, more or less mute, and allow such a blatant and corrupt evisceration of the rule of law -- and such a vast and permanent expansion of the limitless surveillance state -- to occur without a fight. Any one of them, or all three, has a unique opportunity to actually demonstrate with actions, rather than pretty speeches, their commitment to the principles they claim to espouse.
John Edwards is the perfect person to lead with this message. Such an action would illustrate his genuine commitment to change and fighting vested interests in Washington, and hopefully it will channel that intense anti-immunity passion toward his campaign. He won't be able to participate in the filibuster himself, but by offering to leave the campaign trail and go back to DC with Clinton and Obama he'll be able to show leadership in challenging all Democrats to put thoughts of personal gain aside and join together in the fight to save the constitution.
Without the help of the presidential candidates, we are doomed to lose this fight. And all their calls for change will ring hollow if they allow George Bush to railroad this bill through a supine Democratic-controlled Senate because of their absence.
You can email Senator Edwards directly at john@johnedwards.com.
(We'll be working with Glenn Greenwald and others to fight against retroactive telecom immunity in the coming days. If you'd like to receive updates about what you can do, sign up here. You can contact Clinton, Obama and McCain here.)
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Hi Jane!
If those three Democratic candidates were to actually lead on this issue it would be Bad for the GOP.
BTW, that photo is verrry Kennedyesque. I like it.
Sounds good to me!
(Still fuming over the tax rebate scheme…)
“John Edwards is the perfect person to lead with this message.”
Yes.
Okay, I’ll go tell everyone we’re up here.
That’s a brilliant idea.
Lead John lead!
Thanks for the Edwards email; how can we let the Clinton and Obama campaigns know that we want them to follow suit?
Bob in HI
Jane, the link for updates is no good.
Lahoma and i believe that John Edwards is the best person to be president. By far. ;0)
OT..They are dropping like flies:
kos
Lahoma and kiddo are wise people and Mr. Marion in Savannah and I agree with them. And our house agrees with their house.
Frankly, I’d love Obama and Clinton to behave like statespersons and bow out and throw their support behind Edwards. There I go. having a mega-dream again.
Edwards is gaining media coverage…I think he got a real bump from staying out of the Obama/Hillary fight. He is now considered “above the fray”…
Credo Action launched an action alert today, calling on Senators Clinton Obama (and McCain) to come off the campaign trail to do everything in their power to stop retroactive immunity and a bad FISA bill. You can contact there offices through this page.
After seven years of George W. Bush, we need leaders who will defend Americans’ right to privacy. The opportunity for Clinton, McCain, and Obama to prove their mettle is here.
While I would love to see John Edwards champion this issue as well, what we need in the end is all of our leaders standing up together against any further abuse of the Constitution.
Disclosure: I am consulting for the CREDO Mobile team to stop the Bush administration’s illegal wiretapping program and hold the telecom companies accountable for their lawbreaking. I am no longer connected to Senator Dodd’s campaign.
Thanks, I fixed.
Lahoma says hello. She’s reading this post and the comments beside me here on one of her laptops. ;0)
Ut oh - cannot get that picture puravita mentioned in comment one. Is it of Edwards?
Thanks, Matt. I’ll add it upstairs.
Jane, this is an excellent idea, if Edwards does that it shows him the leader he needs to be if he is to overcome the media’s insistence on leaving him out of the presidential discussion
I would like him to point out;
“if we give the telecoms “retro active immunity” we would have granted them the right to acquire information that is not theirs, to use as they might use against the very people they acquired that information in the first place”
add to that;
“it will make it impossible to discover what if any crimes have been committed against Americans under the guise of “national security”, people so depraved they would use our national security as a cover to steal information”
we cannot allow retro active immunity, the hill has taken some tele com campaign funds, she’s gonna be in a tough spot to go along with Edwards but if she wants to be our candidate she will have no choice.
this is win win for America, win win for the democrats, loose loose for the kinds of criminals that think they can use the cover of their office to commit crimes against America, her people and our law
What a coup it would be for him to do this. Give up campaigning while the two who must be there go and do the people’s work they were actually elected to do.
Jane - can you get your suggestion to the Edward’s team? I’m sure Elizabeth will get the point!!
John Edwards leading on this issue will also show the American people who actually cares about their civil rights, and who doesn’t.
I’m looking at you, Barack Obama.
