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Democratic presidential candidate, Senator Chris Dodd, appeared on Tuesday’s Countdown to discuss his victory on the Senate floor yesterday, by forcing an amendment to the FISA legislation that would have given retroactive immunity to telecom companies that spied on Americans without warrants, to be tabled till next January - or February.
Senator Dodd showed the same passion and leadership talking with guest host Alison Stewart as he did last night on the Senate floor, vowing once again to filibuster the bill in January if immunity is still included and saying that to do so would be pretending like these crimes never happened. Dodd, unlike most of the Democratic leadership, shows no fear of President Bush, excoriating him for trampling all over our Constitution.
Dodd: “…The president said he’d veto the legislation if that immunity were not in the bill. Imagine this, passing a bill that would allow us to get better information about those who would do us harm and protect our rights. He’d squander all of that to protect a few phone companies. I’m not going to stand for it, I’ll go back and filibuster it if I have to. [snip]
“I’ve been asked, what’s the first thing I’d do as president in the year 2009, and January 20th. And I’m going to give you back your Constitution, because this administration has gone out of it’s way to do just the opposite and the Constitution does not belong to a political party or a candidate and they’ve been trampling all over it.”
Sadly, the New York Times followed much of the liberal media and buried the story of Dodd’s historic fight on page A29.
Filed Under: Campaigns/Elections, Chris Dodd, Civil Liberties, Countdown/Keith Olbermann, Election 08, FISA, MSNBC
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Dodd stood up for America and the Constitution yesterday and I intend to vote for him. Even if he isn’t the democratic nominee, I will write his name in.
Watch out, Dianne Feinstein JUST introduced legislation to go behind Dodd’s back and allow yet another secret court to determine whether or not the telecoms can be sued (here’s a hint to how they’ll rule: no).
Thank you, Feinstein, for your continued attempts at destroying this country. Oh how I despise you.
For Mr Dodd, it must be difficult to share a party with such cretinous, back-stabbing thugs.
Howabout Dodd for Majority Leader, as his Presidential Campaign (it saddens me to say this) isn’t looking all that lively.
Feinstein’s amendment will permit the secret court (I think “secret” in that it’s closed to the public) to exonerate the telcoms (and anyone else) if they didn’t do it, they had proper authorization to do it, or they were acting in “good faith” when they did that.
“Good faith” huh?
I’m unemployed since July, and Xmas is going to suck this year, but i had to contribute to Chris Dodd for showing what Democratic spine looks like. He now has my unwavering support.
Sen Dodd has always struck me as too much of an “outsider” to succeed at a national level. Many of the qualities which make him a good legislator, in a weak field, make it unlikely he could “call in enough favors” to get the Presidential nomination.
WTF……page A29?….well that’s that librul media for ya…
Thing Fish @ 4:
Thing Fish….where can I find more info on this amendment by DiFi……..what a backstabbing two faced bitch.Her and Joe Lieberman are two of a kind.
The liberal LA Times erased the story entirely. On page A23 we learn that consideration of the bill has been postponed by Reid because there was not enough time to deal with the many amendments. Then a quote from the White House warning of how dangerous it was to delay. That was the whole story. No mention of Dodd at all.
mudshark @ 8:
I’ll need to go back through my browser history. Should have it it a bit…
The revolution will not be televised.
The list of Congressmen/women that I respect is getting short. Very short. Dodd is now on the top of my list.
paul bryan @ 9:
Amazing. And the FCC is simultaneously pushing to compound this problem with more media consolidation.
Okay, Sen. Dodd…you’ve got my vote
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3-pruX0Fwhk
So who are the assholes that make the decisions where to place a story (NY and La Times)? We need those people named and ridiculed on the blogs, not necessarily the reporters. We need pictures of these Bush supporters so we can all identify them.
Same with the names and pictures of the partisans in the TV and Radio media who make the decisions on what we see instead of what is news. Let everyone know who these collaborators are. They’ve been anonymous so far. Name them!
And what connection do these vermin have to Bush?
I sent Dodd some money today. He’s got my vote.
What the hell is the Feinstein bill? I’ve heard she’s got plenty of cash from No-Cal telecom companies.
By the way, at first I thought Stewart said, “Nice butt!” And then Dodd sounded a little creepy with the “it’s nice and warm, you can ride all night long” or whatever he said. Stewart was equally strange with the “Don’t tempt me…”
Fuck the New York Times. A herculean effort by a Senator standing up against his own party and the executive branch to defend the constitution, and it earns A29. Which missing white girl was more important?
