Glenn Greenwald: Harry Reid works to ensure telecom amnesty, warrantless surveillance

[babylonsister]

Harry Reid works to ensure telecom amnesty, warrantless surveillance

(Updated below - Update II - Update III - Update IV - Update V - Update VI - Update VII)

I wrote about many of yesterday's developments concerning telecom amnesty and warrantless surveillance in this morning's post, but I want separately to highlight one critical fact. Citing various media reports, Jane Hamsher last night noted that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid -- in violation of all Senate customs and rules -- apparently intends, in essence, simply to ignore the "hold" placed on the FISA bill by Chris Dodd and bring the bill to the floor for a vote (and certain passage).

I was somewhat skeptical of that interpretation. The one "principle" which all Senators share is the sacred holiness of their customs and institutional prerogatives. As Jane notes, Reid has never dishonored a "hold" before from his own caucus, and virtually never dishonors "holds" even when placed by the most far-right Republicans Senators. It seemed inconceivable that he would simply refuse to recognize a "hold" by one of the Senate's most senior members on a bill of this importance, and the media accounts seemed vague on that score.

As a result, I emailed Reid's office to ask if they actually intended to override and ignore Dodd's "hold" and this is the patronizing (though crystal clear) dismissal I received back as a "response" from Reid's spokesman, Jim Manley:

Reid will work with Dodd and other Senators to correct the deep flaws in the Protect America Act.

Clearly, Reid has nothing but contempt for Dodd's principled stand, which was generated by (and in response to) the actions of tens of thousands of Americans concerned about our constitutional liberties and the rule of law. Reid is dismissively brushing that all to the side -- as usual -- to ensure the safe and smooth passage of a Draconian bill jointly demanded by the Bush administration, the telecom industry, and their lobbyists.

There is a reason that the Democratic Congress has been as accommodating to the Bush agenda, if not more so, than even the GOP Congress led by Bill Frist and Denny Hastert. It is because that is what their leadership, repeatedly, chooses to do. Dodd needs to demonstrate that yesterday was not a one-time event by demanding that his "hold" be honored, and the other Democratic candidates, as well as others in the Senate who claim to want to stop this bill, ought to do more than issue empty, right-worded statements and stand with Dodd to block this bill by any means available.

more...

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2007/10/19/reid/index.html

[Ian David]

1. The bill only grants immunity for actions taken after 9/11/01

The illegal wiretapping started in February of 2001.

ShHHhhhh...

Be vewwy vewwy kwiet...

The Repubwicks are falling wight into our twap.

[Eric J in MN]

2. The article implies Joe Biden and Russ Feingold will support a filibuster.

Counting Dodd himself, that makes 3.

It takes 41, and so we need another 38 Senators to support the filibuster.

Please contact one of your Senators, especially if you have at least one Democratic Senator.