Congress is debating Steny Hoyer’s capitulation right now. Hoyer was clever enough to schedule this debate while the whole Judiciary Committee is busy grilling Scotty McClellan in a committee hearing. I want Steny Hoyer to read the Church Committee reports again. In particular, I want him to read these two reports:
I recommend sending those links on in viral fashion to all your friends, coworkers, and family members, and also to your congressperson. Bush’s approval numbers are lower than Nixon’s on the day he was forced to resign, and for many of the same reasons. Abuse of power, a faltering war, and a souring economy are common features of both Nixon and Bush’s second term. And, yet, the Democrats of Nixon’s era were willing to stand up for the rule of law, investigate the extent of Nixon’s crimes, and pass tough new oversight laws. This generation of Dems is going to make Bush’s crimes legal and quash any thorough investigations. It’s a disgrace. And the real shame of it is that it is only a tiny minority of Democrats that are responsible for this travesty.
Barack Obama urgently needs to make his will known. And, you, dear readers, need to make your will known. Now.
Everyone should by all means do what he or she can do. But because this is not a capitulation, but is instead a deliberate and calculated fucking, I cannot see any way at this point that this zombie bill will ever be really killed. There is a reason that this nonsense keeps coming up and now gets to the floor in a Democratic Congress, and it is not because the Democrats are getting bamboozled or outmuscled by the Republicans.
No, it’s because a small but influential minority of the Democratic caucus wants this issue off the table for the elections. But we can prevail as we have in the past.
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) spoke on our local radio this AM. Very mush opposed.
Obama’s change. What change. He’s the leader now and is AWOL.
I can’t help but wonder what AT&T found out re Hoyer via their taps, and if that might explain his capitulation.
This is the line of thought that should be pursued. Anyone who thinks that our intelligence community doesn’t have dossiers on every politician above dogcatcher is dreaming.
And I’m tired of all the hissy fits about Obama. No one has articulated what power he has to stop Hoyer or Pelosi. If his public utterances would be good enough to stop this, why didn’t it stop it after the first time?
He’s not our daddy when someone beats us up. He’s the candidate, between him and his last real opposition he’s the only one who’s spoken out against FISA immunity and voted against it.
So Brendan et al, give the hysterical smearing of Obama a rest, or go over to TalkLeft where that thing is welcomed.
Obama dropped the ball today. No leadership. He will be hammered relentlessly by the Netroots until he shows leadership.
hey bob,
calm down.
I’m not “hysterical” or “smearing” obama. By and large I support the guy, as Booman will tell you.
But I will not sit here and let you pretend that Mr. Obama doesn’t have a greater platform than other senators, because that’s simply not true.
I am now waiting for him to take action in the senate, and I will continue to hammer him for inaction.
And while you’re smearing me as a “talkleft hysteric”, you haven’t seen me call you an Obama Fanboy, someone who excuses every misstep the candidate makes: maybe you should reciprocate the respect, eh?
Mr. Change is gonna sit there with his thumb up his ass.
Mrs. DLC is quiet.
yeah, Mrs. DLC ain’t gonna do shit either.
Obama’s campaign phone # 1-866-675-2008. I will not vote for him if he allows the Constitution to be trashed.
I guess it is an EXTRAORDINARILY influential minority. But I have a hard time seeing how they become less influential when their fellow travelers get named to key positions on foreign policy and “security” in Obama’s campaign (and presumably his administration). Or after a Democratic President and an even larger Democratic majority is elected after campaigning not for liberal mandates but from a defensive crouch predicated on keeping Dem heads down while the Republican party implodes around them.
But yes, I hope we prevail in delaying the FISA changes once again. Living to fight the zombie another day is about the best that can be hoped for right now, and even that looks like a long shot.
Yes. This idea that a minority of Dems allowed this to happen is just a bald lie. How does a minority of Dems force Reid and Hoyer to bring up bills the majority of Dems oppose? When was the last time 30 members of the Republican party were able to force the Republicans to bring up a bill the vast majority of its caucus opposed?
This has Obama’s name written all over it.
And Obama accidentally filmed a spot for one of the Blue Dog traitors?
