Federal media protection law stalls in Senate

[flashl]

GOP blocks effort to have a vote - bill likely done for year

Jennifer A. Dlouhy, Hearst Newspapers

Thursday, July 31, 2008

(07-31) 04:00 PDT Washington - -- The prospect of congressional approval of a federal "media shield" law this year dimmed Wednesday when Senate Republicans blocked legislation that would protect journalists from being forced to reveal confidential sources.

...

The shield bill was derailed in the Senate when Republican senators seeking a floor vote on a broad energy bill blocked efforts by Senate Democratic leaders to debate other measures, including the media shield proposal.

The Senate fell eight votes shy of the 60 necessary to limit debate - and thus thwart a Republican-led filibuster - on the media shield bill. Five Republicans, including bill sponsors Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and Dick Lugar, R-Ind., broke party ranks and voted to begin debating the shield legislation.

...

Leahy pledged to "keep bringing it back as much as we can," but he acknowledged that the Senate's calendar in September could be very crowded with "all the other important things we have to do."

[glowing]

1. And exactly why aren't we pursuing impeachment.. they are just getting

so much accomplished with the Repigs blocking every legislative bill the Dems try to pass. So much for protecting whistle blowers and media that tries to do their jobs.

[ixion]

2. and you know, you don't here much from the MSM about these filibusters

despite the fact that a) they do it constantly; and, b) the MSM reported INCESSANTLY about dem attempts to filibuster; and c, we've heard NOTHING about the nuclear option that was held over dem leadership for SIX YEARS.

Funny how that works.