The Crossed Pond

To keep you up to speed. This writer at dailykos gives the best summation of the sad weirdness of the whole situation.

You couldn’t ask for a better demonstration of the manifest failures of Democratic leadership in the Senate than the fact that Chris Dodd plans to lead a filibuster against a lousy bill that Harry Reid insists on bringing to the floor. A Democratic presidential candidate, backed by other prominent Democrats, leading a filibuster against the Democratic leadership.

It’s a bill that incorporates a bizarre provision granting retroactive immunity for corporate law breaking. It rewards George Bush’s own lawlessness. It nullifies a solid lawsuit that would expose some of the darker secrets of Bush’s national security state.

It’s a provision opposed by all the leading Democratic presidential candidates, who support the better bill that the Senate Judiciary Committee voted out. It’s a provision that Harry Reid says he also opposes.

It’s a bill that doesn’t need to be voted on in a rush before the Christmas recess.

We watched and fumed for years as Democrats played dead on issue after issue under a corrupt Republican-led Senate, and now, at long last, they’re giving us a filibuster? Against themselves?

Did voters oust Republicans last year in order to get this kind of Democratic leadership?

This is crazy.

Chris Dodd is yet again proving himself to be the only Democratic candidate who is for real on protecting America from the worst excesses of the Bush administration. He’s polling at less than 1%. As Rojas said, they don’t deserve him, but we’re damn fortunate he’s around. At least somebody in their miserable caucus has the guts to walk the walk.

Chris Dodd is on the floor as we speak. Here’s an attempt to liveblog it.

Dodd’s website update is succinct, to the point, and absolutely accurate.

This week the Senate will be voting on FISA reform legislation that includes retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies.

Senator Dodd has been fighting to stop retroactive immunity – now he needs your help.

Email the Senate and ask that they vote against any legislation that includes retroactive immunity for telecoms.

It’s time to see the Senate stand up for the rule of law.

You don’t demonstrate leadership in the footnotes of a press release, or parroting responses from focus groups.

Leadership is demonstrated through action.

For more information, you can visit his page here.

So far, it’s 3 against 97 against this odious Bush and Reid backed bill that will crystallize, as a matter of legislative and executive precedent, the right to break the law if the President tells you to. The legal standard that laws simply don’t matter if the President disagrees with them.

Godspeed, Dodd.

Update: A much better liveblogging post, with video, and Dodd’s opening statements.