The Alpha & Omega of American politics - the ALLIANCE of so-called "liberal Democrats" in the House and Senate (and statehouses nationwide) with the RIGHT-WING REACTIONARY neo-con agenda (of which the Bush-Cheney administration is the perfect exposition, aka the "unilateral" dictatorial-powers presidency) is AT THE VERY HEART of America's 7 year march of ignomy and infamy, from STOLEN ELECTIONS to pre-9-11 INCOMPETENCE bordering on DERELICTION OF DUTY; to the still unsolved ANTHRAX ATTACKS, to the LIES-TO-WAR, to GROSS CORRUPTION in Iraq war contracts; to TORTURE and KANGAROO COURTS for female privates WHILE the president and vice president demand the 'right' TO TORTURE PRISONERS TO DEATH! - to massive economic job losses; to massive, nationwide billions-dollars credit crunch; ALL of these SCANDALS have a common denominator: THE COWARDLY DEMOCRATS in the Senate COULD NOT START and SUSTAIN A SINGLE FILIBUSTER AGAINST ANY OF THEM!
FOR SHAME, DEMOCRATS! The cowering Democrats in the senate (INCLUDING ALL FOUR presidential contenders!) CAN NOT POINT TO A SINGLE POLICY FILIBUSTER in the past 7 years, DESPITE the ATROCIOUS Bush-Cheney agenda, above!
This article by Howie Klein of Alternet and DownWithTyranny.com illustrates the dynamic... of how OBSTRUCTIONIST REPUBLICANS SEANTORS GET WHAT THEY WANT, even when they are in the MINORITY to the Democrat senate majority!
FOR SHAME! Democrats! When John F. Kennedy wrote "PROFILES IN COURAGE!" there is NOT ONE SENATOR TODAY who would rate mention in his book!
=======================================
Feinstein Buckles to Grassroots Pressure, FISA Bill Passes Without Telecom Immunity
Posted by Howie Klein, Down With Tyranny!
November 16, 2007.
This post, written by Howie Klein, originally appeared on Down With Tyranny!
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/rights/68114/
Howie Klein: Bush's main Democratic ally on the Senate Judiciary Committee, grudgingly voted for a bill that doesn't allow for retroactive immunity. Post Tools
Justice Dept Reopens Warrantless Wiretapping Inquiry Stymied by Bush
Faiz Shakir Think Progress
Earlier this evening the House passed by a vote of 227-189 a bill that would strengthen court oversight of government surveillanceand refused the Bush Regime's and their Republican rubber stamp allies' demands that law breakers inside the big telecom corporations be granted retroactive immunity for criminal behavior. Bush, of course, has vowed to veto the bill. He may not have to.
Obstructionists in the Senate are determined to kill the bill in the Senate. Today they suffered a mini-setback when Dianne Feinstein, Bush's main Democratic ally on the Senate Judiciary Committee, grudgingly voted for a bill that doesn't allow for retroactive immunity. Corporate hacks like Mitch McConnell (R-KY) went bonkers and are promising to filibuster it. Just so you don't get the idea that Feinstein has seen the light, just before she voted to allow the bill without the retroactive immunity go to the ful Senate, she had voted against Russ Feingold's amendment to specifically kill retroactive immunity.
Just minutes before the vote, the committee had voted 11-to-8 in favor of immunity for the phone companies.
Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Cal., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., voted with the nine Republicans on the panel in favor of preserving the immunity clause.
But in a strange twist that left many wondering what had happened, just minutes after this vote, Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, called for a separate vote to approve the bill without the section of the legislation with the immunity provisions.
The committee approved Leahy's call 10-9, along party lines.
So pressure on Feinstein needs to be maintained and increased. Today MoveOn joined the Courage Campaign to do this. And the Courage Campaign is not backing down and not taking any sops from Feinstein or her insider allies.
Speaker Pelosi's blog has all the details of what the House did pass and why it is important.