And Obama was simply too busy to have time to make a statement yesterday?
Hasn’t Reid said that he’s against it?
Like the other double speaking cowards you have to look at Reid’s actions and not his statements.
He had the power to bring a Democratic bill up in the Senate and chose the Cheney/Rockefeller/Hoyer bill instead. Then he voted against it to pretend he didn’t support it. It’s the same game Hoyer tried playing until he realized it wouldn’t work. That he really is against it but has no choice but to do Bush and Cheney’s bidding.
He’s a coward cut and runner just like the rest of the Dems.
It’s all designed to give Obama (or Hillary if she was nominated) cover. They want to get rid of the war funding issue and illegal spying issue so that Republicans can’t say they are “weak” on terror.
Obama is looking forward to the personality-based drama of the campaign and doesn’t want to be bothered to have to stand up for the constitution.
Folks by the end of today you will know all you will need to know about Barack Obama’s leadership. His actions will refute his rhetoric. It will not be a profile in standing up for what is right. DC lobbyists will win even if you perceive they lost.
And keep focused on who is on his policy team. The more things change the more they remain the same. This is no John or Bobby Kennedy!
I’ve called his campaign yesterday and today and both times they have parroted “he opposes immunity” – that will be his cop out.
He’s no Kennedy, but he’s also not dead. And he’s still better than the alternative.
if he refuses to express his disapproval of this abomination then he doesn’t deserve to get the presidency. His claims of “change” don’t amount to shit.
And there is an alternative. Don’t Vote. If this behavior is what he can be counted on, in addition to his flip on the election funding, his apparent softening on the troop removal from Iraq, what the hell else can he be counted on.
You can bet you ass that the young voter, who was attracted to this man under the guise of “change” will simply walk away. A curse on both houses..
Maybe we haven’t reached bottom yet.
Very interesting to see so many in the progressive blogosphere sit as silent as Obama. It’s almost as they have agreed to sell out the 4th Amendment because they think it will help Obama get elected.
Unconditional fealty to Barack Obama only hurts progressives. Jeez, you guys sold out cheap. You didn’t even get him to agree to fight for any real important issues. You are just banking that his personality will be enough to bring more progressive majorities to congress.
I never knew why progressives would be excited about Hillary or Obama. They are both not very progressive. And now we see that progressives have blown their wad on Obama. They no longer have influence over him and he is now taking progressive support for granted and pissing all over the constitution is his thank you for their support.
Some Obama partisans watch Obama piss all over the constitution and convince themselves that he’s simply using his magical urine to protect the constitution. Others have apparently resigned themselves to the fact that Obama is selling out the 4th Amendment for what he claims will be an electoral victory in November. That’s not a good deal. There is no need for such a deal to sell out the 4th Amendment. Progressives have themselves to blame for not insisting on a candidate that would restore the constitution.
Obama didn’t need to piss all over the constitution. And progressives are largely to blame because they pinned their hopes on a moderate candidate that spoke pretty but really had no desire to protect the consitution.
I feel cheap just being peripherally involved. You guys got suckered by Obama the fraud.
Okay, Obama opposes immunity. He spoke out against immunity. When it was up for a vote in the Senate last time he voted against it. And spoke against it. Still, Dems in the House voted for it.
Therefore, Obama is no leader because others didn’t follow.
Maybe he’s a bad leader because you won’t follow him. You see how easily Obama can be bad. He’s bad because he doesn’t wield the power he demonstrably doesn’t have.
I am beginning to suspect that a goodly number of the people here who are leaping onto this awful capitulation by the House leadership and blaming Obama for it smell suspiciously like Republican hyperactive concern trolls.
I assure you that I am not a GOP concern troll. And it’s obvious to anyone that observes politics and the way legislation happens on capital hill that Obama is not showing up for duty. C’mon. His vote against is his cover. Just as Hillary’s was. They both may personally believe in their vote–but they have clearly made a political calculation to not fight on this issue. You’re being willfully naive if you don’t see that.
What are you proposing? That poor Obama and Hillary and Reid and Pelosi and Hoyer really really want to protect the 4th Amendment but it just so happens that some weird procedural rule requires them to give priority to the opposition’s bills? That Mr. 28% and his dark lords are so powerful that the Dem leadership has to do his bidding?
