Feingold Again Tries to Block Patriot Act

[meganmonkey]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5621866,00.html

WASHINGTON (AP) - In a case of legislative deja vu, Sen. Russell Feingold launched another lonely filibuster against the USA Patriot Act, but sponsors predicted enough support to overcome the objection and extend parts of the law set to expire March 10.

---snip---

Indeed, the filibuster seemed doomed. No Democrats were expected to join Feingold, according to officials of both parties. Several senior senators of his party have said they would vote for the bill, including Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Richard Durbin of Illinois.

Still, Feingold said the new version provided only a modest new protection for civil liberties.

``What we are seeing is quite simply a capitulation to the intransigent and misleading rhetoric of a White House that sees any effort to protect civil liberties as a sign of weakness,'' Feingold said during a floor speech Wednesday that kicked off his latest filibuster.

----much more at link-----

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5621866,00.html

[Bill McBlueState]

1. what the hell is everyone's problem?

Why is Feingold the sole Senator who continues to take the moderate position?

[bullimiami]

3. if these assholes cant see the need to protect civil liberties

evan after what bush has done, they are useless.

[meganmonkey]

4. It is one thing to realize that they may not be able to stop it from passi

but that doesn't mean they can't get on the record telling the truth about bushco and what they are doing to our civil liberties. It boggles my mind. WHERE IS THE OPPOSITION?!?! Honestly, bushco better be threatening the Senators' families or something for them all to be so quiet about the destruction of our civil liberties.
:banghead:

[columbusdem]

35. Civil liberties are worth fighting for

No offense, atreides1, but I always thought that civil
liberties are the most important thing worth fighting for.

[meganmonkey]

39. Welcome to DU, columbusdem!

I have a feeling artreides1 was being sarcastic, referring to a comment made by some more conservative Dems when they didn't filibuster Alito.

Again, welcome to DU! I hope you like it here!

:toast:

Peace!

[Ben Ceremos]

38. These congresscreatures are complicit.

They won't have any loss of civil rights as they are the "ruling class" as * likes to say.
Remember, they were bred to lead and we were bred to bleed. This the logic at work here. Russ Feingold should be your president.

[atreides1]

9. Didn't you hear

They're keeping their powder dry, for something worth fighting for.

[meganmonkey]

14. Yep - and civil liberties?

They're just a passing fad anyway, right :(

GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH!!!!
(Am I allowed to say that anymore?)

[kysrsoze]

2. Spine-gold. Too bad no one else has one.

[freefall]

11. Spine-gold - that's excellent!! And it is very sad that he is alone. n/t

[JNelson6563]

42. That's brilliant.

:toast:

[Goblinmonger]

5. I love Russ

He's my senator :loveya: and a hell of a lot better than my other, Kohl.

Rumors last night of Al Franken running against Norm Coleman. Can you imagine Al and Russ together in the Senate. At least we would have two senators with a pair of balls.

[freefall]

12. Run Al run!!! Norm Coleman is total slime. I once had to share one of

the underground cars that travels between the Senate office buildings and the Capitol with him, just the two of us. It was an incredibly long ride. I didn't say a word and neither did he. I think he felt my contempt. Go Al go!!!! It was heartbreaking to lose Wellstone and we need to get a decent human being back in that seat!!

Peace

freefall

[worldgonekrazy]

13. Would Franken have any chance?

I hate Coleman as much as the next decent person, but could Franken really beat him? I just don't see it happening, even though we are talking about the state that elected Ventura.

[wordpix]

40. if "actors" Gropenfuhrer and Ray-gun had a chance, Al does, too

[FloridaPat]

6. Seems the Patriot Act is to protect the gov't from We the People,

not We The People from terrorists. Especially if the gov't is the terrorists.

[ClassWarrior]

7. .

[mb7588a]

8. I thought Boxer was also against? nt.

[meganmonkey]

10. I searched for info on Google

and it looks like she hasn't made a statement against the 'compromise' version (which, as the article points out, is not a compromise to anyone who respects civil liberties). I hope that others stand up with Feingold, but it looks like the Dems are letting this one slide through :(

[pstans]

15. Come on, stand up with Russ and fight

From the Progressive Patriot Fund...
http://progressivepatriotsfund.com

Salon.com: Patriot Act games

Feb. 15, 2006

It seemed like a watershed moment for the Democratic Party. At the end of 2005, Democrats, along with a small band of Republicans, stopped a bad Patriot Act reauthorization bill in its tracks. For me, it was gratifying to have so many in my party openly share—and act on—the concerns I had voiced about the Patriot Act back in 2001. But, more importantly, Democrats had decided to stand up to the White House’s scare tactics and stand for protecting the rights of law-abiding Americans. Finally, Democrats were refusing to be intimidated by suggestions that protecting our freedoms is inconsistent with fighting terrorism aggressively. This moment was long overdue.

http://www.russforpresident.com
http://iowafeingold.blogspot.com

[Trevelyan]

18. I will check out the Progressive Patriot - I have signed Russ' petitions

there and everyone should email Feingold to thank him. I think that we need to do some thinking about a third party or encourage Howard Dean to begin fighting and 2006 needs to be a real reform of the Democratic party. No more Anybody But Bush where people poured their hearts and souls out for the DINO (and worse) Kerry, only to have him go into hiding after conceding BEFORE THE VOTES WERE EVEN COUNTED.