DiFi is apparently introducing a compromise bill with “secret courts” to determine if telcos broke any laws. “Secret Courts” I kid you not. Correct me if I am wrong but isn’t a democracy about some transparency? Feinstein is a criminal in my mind pure and simple.
What the netroots response to FISA and Dodd’s answer to hold then Filibuster the bill proves is that a small but influential group of bloggers (FDL, C&L, digby, …) when acting in concert, can rouse a lot of righteous anger and consequent emails and phone calls to affect dem legislators. What Greenwald’s article makes clear is that it was an exchange of emails among this select group that got the thing started and sustained the effort. To quote Greenwald,
“At virtually the time, there was an email exchange between a relatively small group of bloggers and a couple of representatives from grass-roots organizations in which the same idea arose: finding a Senator who would be willing to place a “hold” on the Rockefeller immunity bill. Earlier that morning, Big Tent Democrat had noted that Chris Dodd had issued a strongly worded statement against Jay Rockefeller’s bill, and he urged Dodd to announce he would lead a filibuster against the bill. Based on all of that, it was quickly recognized, both in comments and in that email group, that the obvious choice to target for a “hold” was Dodd, who had made constitutional and oversight issues the centerpiece of his presidential campaign.
Within literally a matter of minutes, numerous blogs began urging their readers to contact the Dodd campaign to ask Dodd to place a “hold” on any bill containing immunity. MoveOn sent out an email to its membership list urging the same. Blog readers and others then deluged the Dodd campaign by the thousands, tying up their telephones and overflowing their email boxes.
It was exclusively in response to that blog-based outpouring of citizen passion that Dodd — within a matter of a few hours — emphatically vowed that he would do something he has almost never done during his 24-year Senate career: place a “hold” on this bill and, if necessary, lead a filibuster against it on the floor ..”
http://www.salon.com/opinion/g.....index.html
Now I won’t argue the value of the effort (though I think it would be more useful to reexamine the whole FISA bill, as I think it is totally unconstitutional as well as useless)
But would like to ask, “did any of these influential bloggers let their readers know they were acting in concert to both push the issue and keep it in the forefront of their daily writing?” Isn’t one of the things that the msm pundocracy often criticized for is there lack of transparency and independence? Are prominent lefty bloggers just going to replace them with the same tactics? Shouldn’t they have all let their readers know that they had got together and decided this would be the cause celeb of the week? I have no objection to cabalism, that is the nature of the political beast but wouldn’t it have been more respectful to let their readers know how the plan was hatched? If ’they’ are going to pick a cause and flog it why don’t ‘they’ poll their readers about what they want to see front and center. If it can be done with FISA why not my hobby horse , Impeachment? Surely, Wexler’s petition deserves as much support as Dodd’s effort, but only a few blogs have mentioned it even though the response has been enormous.
http://www.wexlerwantshearings.com/
Dodd was way too generous to Reid. There’s no law that says he has to observe every procedural nicety. He could’ve easily left that immunity bill in limbo and only put the other to a vote. Reid is god damned bought-and-paid-for corporate servant, and he needs to GO.
Still- congratulations to both Chris Dodd and the country for this initial victory. Let’s hope he gets more support from other Senators next month, when that sell-out Reid makes his next attempt.
Thing Fish @ 10:
All I have is a mentioned here which is just someone saying that is what DF’s admendment will be…
Thomas.gov shows 6 amendments. 2 by DF, and one each by Cardin, Leahy, Kennedy, and Schumer. All say the same thing:
Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text.Not certain if I’ll find them in the record too quickly. But I’m betting that the compromise will be to let the telcoms off the hook entirely while some how holding Bush accountable.
Dodd rocks! Diane Fraudstein sucks!
JasonS @ 14:
A little better IMHO:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=7f_HsjpSVaI
Sorry, pooched the links:
All I have is a mentioned here which is just someone saying that is what DF’s admendment will be (at update 1:35 p.m. PST)
And the Thomas.gov link (and its parent page for bill 2248).
Old Billy @ 22:
Conceded, tho I thought the “heroes running around while a mighty ship sinks beneath them” metaphor was apt :)
It’s the economy Scccchtupids
WASHINGTON - The Senate voted Tuesday to provide $70 billion for U.S. military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, handing a victory to President Bush and his GOP allies on Capitol Hill.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - At the Quail Lakes Baptist Church in Stockton, California, the parishioners at weekly prayer group meetings seek spiritual support for everything from health issues to marital problems to job losses.
