Breaking: Edwards Calls for Support of Dodd's Fillibuster of Bad FISA Bill
by NCDem Amy
Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 09:02:40 PM PST
John Edwards came out this evening against the telecom immunity of the FISA bill, currently before Congress, and in full support of Senator Dodd's filibuster.As if it's not enough that the Bush administration has been illegally spying on Americans. Now, the Bush administration wants retroactive immunity for telephone companies regardless of the legality of their actions in handing over record of Americans in Bush's illegal domestic spying. The The FISA Bill would grant immunity to any telecom company that may have violated the law by assisting the administration in carrying out its illegal wiretapping program by handing over their customers’ private records without a warrant.
The Dodd-Feingold Amendment would strip telcom immunity from the bill. If that fails, Senator Dodd will filibuster:
If after debate, the Senate appears ready to pass legislation granting telecom providers retroactive immunity I will use any and all legislative tools at my disposal, including a filibuster, to prevent this deeply flawed bill from becoming law.
It's official, Dodd will filibuster a bad FISA Bill.
Tonight, Edwards pledged his full support for Senator Dodd's filibuster.John Edwards on FISA
John Edwards:
In Washington today, telecom lobbyists have launched a full-court press to win retroactive immunity for their illegal eavesdropping on American citizens.
Granting retroactive immunity will let corporate law-breakers off the hook and hamstring efforts to learn the truth about Bush's illegal spying program.
"It's time for Senate Democrats to show a little backbone and stand up to George W. Bush and the corporate lobbyists. They should do everything in their power -- including joining Senator Dodd's efforts to filibuster this legislation -- to stop retroactive immunity. The Constitution should not be for sale at any price." more at:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/1/24/0240/82104/379/442026UPDATEConnecticut Sen. Chris Dodd (D) once again will lead efforts to strip Senate legislation of the telco amnesty, while Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) appears ready once again to back the Bush administration and its Republican allies.
Thankfully, the two leading Democratic presidential candidates are siding with Dodd.
Asked for comment, the campaign of Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) provided a statement from the senator: “I strongly oppose retroactive immunity in the FISA bill. No one should get a free pass to violate the basic civil liberties of the American people — not the president of the United States, and not the telecommunications companies that fell in line with his warrantless surveillance program <… T>hat is why
I am proud to stand with Sen. Dodd and a grassroots movement of Americans who are standing up for our civil liberties and the rule of law.”Likewise, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (N.Y.) campaign reaffirmed to me the senator’s opposition to telco amnesty, and
her support for a filibuster, if necessary.more at:
http://thehill.com/markos-moulitsas/scare-tactics-2008-01-23.html