What use is a "Democratic" Congress if they vote like Republicans?

[VegasWolf]

16. I'll support 3rd Party candidates that will support Feingold. After the

Alito fiasco, I'm ready for entirely new leadership. My choice, my vote. It is going to be interesting to see if the DINOs get the votes they think they will after many progressives bail out on them.

[meganmonkey]

20. I think you have that backwards

I would say that they bailed out on the progressives, not the other way around.

They work for us, we don't owe them anything. They owe us representation and they aren't giving it to us.

THEY bailed out. Not the progressives.

Peace.

[VegasWolf]

21. Yes, that is what I was saying. I'll support 3rd Party candidates that

express support for repealing the Patriot Act simply because the progressives can't trust the current Democratic leaders ( except Feingold and very few others ). Some Democrats are simply
assuming that will win big because the people are fed up with Republicans. They are missing the part of the equation where progressives are fed up with DINOs.

:toast:

[paulk]

22. Feingold is not supporting the repeal of the Patriot Act.

So I guess you can't vote for him, either?

[VegasWolf]

28. Feingold is attempting to cleanup the really egregious aspects of the

law, which many Senators now claim they did not read but signed in a moment ebullient patriotism following 9/11. Some parts of the law with respect to inter-agency cooperation are productive.

[meganmonkey]

25. Yeah, I'm getting really frustrated

with this kind of thing lately. Whether or not the Dems can actually get anything done, they should at least be a vocal opposition. They have occasional moments of brilliance but generally they aren't saying what I wish they would...I don't know if that means my expectations are wrong about the ideals of the Democratic party, or if these folks in the Senate are just bad at their jobs. Maybe it's a little of both, I am just tired of the 2-party game being played in DC right now.

Peace!

[IA_Seth]

17. No Democrats were expected to join Feingold....

"No Democrats were expected to join Feingold, according to officials of both parties"

That's enough to make ya sick.

Thank you Mr Feingold, for giving voice to our concerns, regardless of how the other Senators represent us.

[VegasWolf]

19. Nader would have supported Feingold. nt

[wordpix]

41. why isn't Nader running for a seat, then? Obviously he'll never be pres

[Earth_First]

23. I thought that the Patriot Act extension vote was a result for Democrats

to allow for some time to allow the questionable clauses of the Patriot Act to be revised and rehashed. Sounds to me that it's ready for another vote, and yet Russ Feingold is again, the ONLY Democratic Senator who is willing to step up.

Way to go guys, way to go.

edit: spell check

[Rose Siding]

31. The most contested parts were changed

But the changes seem mostly cosmetic. One of them, as I recall, says that computer use records can't be gotten from the library, but the govt can obtain them from ISPs.

[Wordie]

24. The arguments Feingold made in the hearing were very compelling...

(it was on C-Span this morning), so I just don't understand what the problem really is. None of what Feingold suggested sounded like it was way out of line. I don't understand why he isn't getting more support, especially from Dems.

Edited to add: Recommended.

[Trevelyan]

26. Sen. Feingold has his excellent speech up on his website

Please email at his website to support his powerful and lonely stand for the basic rights of US citizens.

There is a petition on progressive patriot and other information about Feingold on this site.

From the UK article:

"Senior members of his party, including Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Richard Durbin of Illinois and Dianne Feinstein of California, have said they will vote for the new deal."

How can we ditch "Democratic" Senate Minority "Leader" harry reid for real leadership??

Please email at least Boxer and Kennedy and ask them why they are not supporting Feingold.

[twaddler01]

27. Where are the others?

:shrug:

[yellowdogmi]

29. All of the spineless wonders

Have heard KKKarl Rove say how the Repukes are going to run on national security again. If they vote against this act they will be beat over the head with it. They are scared to stand upon principle. They do not realize that many of their supporters are against this legislation. Or if they are aware they are not voting their conscience but what they think is political expediency. What will harm them the least. I think that we should post primary challengers to any of our dems that vote for this un american act.

[lovuian]

30. I love this man!!! This proves the Democrats are spineless

its been like this the whole Bush administration...

[meganmonkey]

32. Seriously - the only excuse I would accept for this is that

the bush administration has snipers pointed at all the Senators' children or something. BOTH parties should be appalled at this shit, and NO ONE is fighting against it. It's like they are paralyzed :(

[sonias]

33. Me too, I love Feingold

Wish he were my Senator. Wish we had at least 50 more like him.

Sonia

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

34. If you're not willing to...

...stand up and fight the shredding of the Bill of Rights, then what are you willing to fight for? That's what I'd like to ask the spineless senators on both sides of the isle.

[stickdog]

36. How TYPICAL that this makes more noise in GB than here.

BBC led with the torture photos; US media buried it in comparison.

[More Than A Feeling]

37. Let's make him president so that when he stands alone

he has the power to make it stick!