digby: Shake It Up

[babylonsister]

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/

Shake It Up

by digby

Chris Dodd's campaign is asking for your help:

Today, that FISA fight we've all been waiting for begins.

In a few hours, Majority Leader Harry Reid will ask for something called a "motion to proceed" on FISA, effectively disregarding Chris Dodd's "hold" on the bill.

Remember when this all started playing out? A lot of people rushed to send out strongly worded press releases about how committed they were to "supporting a filibuster."

Call or email the Senators that pledged to support a filibuster and ask them to be there when it happens to pick up the ball after Chris Dodd can go no longer.

Leadership is demonstrated through action.

Click here for more information-Support the filibuster:
http://chrisdodd.com/filibuster

Dodd is way out on a limb on this. He's been abandoned by his party leadership and he's being forced to leave his Iowa campaign in the middle of the battle to come back to DC and do an old fashioned filibuster of this bill.

Senators Clinton, Biden and Obama said they would support a filibuster. Edwards said he supported one too. If they would agree to come back to the Senate and help Dodd talk all night, it would bring much need attention to the issue and show the Democratic base that these candidates value them. Imagine if they all (including Edwards) agreed to suspend their campaigns and come back to Washington to stand with Dodd. It would be electrifying --- and it would show the country that the Democrats are prepared to fight. (It would also give them a bunch of free TV time.)

Will any of them (all of them?) do the right thing or will they blow it off?

Go here and ask them:
http://chrisdodd.com/filibuster

*And no I am not an idiot Pollyanna who was just born yesterday, so save your insults for the next post, ok? This is rhetorical.

But if people contact them in large numbers they will at least be on notice that they will get a lot of love or some really harsh criticism from the netroots depending on what they do with this. If they want to avoid the unnecessary unpleasantness of a lot of angry blognats swirling around their campaigns in the last weeks before the vote, the three of them could think about placing a little call to the majority leader and suggest that this is more trouble than it's worth and that he should, at the very least, table this pos. That's all I'm saying ...

[babylonsister]

1. Come on! It's easy to pitch in! nt

[babylonsister]

2. People! Pls. help Chris Dodd and our country! nt

[pacalo]

3. This is so important, I wish your title had been more specific to the cause, babylon.

And thanks for posting this petition. :)

[babylonsister]

11. Thanks. Too late now, but I will try to be more specific next time. nt

[spanone]

4. K&R

it's so hard to 'get it up' for this stuff and get knocked down every time by your own party.

[bunkerbuster1]

7. I'm off to recommend this as well.

It is

a) as important an issue and a test for our Democratic leaders as any I can think of, plus

b) Digby is probably the smartest blogger on the planet. If she says jump, I say "how high?"

[KoKo]

5. I just signed it. Well....what the hell... One more petition one more day....DO IT!

[bunkerbuster1]

6. I emailed Biden/Clinton/Obama and augmented the form letter thus:

My modifications are in all-caps:


"When Senator Dodd pledged to filibuster any bill that includes retroactive immunity, you said you would support that effort. It looks like the filibuster will be next week, and I am PLEADING WITH you to SHOW SOME ACTUAL LEADERSHIP QUALITIES and be there to participate in the filibuster.

Working together is the only way we can stop retroactive immunity, and I hope you will remain true to your word and support a filibuster by participating in one when it happens.

BECAUSE IF YOU WUSS OUT OF THIS, YOU CAN FORGET ABOUT MY VOTE IN THE PRIMARY!"

[femrap]

8. I emailed Sherrod Brown last night

and asked him to help out. Hope he does. I'll call again on Monday.

[LeftCoast]

9. K & R! I'm emailing and calling!

This is too important to let slip through the cracks. We have to support Sen. Dodd on this!

[Truth2Tell]

10. Evening Kick!