It’s a bald political calculation to sell the 4th Amendment in exchange for . . . . not being called a pussy by the GOP . . . or something.
Bob
Did Obama even bother to comment on this “compromise”? Is it leadership to just state Oh, I oppose immunity and I voted against it in the Senate? Or is it a cop out?
Clearly this issue was not important enough for him to use his megaphone. Hey, he hid from the whole issue. But he always has the cop out he opposed it and voted against it in the Senate. No different than the standard tactic used by Dem senators to vote against the filibuster and then the position of hey, I voted against the bill. Easy. It does not take much to pull wool over peoples eyes.
is aomeone running against hoyer? the god damned traitor should be voted against even if it means putting a stinking gooper in office! The man is a traitor! Plain and simple.
He’s raised no money but Collins Bailey is on the ballot. He’s a 99% wingnut.
Collins Bailey cut his teeth in local politics as chairman of our school board. The board under his chairmanship discussed distributing Gideon Bibles in our public schools and including ID on the curriculum, but fortunately his religion-in-the-classroom majority was voted out in the last election.
Having a choice between Steny Hoyer and Collins Bailey is as appealing as having a choice between hanging and lethal injection.
And the result of the Church committee hearings was to create a private cause of action for individuals to seek a remedy when telecom companies illegally gave one’s information to the government. A private cause of action is one of the ways we have historically protected peoples’ rights. Congress made both criminal and civil penalties on this issue so as to protect this important principle–an individual’s privacy and 4th Amendment rights.
Not only has Bush decided not to pursue criminal charges against himself he has now convinced the Democrats to let him off on the civil charges. Plus, the Democrats have decided they don’t want to do the two other things they can do under the constitution: investigate or impeach the president. So they have taken all 4 (maybe 5) of their arrows out of the quiver and all they have left is an empty quiver (and quivering is an excellent word to describe Democrats).
I don’t even know what the Democratic parties core beliefs are anymore, short of saying anything to get elected.
And if you know about the Church Committee you’ll know what happened to Church. You know what happened to Hart. Can’t remember all the names now, but there were a number of politicians involved in those investigations who found their political careers shortstopped very soon afterward.
My point here is that instead of presuming sloth on Obama’s part, or mere sleaziness on the part of the House Democratic leadership, you should consider who wanted this power and what the stick was.
I guess there is a broad based conspiracy by the “powers that be” therefore we should all just stop worrying our pretty little heads and resign ourselves to the fact that congress will sell the 4th Amendment away. Because the Dems in the 70s fought for the 4th Amendment and we all know what happened to them.
Look. I know that Democrats have been running scared for 30 years because the GOP has attacked them as being weak. I am more than familiar with the reasons we now have cowards in the caucus instead of Churchs and Harts. We have tried the fear based running to the right to prove we’re tough approach. It may have worked for the Clintons but it has been a disaster for the party. That’s why we get bags of bones for candidates like Gore and Kerry. That’s why we get wimps for candidates that couldn’t fight their way out of a paper bag.
Some of us want to change this old politics where Dems run away at the first GOP attack. Cutting and running has not worked for Dems. And the way you counteract these GOP charges of weakness is to not act weak–you know, stand up for the constitution.
I see what you’re saying about the real power in Washington but what do you are naive to think Obama is powerless. He is choosing not to fight on this issue.
The lines are open to Senator Obama’s office. They are answering the phones…
Listening to comments from callers on cspan and everyone so far is angry, Reps., Dems and Independents.
Bush praises overhaul of wiretap laws
Pardon me a minute while I go and throw up.
last night and just now.
Last night: “Obama is considering”
Today: “Obama is considering”
I told them that the time for “considering” is long past. They have known about this for a long time. They should have something ready.
I said that he is the leader of our party, and he needs to lead. Time to get out and say something.
Why are we not organizing to throw Steny Hoyer’s sorry ass out of the House this fall? Let the Republican win, and then run a better Dem in 2010. It’s just one seat, and this piece of shit has got to go.