-S
Clinton will be in Laveen AZ today
If anyone is over on that side of town & can go ask that very question.
email sent to Edwards.
Permit me to tweak the title of this post just a bit to: Senator Edwards, We Need You.
Gotta go — just sent off an email to Senator Edwards. See you later!
Sorry OT
NEW YORK (CNN) — Actor Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday of a possible drug overdose in a Lower Manhattan apartment, the New York Police Department said.
Sad…
Holy OT Ford Motor Company is at $2.24 a share! http://finance.google.com/finance?q=NASDAQ:FORD
Edward’s economic populism should catch fire now.
Uh, I think that’s the point of this post is for US to contact Edwards in numbers to convince him to do this thing.
Jane is one person. We are many more. Most of us vote. He needs voters. He will respond to the number of voters who push him on this.
I checked to make sure the emails delivered to the above address would be read. They do know about this.
Ignore that last post the information is about another company SORRY!
E-mail sent!!
Jane this needs to be done as we did the first time around on FISA. I know Senatro Dood had to change his web site after bowing out of the race,, maybe someone here can find his new and we can support him again.
My letter to Edwards:
“John,
Please go back to DC and support Senator Dood in his endeavors to stop the immunity for the Telco.. You would do your campaign a lot of good and garner more support of the progressive democrats. Also call for Hillary and Barack to join you in the senate to stop this abuse of the constitution and the Rule of law our country is founded on.
Thank you for keeping what really matters on the front burner for all of Americans to see!”
We should also not forget the Impeachment being pushed by Robert Wexler. If you haven’t sign his petition.
www.wexlerwantshearings.com
de-lurking to say that I just emailed Edwards.
excellent
however I want people to show what is at stake, it’s more then some philosophy of “a right to privacy”
contrary to common discussion, we require a right to privacy not so much to guard the information we are embarrassed but to guard the information WE ARE MOST PROUD;
I don’t want some “official” using the cover of his office to read my manuscript if I’m a writer or working on a thesis
and I don’t want these “officials” lurking behind closed doors to be able to publish my formula that cures the common cold or cancer
and I don’t want to compete against my own schematics if I engineer a carburetor that gives us 100 mph
and I surely don’t want some depraved “officials” using the cover of their office to listen on my wifes personal conversations, look up my daughters dress or follow my son into the bathroom
THAT is why we need privacy protection, NOT to hide what is embarrassing but TO GUARD WHAT WE ARE MOST PROUD
framing the discussion along those lines cuts the neo cons manuevers down at the knees
Ah, everything works fine and indeed, that is a quite cool photograph of John Edwards -quite a handsome fellow and quick and oh so smart.
Edwards/Clinton 2008! ;~)
An empahatic YES! Very well put.
email sent
My email to Mr. Edwards:
Please challenge Obama and Clinton on retroactive immunity for the telecoms. The telecoms along with the Bush Administration broke the law. It was never right to spy on Americans. As far as I am concerned Obama and Clinton helped with the sabotage of our constitution.
Good luck and keep fighting.
I think Edwards also should suggest that both Obama and Clinton address the new NIE on Iran. None of the candidates appear to have altered their stands on Iran significantly even though the US intelligence services are unanimous in stating that there is no evidence that Iran has a nuclear weapons program.
It’s as if they are sucking the teat of AlPaCa and the neo-cons.
When is the next debate that Edwards can talk about this? Are there any more debates in fact?
The next Dem debate is January 31 at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, according to Wolf last night.
Great idea, now to e-mail and spread the word.
I just sent John Edwards an e-mail. I also made it a point to tell him I attended the Nevada caucus and cast my vote for him as well as advocated for his presidency.
Here is an interesting insight. So many Democrats like and respect Edwards yet they stood with either Obama or Clinton. I felt they were on a bandwagon. They had no problem saying they really liked Edwards but, “He’s not viable.” What kind of a statement is that? I guess not if you support someone you think is second rate by comparison but they have more money to spend on campaigning.
Out of the nine precincts he was viable in all getting one delegate in each precinct.
OT Just received from Move on:
Did you see the news this morning? All signs point to recession.
Congress and the President are racing to pass a stimulus package. Here’s the problem:
The President’s plan—tax breaks for corporations and rebate checks for the well-off—isn’t just morally wrong. It’s based on discredited “trickle down” theories and it won’t work.1
But there’s tremendous pressure on Democrats to accept the President’s priorities just to get something passed. Negotiations are happening right now, and Congress needs to hear from you right away!