Sent to Sen. Dodd:
Thank you, Senator Dodd, for taking a principled stand and resisting the FISA bill.
I have lived this past year with a heavy heart, watching the Democratic party consistently betray the voters who gave them a simple, clear mandate: restore our great Republic.
I am most impressed that you were in Washington doing this and not in Iowa pouting about youthful drug use or whose religious faith is stronger than whose.
Thank you, sir. Thank you for standing up for what is right.
I’m with you. I am persuaded. You have my vote.
Sincerely,
Jason S
Independent Voter
Thing Fish @ 20:
If I send you my postal address, will you send me some of what you’re smoking? Hold Bush accountable. Com’on.
Father Tyme @ 15:
This is not necessarily the guy you want, but he’s a guy you can complain to:
Public Editor Byron Calame at public@nytimes.com
.
Forgive me, Byron.
From a “form letter” I got from Diane today on my encouraging her to fight the immunity:
Thank you for writing regarding the Bush Administration’s request for legislation that would provide liability relief for telecommunications companies that are alleged to have provided assistance to the National Security Agency after September 11, 2001. I appreciate your thoughts on this topic, and welcome the opportunity to respond.
I voted for the FISA legislation that passed out of the Intelligence Committee by a bipartisan vote of 13-2. The Senate Judiciary Committee did not take action on the portions of the bill dealing with immunity. The bill is now scheduled to go to the Senate floor. I am keeping an open mind to whether some other legislative approach besides immunity would be best.
Rest assured that I will make every effort to ensure that new FISA legislation will protect the privacy rights of all Americans without restricting the intelligence community’s ability to protect us from attack.
Again, thank you for writing. I hope that you will continue to write on matters of importance to you.
My thoughts to Diane: you are a traitor and are failing to uphold your oath to protect and defend the Constitution. Stop with the “…protect us from attack” nonsense - we need protection from OUR government!
24 minutes ago
The 48-46 roll call by which the Senate voted to reject a House-passed bill to fix the alternative minimum tax for one year and cover the costs by raising taxes on users of offshore tax havens. Under Senate rules, 60 votes were needed to pass the bill.
Goes to show you what their concerned about.
L.A. Confidential @ 30:
or . . . . . . . .
WASHINGTON - The congressional struggle over how to protect millions of middle-class people from getting soaked by the alternative minimum tax this year entered its final stage Tuesday as the Senate rejected a House demand that the $50 billion in tax relief be paid for.
Way to go Dodd.
I love Jon Stewart, but the one and only upside of the strike has been that Stewart has not been able to unfairly pick on Dodd.
I have a real problem with him singling Dodd out and portraying him as a loser.
Richterscale - what sort of business are you in? Get the word out there. Somebody find that person a job.
Dodd is the only senatorial candidate for president not to busy campaigning for the job to try and save the republic.
Tug @ 32:
Really? I hadn’t noticed that. The only thing I remember him doing on Dodd was the fly on the head thing. I really wish he were back to pick on Rudy. Or LIEbermann/McCain. It’s been a smorgasborg of material for comics. Too bad no one’s around to use it…
If Chris proposed to me, I’d accept.
Thing Fish @ 4:
Feinstein is a Republican just like Lieberman. Eff off to her!
As for Senator Dodd, go get ‘em, Chris!! Thanks for showing your courage and what you’re made of… Nobody should be afraid of that wimp Governor Poopy-pants, a.k.a. George Bu$h, or his buddies the neocon asshats! Eff all of ‘em!
Hype-Jersey @ 36:
I think you’re confusing him with one of the Republicans. Dodd’s beliefs limit him to one spouse.
Thank you Chris Dodd finally someone with guts…..
JasonS @ 26:
What you said!!! Thanks Jason S… well said!
The battle has yet begun…
I keep hoping that one of these incidents is the moment of change.
2006 elections .. lol
Kucinich’s Motion to Impeach.
Wexler’s Motion to Impeach.
This magnificnet stand by Dodd - which should have been business as usual.
Please ..
Chris Dodd a man of principle you won my vote!
I’ve never donated to a political campaign until now. Dodd is the first and has my vote in the primary.
Imagine if all the 500,000+ people who apparently wrote their senators to support Dodd on this, donated as little as $5.
It would be huge for the campaign and perhaps more importantly it would send a message to the other candidates about the type of leadership we are looking for.
This man is a true professional. Refreshing!