Sometimes you really got to hand it to the Republican politicians on the Hill. If their loyalty to the Constitution and hence this country was even 10 percent of their loyalty to their corporate sponsors this country wouldn't nearly be in the mess it is in. But what transpired on the floor of the Senate today was actually inspiring.
I have followed this on CSPAN2 since Friday and I think the Republicans will finally not get their way on this one. This Boy Cried Wolf for maybe the last time. What I noticed on Friday was Reid getting angry with the Republicans. Reid has proven himself not to be a great or even good leader of the majority in the Senate but I have a sense he is not as cowardly as Daschle after being backstabbed right after he did the opposition a favor. And that favor was a huge one in introducing the intelligence committee version with the immunity intact.
The Republican filibustering of ALL proposed amendments to this bill including of course the important stripping of telecom immunity(or Presidential immunity for that matter) has exposed their weak hand in this fight. Their rejection of even adding a month to the terrible temporary bill passed six months ago further imperiled their hand and put them in the very bad position within the Senate debate of not budging at all while also using tired rhetorical fallbacks calling their opposition traitors that want Osama to be able to come and kill you. The fear card is simply all played out, even among the fearful Democratic Senators.
The Republicans can peel off a few more weakass Democrats looking desperately to lose to Republicans as soon as possible(Note to Mary Landrieau: the Republican that defeats you will still call you a Muslim traitor, sorry and thanks for playing), but this is where Dodd gets them to crap in their pants. They will not get the 60 votes needed for cloture and he WILL filibuster. Filibuster harder than a Republican wanting the US military to spend a million more years in the sandbox, cause principle is forcing him to do it. And unlike most of his Democratic colleagues and almost all of the bought and paid for corporate Republicans, Dodd knows he's right. And someone who knows they are right on principle doesn't give a shit about going along to get along or "bipartisanship" shredding of the Constitution, rather he will lead the way using this weird concept called leadership.
And since Dodd is an old blue blood whose family BUILT the establishment he can't be knocked over as easily as a Dennis Kucinich highly privileged motion to impeach the Vice President. No one in the Democratic leadership has the balls to run someone in the primary against Dodd. He is a made man in the US Senate. And this is why the Republicans will lose this bill and hopefully this entire debate.
On the prediction side I think this bill will be tabled entirely and an entirely new bill will shoot through committee as the FISA bill currently on the books amended only with the ability to capture free and clear foreign data going through US routers. That bill will be rotten as ever but the concept that people who break the law should at least lose the least bit of money for it will be held intact.
Since the Constitution doesn't matter much anymore, I propose that an immediate Bill of Attainder be passed to lock up Bush, Cheney, and associates and throw away the damn key.
Wengler, I've been thinking of calling for a Bill of Attainder, despite its illegality. Lock them up, confiscate all their assets and property, and turn their families out into the street.
Preparatory to perpetual exile.
The Wanderer: the last 8 years should have shown you that there is nothing illiage as long as you bully it through...the constitution is just a pice of paper after all.
Moonglum, true. I dreamt one night that the new Prez (couldn't see them clearly) issued a bill of attainder during their Inaugural luncheon when, at 12 noon, they 'officially' became Prez. Watch the SS drag GW away allowed me to awake with a smile.
Wengler:
"If their loyalty to the Constitution and hence this country was even 10 percent of their loyalty to their corporate sponsors ..."
Wolsey (Cardinal, not Lynn):
"Had I but served my God with half the zeal I served my king, He would not in mine age have left me naked to mine enemies."
Here's to 50 or 60 naked Wolseys. May they not have to age any further before King Constitution calls them to trial.
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