Action Alert:What ever happened to Habeas Whatsus?

I won't belabor the importance of Habeas Corpus, "The Great Writ", except to point out that without it we have no rights because this is the only way a citizen can have their day in court to determine whether your rights have been violated.

There is no justice without it!

Right now the Habeas Restoration Act is being debated on the floor of the Senate and the current vote count is:

51 - Yea
7  - Nay
42 - Unclear

Senator Leahy's office sent me an e-mail:

Yesterday, we wrote to you about our Habeas Corpus Restoration Act which is currently being debated on the floor of the U.S. Senate.  Thanks so much to the thousands of you who have already signed on as citizen co-sponsors, helping us build momentum for this critical legislation!

Unfortunately, a number of Republican Senators are once again trying to block our efforts by threatening to filibuster our amendment.

There's going to be a vote on the bill that could come as soon as Wednesday -- that's tomorrow -- to try to beat back their filibuster, and we'll need 60 votes to do it.  

Help us end the Republican filibuster of our Habeas Corpus Restoration Act. Click here to call your Senators now!

http://restore-habeas.org/

This on-line tool can help facilitate your calling and reports Senator's responses to your call to help gauge the support. CALL!

•  Only You can Prevent Forrest Fires!

  Tips Schmips here's a jar and don't yell at me.

  by Flint on Tue Sep 18, 2007 at 02:37:20 PM PDT

•  Thanks, I got the email too

  I called both my senators already, and got a good response from one of them (Blanche Lincoln.) The office for my other Senator, Mark Pryor, was noncommittal, but Leahy's website says Pryor will vote in favor of Habeas Corpus.

  Please, everyone, call your senators to break this filibuster.

  by Pompatus on Tue Sep 18, 2007 at 02:41:40 PM PDT

  •  I'm surprised...

    I've been bogged down with work and I thought someone would have posted this alert sooner to tell the truth.

    It has me wondering... is everyone aware of this or do they not realize the importance of Habeas Corpus? Odd.

    by Flint on Tue Sep 18, 2007 at 02:44:31 PM PDT

    •  In time

      This will be on the recommended list right?

      I kinda thought it would be there by now.

      by 59stevenm on Tue Sep 18, 2007 at 03:33:28 PM PDT

      •  I think I'll resubmit in the morning...

        I think I'll repost it in the morning with the title,
        
        "That Damn Kid Deserved to be Tasered!"

        And then pitch that the kid won't get his day in court if Habeas Corpus should be allowed to remain defunct!

        I'm hoping that Countdown will put a spot light on it but KO is in the hospital... no telling.

        Like I said up stream... I don't know if every body knows about this or they simply don't understand it and what it means for their constitutional rights.

        PS. Yes that 13 year old super model is too young... anyone seen the runaway bride lately? Oh yes... OJ... now there is a complete waste of time!

        by Flint on Tue Sep 18, 2007 at 04:18:35 PM PDT

        •  Lol

          That is an attention getting title!

          52 are on board now

          by 59stevenm on Tue Sep 18, 2007 at 04:28:44 PM PDT

        •  I posted a similar diary.

          By the time I got the darn Whip Count image embedded, your diary was up as well. If you are going to re-post in the morning, I won't bother. Perhaps we can get it on the rec list. I included a list of the Yea's and Nay's. (I did a link back to your diary one other.)

          I didn't view the debate today. Are we sure the vote will be Wednesday?

          Link to Become a Citizen Whip - Restore Habeas Corpus by greenchiledem.

          by greenchiledem on Tue Sep 18, 2007 at 09:50:26 PM PDT

          •  I am going to repost in the morning but...

            Please don't let that stop you from writing your own diary. Mine was just an FYI piece others are precedent oriented.

            Should you post I will put a link in mine to yours and urge people to recommend it as well. The issue is getting lost under the MSM weight on OJ and the Tasered kid story.

            I didn't hear one single report today on any of the media outlets and I find that appalling, the same thing happened when the Unpatriotic Act was going up for renewal and no one reacted. Now everyone bitches about it, but where were they when it counted?

            I had a friend in the 60's who put a sign in his car window, "America... you're going to get what's coming to you."

            He was disgusted with the American people that they could let the crap go on in government and sometimes I wonder if he wasn't right. I think I would reword his sign though, "America... you are going to get the government you deserve."

            by Flint on Tue Sep 18, 2007 at 11:40:08 PM PDT

  •  Pryor's listed as a cosponsor

    The Senate cosponsor list (30 so far) includes him, so I'd assume that's basically a public commitment to vote for the bill. Lincoln's not listed as a cosponsor, but good to hear that she's probably going to vote in favor.

    by Delirium on Tue Sep 18, 2007 at 02:54:11 PM PDT

    •  Both of my Senators are co-sponsors

      Lautenberg and Menendez are both on that list of co-sponsors so I think I'll call some Red Staters offices.

      Even Arlen "The Weasel" Spector helped draft this Act and I'm hoping that some of the Repug "Libertarian" faction will sign on to it as well.

      by Flint on Tue Sep 18, 2007 at 03:00:39 PM PDT

•  A word on Tazers...

  I know its not as much fun as the great tazer-student debate going on, but without Habeas Corpus... that college kid doesn't have any rights to argue about in court...

  by Flint on Tue Sep 18, 2007 at 02:41:47 PM PDT

  •  So true

    My Senator is Barbara Boxer, she believes in habeus corpus.

    I'll just call some republican senators for the hell of it....
    Can't hurt, right?

    by 59stevenm on Tue Sep 18, 2007 at 02:44:13 PM PDT

•  Salazar is a co-sponsor. I asked him months

  ago if he was a supporter, and to my surprise he said he was. Allard is not up for re-election so he's a lost cause.

  I was going to post on this today and am glad you did. But seems people are much more interested in tazers.

  by Gary Norton on Tue Sep 18, 2007 at 03:38:14 PM PDT