And it’d sure be nice if Obama would speak up.
Because the primary is over and the Republican has raised no money and is a horrible wingnut.
I wonder if that one wingnut would ever be able to do near the damage that Mr. Hoyer just did to this country.
And evidently the progressives that suppossedly care the most about this issue are giving him a free pass. Hoyer can sell out the 4th Amendment to our constitution and Dems reaction is, what can we do about it?
Better a wingnut backseater than a Dem in a leadership position like Hoyer.
I am giving directly to the Republican in this contest. Anyone that supports the constitution should do so as well.
Dems need to learn they will be punished for violating core principles such as the 4th Amendment. I want Steny Hoyer kicked out and I really don’t care who does it.
How else can liberals (a minority) get power unless we throw our weight around. Politicians mainly listen to fear.
So we are all just stuck with Democrats that cave in on EVERY single constitutional issue because the Republicans are worse. Boy, that argument is getting weaker and weaker as even the Dem controlled house is enacting laws that the Republican-controlled house never enacted.
SF-
get a hold of yourself. Greenwald has a quarter million dollars to run ads against Hoyer, but there’s no point in donating money to the Republican if he hasn’t raised a dime for himself.
I do have a grip. I’m emotional because this issue has been the most important to me the last few year. I almost left the Democratic party permanently over this issue (and the military commissions act) but people like you conviced me to give Obama a chance. And I saw a slightly different approach from him so I was willing to give him a chance. My first assessment of a politician today rests on his or her position on the constitution and how to restore it after Bush is gone (and before as well).
And I supported Greenwald’s efforts. I think this is exactly what progressives need to do. Obviously starting a third party or sending e-mails to Obama doesn’t help.
We need scalps.
And therefore my goal is to defeat traitors to the constitution. It’s a tangible goal that will have a real effect.
Steny Hoyer is such a traitor and need to be defeated. The wingnut taking his place will not do nearly the damage Hoyer has done. In fact, if taking Hoyer out makes the next Dem think twice before violating his oath to uphold the constitution then it is worth it.
glenn greenwald lays the lack of integrity, and dignity, out for all to see:
the last best hope now lies with the senate.
Have we got 41 votes in the Senate?
I hope Obama was just making a point of staying out of the House’s business, being a Senator. That justification I could understand. But now that ends. It’s time to take a stand, sir. Literally. A good, long, stand.
roll call here
Pat Murphy (D-PA) voted against our 4th Amendment rights: that’s going to make re-election a LOT harder, because I am no longer an ally.
Joe Sestak: another fascist who’s going to have trouble.
Bob Brady, one of the good ones, voted no. he will get a call of support.
Chaka Fattah stood up for the rights of Pennsylvanians. Not surprisingly, John Murtha did not. He’s always been an ally of convenience anyway, a right-wing crook with ethics problems
Pelosi, aka Madam Torture voted against our Fourth Amendment Rights (and for covering her own ass).
Looks like some people have some explaining to do. It also looks like certain Drinking Liberally guests will be persona non grata (and also the topic of this week’s bulletin).
all I can say is I’m horrified! game on!
called my rep’s office and told them so. in case they didn’t notice it’s an election year and I’ll be going door to door campaigning for obama and looking for future votes against our rep. told them it doesn’t matter if he’s a democrat, there are better democrats out there
Hello. I was a delegate for Senator Obama at the Texas State Democratic Convention, as well as the delegation chair for SD10 at that convention. I have logged a nontrivial number of hours volunteering for the Obama campaign. But now I need to know what Senator Obama intends to do regarding the FISA “compromise” bill that passed the House of Representatives today.
If Senator Obama chooses not to use his pulpit as presumptive nominee to kill this abominable legislation in the Senate, using tactics up to and including filibuster, then I will be unable to offer the Senator anything more than my vote in November. And that I will be able to offer only reluctantly. The 4th Amendment rights of the people are at stake, as is the public’s right to know what illegal acts the Bush administration has perpetrated against them. We need Senator Obama now, more than ever, to show us what he means by “change we can believe in.”
My hopes and prayers rest on the good Senator. Please let him know that the people are counting on him.
Thank you,
xxx