We need to demand a progressive stimulus package—one that puts money into the hands of people who are feeling the squeeze (who, incidentally, will spend it fastest). One that funds public infrastructure projects that will create new jobs, make our economy more competitive, and reduce our dependence on oil. One that will actually solve the problem.
Can you sign our petition to Congress? Clicking here will add your name:
http://pol.moveon.org/fairstim.....#038;t=639
The petition reads: “Congress must quickly pass a stimulus package that helps those who need it the most and will spend it the fastest. And it should include public investments that will create jobs and move us toward a 21st century, clean energy economy.”
A leading economist at NYU says “We’re facing the risk of a systemic financial crisis.”2 The mortgage, credit card, and auto loan industries are all in trouble. The stock market is tanking as we speak. On top of all that, we’re hemorrhaging $2 billion a week in Iraq.3
In that order. Please. This would be, we feel, a winning ticket.
Thanks. Do you also know when we get to see the frothing-at-the-mouth candidates again?
My note to Senator Edwards:
kiddo and I say, good on you Q.G.!
L. and okk.
Why does Bond have more power than Reid? Too bad that he wants to go forward. I don’t believe for a second that Reid couldn’t stop this if he wanted to. I’m starting to regard Reid the same way I do Lieberman.
Is it fair to say the caucus format worked against Edwards because of the lack of a second round?
Submit questions for the next debate here
Great idea, Jane, email sent to Edwards. Thanks.
The night before.
The pix at the top of Mr. Edwards reminds me of a photo I have seen many times of RFK. ;0)
I also sent my e-mail to John Edwards…
Thanks, Jane.
-S
I am getting the nagging feeling that the MSM is at war with progressives. And if that’s the case, if it’s a fight you want; you’ve got it.
I couldn’t figure out what heading to choose. Wish they had a Freedom or Government or B.Admin heading.
Thanks Jane!
Stay tuned for more updates and action tools from Credo this week and next.
The timidity of the candidates to step up on the FISA/retroactive immunity legislation truly is a test of their “leadership”. Chris Dodd’s principled stand, and Harry Reid’s public fellating of the Telecom Lobbyists by ignoring Dodd’s “hold” on this legislation is telling.
Dodd needs to perhaps look at taking Reid’s place as Majority Leader next year when we gain more seats in the Senate (yes, I believe that will happen) and begin to undo all that has been done by the repukes over the last seven years. Pelosi and Hoyer also need to be shitcanned, and their legacies placed on the scrap-pile of shitty leaders in American Politics.
If Edwards steps up here, he would get not only some of the attention he deserves, but would suck the oxygen out of the Obama-Clinton(s) slap-fest and perhaps move the debating back to substance, not puffery along the lines of nanny-nanny-boo-boo.
My e-mail to Sen. Edwards:
Plus best wishes to Elizabeth…
Isn’t it amazing that CNN doesn’t have a category for Civil Liberties or FISA or Net Neutrality or Media Consolidation! I chose Leadership.
We have sent the appropriate email to John Edwards. Come on everyone. Do it! And then tell us you did. Please.
Done.
My dear letter to John, I plaguerized what I wrote on this thread (tee hee, I plaguerized myself)
I’m moving around quickly, so I haven’t read all the comments here, but I did send my email.
Thanks for getting us the address, Jane.
My email to John
1)A Court of law already ruled it illegal
2)The court also ruled no lawyer for the TELCO’s could ever think it was close to legal
3)The Telco’s are actively bribing your fellow senators to get out of legal liability. IT’S NOT CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS, IT’S A BRIBE!!!
4)QWEST knew it was wrong and refused to comply. IT IS THAT BLACK & WHITE. NO GREY HERE.
5)OUR GOVERNMENT THREW THE QWEST CEO IN JAIL UNDER BOGUS INSIDER TRADING CHARGES AS RETALIATION!!!
6)If the telcos did it for patriotism and not for money, then why did they shut off wiretaps for nonpayment?
7)The idea of retroactive immunity is being pushed by Bush solely to cover his ass. How dare you not stop any legislation that is designed to allow the president to get out of breaking the law?
If you truly want to uphold the rule of law and bring sunlight where darkness has been for almost 8 years, you must stop this bill. Otherwise, you are just another smoke and mirrors guy. Dodd is out of the presidential run and he promised to continue to fight. WILL YOU?
