I just recieved the following email from Chris Dodd for president. He is asking for all of us to help stop the Telcom Amnesty.
The email lays out the entire process in very simple terms and makes it clear that there is much the Dems can do to stop this travisty. Dodd is taking the lead on this and we need to help go below the fold to find out how. We only need 10 votes on the Senate Judiciary Committee. If you think this action is important please consider recommending the diary. It only works if people know about it.
Let's get right to it and talk about how we stop retroactive telecommunications immunity from becoming law.
The way I see it, there are three ways to get this provision stripped from the final bill:
1.) The first step would be to make sure the idea doesn't make it out of the Senate Judiciary Committee -- where it will be considered shortly.
If we can get it stripped there, it will have to be offered as an amendment to the overall bill where it will be a lot easier to get 41 votes against retroactive immunity than 41 to sustain my filibuster if necessary.
Take a moment and call up members of the committee, let me know what they said, and join others in tracking our progress in stopping the provision right there.
http://chrisdodd.com/...
The other two ways:
2.) If retroactive immunity does make it out of committee, Senate leadership can honor the hold I've placed on any legislation that includes retroactive immunity.
3.) If leadership does not honor my hold, I remain committed to filibustering, and working to get the 41 votes necessary to maintain it.
This has the potential to be a long fight -- so let's build a solid foundation for our effort today by asking members of the Judiciary Committee to vote against any FISA bill that includes retroactive amnesty.
http://chrisdodd.com/...
I'd like to see a little more spine, frankly, on these issues. People tell us they want to lead, but a little leadership right now would certainly be welcomed on these questions.
I don't want to, but I'm not afraid to do this alone.
Chris
According to the link this shouldn't be a difficult lift the Dems control the committee and there are a few "progressives" on it. So let's see what kind of responses we get from them. Please leave their answers in the comments as well as letting Senator Dodd know.