Right now, Senator Dodd is leading an actual filibuster on the floor of the Senate. This is the first time in 15 years that an actual filibuster crystallized into reality, instead of floating around as an intangible threat.
Dodd is doing Americans a great service today, not only by bringing back the great art form of the filibuster but also for fighting against the consistent erosion of our civil liberties. This time the erosion takes the shape of immunity for telecom companies. Immunity from prosecution for spying on you and me.
So thank you Senator Dodd for fighting for our liberties, thanks for bringing back the filibuster in its tangible form, and thanks for giving me good reason to show a West Wing clip.
1 Jason // Dec 17, 2007 at 03:42 PM
The EFF has a site up that makes it easy to send your sentators mail telling them to oppose retroactive immunity.
2 Mike W // Dec 17, 2007 at 03:53 PM
Awesome, thanks Jay.
Seriously, Dodd kicks ass. I have refused to donate to any Presidential campaign so far, but this may push me to give Dodd some of my dough.
3 Brendan // Dec 17, 2007 at 04:02 PM
http://www.c-span.org/ is live so you can watch this go down when it happens.
I’m rooting for Dodd, partly because i’m excited to see one, partly because he’s right.
Right now Barbara Mikulsky is on - no filibustering yet.
4 Dave // Dec 18, 2007 at 11:43 AM
You have to love the filibuster. Did it happen yesterday?
5 Dave // Dec 18, 2007 at 11:43 AM
p.s. - how good is West Wing?
6 Mike W // Dec 18, 2007 at 01:53 PM
Dave to answer your two questions:
1) Yes, and it worked!! Reid pulled the bill off the floor and said the Senate will revisit it in January. This means that there is now more time to make sure that horrible provision is stripped out of the bill.
2) Incredibly good. The first few seasons are the best TV has given us, IMHO.