We had a second round. The eight Kucinich people stood next to us and pressured us to stand with Kucinich and make him viable instead. On the second round, the Kucinich people went with Clinton, Obama and Edwards. One stood on principal. I think Obama got the lions share since Kucinich already said he would go with Obama over Clinton or Edwards. As I recall, we got two of the K folks. Several people were Uncommitted and on the second round scattered in every direction. One of my Uncommitted neighbors liked Edwards but went with Obama. Huh!
Call it the Pied Piper Syndrom or Band Wagon psychology but people’s logic never fails to amaze me.
I love that post, a little bit off color but I loved it never the less
Torpedo los!
Thanks. ;0)
Sent letter to Edwards. Thank you, Jane.
Digg, check.
Signup for follow up, check.
hey, get this I just read over at think progress;
mutt romney just said having middle east talks would be the same thing as appeasing hitler
DOES HE HAVE A CLUE?
hitler was trying to overthrow the world, sort of like bush, NOT like Iran
Exactly!!
Thank you, Jane!
Thank you, Glenn!
digg it folks
and tell your friends, family and others too.
You done good my friend. ;0)
I had thought that the immunity bill was a done deal. Has that changed (I hope)?
Very good. ;0)
I have a hard copy of the CRS report on” Filibusters and Cloture in the Senate” in front of me and I can’t see any way for Reed to stop it after it was voted out of committee. With 49 Thug votes and 10-12 Bush Dogs it’s pretty bleak. The only thing that Dodd or any Dem can do is object to any and all “unanimous consents” and drag it out as long as possible. With the economy going into the shitter, Reid might need to spend senate time on something else other than grinding out the passage of FISA.
A lot was said about leadership last night that was hot air. For example, if Clinton pushed Walmart for change when she was on the board, no results happened. She obviously didn’t push for them to unionize which would have been meaningful change.
Senator Edwards announced that the last CNN poll and 3 others showed him beating McCain who is far from the Republican nominee and actually probably won’t be–Romney will.
In fact, those polls were in December. Recent January polls–the same ones Edwards referred to showed both Obama and Clinton beating McCain easily. Blitzer, the MA from Johns Hopkins should have known what the current CNN poll and others showed. I don’t know if he does, but I do know that he, and Joe Johns, and Malveaux were completely silent about this fact.
If you want to blame someone for this mess, blame Reid and the Caving Democrats. They knew that the foreplay to Super Tuesday would be now.
The Senate and House knew it when the passed the PAA on August 3 and 4, and you knew it too.
News flash–Clinton and Obama aren’t stopping the foreplay to Super Tuesday. Ain’t gonna happen; and if it did nothing would change because of the number of Democrats in Cave mode on any issue that is connected to so-called National Security.
So what do we have. We have certain defeat on Immunity in the Senate, and I don’t see it changing in the House-Senate Conference Committee–whose actions will be secret from you as to debate and vote. Reid put the Intell. version on the floor of S. 2248. The House bill excluded immunity. So it’s going to Conference Committee.
But the 60 Vote rule is going to doom Immunity most probably because….
The rule on votes that are crucial to it is 3/5 of the members or 60 votes.
It takes 60 votes to amend the bill on the floor to exclued immunity (they don’t have them because of Bush Ditto Head Democrats and Bush Ditto Head Republicans.
It takes 60 votes to invoke cloture on the Dodd lead fillibuster–(they have them because of Bush Ditto Head Democrats and Bush Ditto Head Republicans.
Bin Ladin and the Terrorists are winning the Freedom Foreclosure and they’re winning it hands down because of this.
This desparate plea for a Hail Mary pass that Obama and Clinton leave the campaign trail is made necessary only because of the Democrats you elected to the Senate. Even if they all came back (which they won’t) it wouldn’t change my 60 vote arithmetic above a scintilla.
Reid set this up and he was helped by Bush Ditto Head Democrats in the Senate–all of them including Leahy except Dodd, Feingold, and Kennedy. Read the list of them.
I sent this e-mail to the address:
Thanks to you.
Lahoma and okk.
He only reads when he’s having a face lift.
Funny thinking coming from Mittsolini.
Dugg! Jane we can never give up the fight for what our constitution stands for “equal” rights for all and the rule of LAW!
Funny, I was saying pretty much the same thing last week:
and the week before, too:
Pussies.
