Dodd is on CSPAN (4.00 / 1)

Saying that the Senate is moving on to other issues.  He just yielded the floor.

This is incredible.  Obviously we're not done, but we appear to have won a significant battle.

Great work by Senator Dodd showing he means business.

Insert shameless blog promotion here.

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by: dday @ Tue Dec 18, 2007 at 00:49:07 AM UTC

God, Ted Kennedy is so awesome. I love him. (4.00 / 1)

Congrats to Dodd, Teddy, and the rest, for this.

For some reason, it seems that Obama has some pathological and deep-seated psychological need for Republicans to like him.  Seriously.  It's weird.

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by: avenged savant @ Tue Dec 18, 2007 at 01:50:35 AM UTC

Today was interesting theater (4.00 / 1)

Dodd, Kennedy, and Feingold were absolutely on fire. I'm not a big TK fan in general, but he was righteous today. Wyden really impressed me, too.

In contrast, all Hatch and Cornyn could managed were the same tired old scare tactics. Sad, really.

These things are worth fighting for. Those that stood up to be counted on the side of a true rule of law deserve a lot of praise tonight.

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by: Ron @ Tue Dec 18, 2007 at 02:01:15 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I hope this is true (4.00 / 1)

  I want to freeze this moment and go to bed happy. But if I do I almost half-expect to be greeted by a "FISA Bill Slips Under The Wire At Last Minute" headline in the Washington Post tomorrow. So I will remain vigilant.

  But if this is true, then it's excellent news. The Democrats refusing to roll over for Bush as he tries to pressure them to capitulate right before a major recess? THAT would be a watershed moment.

  Shame it's come to this. But MAJOR kudos to Chris Dodd.

"We judge ourselves by our ideals; others by their actions. It is a great convenience." -- Howard Zinn

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by: Master Jack @ Tue Dec 18, 2007 at 02:01:59 AM UTC

The depressing part (4.00 / 2)

  This is the flippin' Constitution that we're so proud to have convinced Democrats to stand up for and defend.

  Why do we have to work so hard to get our elected representatives do something that should be so BASIC????

 

"We judge ourselves by our ideals; others by their actions. It is a great convenience." -- Howard Zinn

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by: Master Jack @ Tue Dec 18, 2007 at 02:57:45 AM UTC

Higher law? (4.00 / 2)

There used to be a hot dog ad for (I think) Hebrew National touting the fact that their competitors "only" had to follow USDA standards while they had to follow a "higher law" (cut to guy in Uncle Sam suit looking to a rainbow in the heavens).  Well, many republicans seem to act thast way:  screw Uncle Sam and the Constitution, George W. Bush and the Republican Party have some how been conflated (I think that's the word) with God.  The guy at the Republican debate asking the question about literal adherence to the King James Bible comes from one of the saner parts of this craziness.  At least he thinks the candidate should follow God, many seem to think that God should be obliged to follow the candidate.

A second group has been taught that the Constitution is just for criminals and the cops and national security are being hamstrung by the rule of law.  Throw in a dose of fear and they are quite glad to toss the constitution for authoritarian protection.

So yes, we neeed to fight for the Constitution.  The sad part is that we have had to fight for it for much of the 200+ years of this nation, often against the self same clods who are pushing things today.

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by: David Kowalski @ Tue Dec 18, 2007 at 15:10:06 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Senator Dodd's office.... (4.00 / 1)

...................alone got over 500,000 emails in support. Imagind what 'Sellout' Reid got!

I've never seen such response from my email list. They say money talks but here, on this day...

The citizenry roared.

It's almost too bad though as I was really looking forward to Dodd speaking to the entire nation about Mr. Decider, 'SellOut' and the rest of the scum who infest our government.

Look for a big bump in retirements Matt.

On both sides of the aisle.

Peace, Health and Prosperity for Everyone.

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by: ACitizen @ Tue Dec 18, 2007 at 03:20:00 AM UTC

FISA (4.00 / 1)

Not very long ago, Republicans owned the franchise on prudent fiscal management, foreign policy, and respect for the Constitution.  They had a great store of political capital because the media and the electorate conceded these things to the GOP.

They have managed to piss it all away in a remarkably short time.

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by: global yokel @ Tue Dec 18, 2007 at 05:50:00 AM UTC

Well, it was all cosmetic, you know? (0.00 / 0)

Constitution?  The repigs have been railing against it for years, although they called it the "Liberal Warren Court".  They have opposed Miranda, Escobedo, the knock-knock rule, etc. reflexively since at least 1968 (when I first read up on civil liberties issues) and probably before that.  Their claims about fiscal responsibility went down the toilet under Reagan.  The only claim they had to foreign policy was due to the Nixon-red detente, and the China opening.  And Margaret Thatcher cheerleading for Nixon.  All smoke and mirrors.  The truth will out.

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by: Querent @ Tue Dec 18, 2007 at 15:46:32 PM UTC

[ Parent ]