Leadership: Dodd stalls the FISA bill

by: JDRyan

Mon Dec 17, 2007 at 22:19:37 PM EST

I'm sure Kagro X will have an update on this sooner or later, but some good news for you, for a change. Senator Dodd's filibuster threat seems to have convinced Harry Reid to pull the FISA bill until January. From Huff Po:

But the threat of Dodd's filibuster, aimed primarily at the latter measure, persuaded Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, to table the act until January. A compromise on the immunity will ostensibly be worked out in the interim period. "We have tried to work through this process and it appears quite clear at this stage on this bill that we're not going to be able to do that," said Reid. "We are at the last few hours of the last few days of this year's session of Congress... I think its very clear we're not going to be able to move into the amendments.... I've spoken with a number of Senators and we feel it would be in the best interest of the Senate to take at look at this when we come back next year." A smile on his reddened face, Dodd was at once gracious and joyful by the turn of events. He had been arguing his case for approximately eight hours.

Obama, Biden, and Clinton remained on the campaign trail, all demonstrating serious leadership on this issue by... oh, wait, nevermind.

It seems that there was indeed a large swell of reaction to this, as many people contacted their Senators about it. Sens. Boxer, Feingold, Kennedy and a few others stepped up to support Dodd today, as well. This indeed gives us some more time to build upon this and hopefully, maybe the Dem leadership will do the right thing after all and work to defeat the telco immunity provision. And a big hat off to Senator Dodd.