I can’t speak for Edwards, but I can say for myself and my lady, thanks for your efforts on behalf of Senator Edwards. ;0)
Delurking long enough to say e-mail sent.
Sent my email.
Gak, Mitt is running neck & neck with Bush in the blithering idiot contest. If I didn’t stay so enraged all the time, I’d probably never stop vomiting.
I think it would be great and a sign of leadership for John Edwards to come to DC and fight against this lousy bill. I could be wrong but of the three leading Dems he’s the only one who would. Obama …. maybe. Hilary …. when hell freezes over.
Thanks! Delurking is fun, no?!
Which is exactly Dodd’s idea as I understand it. There are going to be multiple amendments offered and I believe that Dodd is going to deny unanimous consent on each and every one. That’s why Reid pulled it back before Christmas.
Jam the works.
Email sent.
I just had a thought. What if Edwards did exactly as we asked and the media didn’t report it? They aren’t reporting Dodd’s fight. What makes us think that they’d report this?
Here’s my view on the Stimulus Package. What the candidates said last night about targetting the tax rebates to lower and middle-class individuals was okay, but limited. The assistance to States and Municipalities for lost property taxes also needs to be targetted. States and cities need to direct any Federal benefits to the poor, either by hiring them to do things like park maintenance and clean up (in California Schwarzenegger is threatening to close lots of State Parks), Greenergy projects, and other WPA like programs. Cities need to focus on housing assistance and making sure that the homeless and poor get preventative healthcare, dental and vision assistance. They shouldn’t be using the money to help some Sports team build a new arena on the public dime. Make sure public transportation is kept going and even expanded since many folks are going to be using public buses and lightrail to get to work.
Sorry, I’m totally unenthusiastic about any of the Republican “cures” they’ve been offering. How precisely does rescinding the “death tax” for the unproductive heirs of a multimillionaire generate any new productivity. If anything they’ll simply break up the company for cash. if they were not already managing it’s operations. Reducing the various corporate taxes and annuity taxes simply feeds the overinflated bubble of the markets. Giving the wealthy these massive tax cuts simply created a situation where there was greater competition for stagnating corporations, leveraged buy outs, arbitraged transactions, and a completely artificially created bubble. Feeding the wealthy with more easy, unearned cash (e.g. the massive bling used to give loser corporate executives their “golden parachutes” simply to get rid of them). Have lots more cash, at low interest rates, whatcha gonna do with it? Get in a bidding war for some business, and inflate its actual worth.
The cycle begins again.
I sent my email.
I said that if he couldn’t go to DC, he should make sure to make it a very prominent part of his speeches. (We need to make sure not to go after him if he can’t actually go there…) I’m sure that if he can, he will.
The thing is that in order to get elected he must be “seen” and be able to get his message out to the public via his stump speeches. If he does go to DC, it will only help if he gets coverage for doing so; going there and being invisible won’t help him get elected. Just sayin’.
BREAKING.
the other Glen, Glen Fine, is said to be within 3 months of a “scathing report,” according to the Muck.
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/005117.php
Won’t that be fine! Also Baby Blount the legally challenged gov. of Missouri has announced he will not run. As he was already running adverts, there is suspicion that there something is in the works that bodes ill for him.
that’s two republicans hitting the dust in the space of a few hours. yipee.
In our house we have come to the conclusion that the difference between HRC, Obama and Edwards is this: Clinton and Obama want to be president, perhaps for historical reasons or matters of ego, or both. Edwards just wants to do the right thing.
Not just “above the fray” — the grownup between two squabbling kids as Bill’n'Hill beat up on Barack.
David vs the “entitled” Goliaths. Clue, Hill and Barry, you ain’t entitled. You gotta earn it.
And great picture, Jane! So totally grown-up, focused, serious, committed to the epic battle, not just the politics of horserace.
Edwards08
I can’t get past this line. This should not be. And, quite frankly, it’s all Harry Reid’s fault.
Kinda thought you would. ;0)
okk and L.
Then we need to force them to cover it by press releases and having Edwards call out Clinton and Obama both to do the correct thing. If all three are in DC, it will also draw attention to WHY they’ve left the campaign trail right before a big payoff day.
And if they choose to NOT do this, then they should be marked as conniving snakes rather than as Leaders.
Three months!!! I can’t wait for 3 months to find out what that is, that is…..torture!!!
Well if we all make a big stink about it they will..ie e-mails written letters, phone calls etc we can and will make sure!
That’s great!