Going Against the Prez Before the State of the Union

Tomorrow--well, it's quite a ways after midnight, so I guess it's technically today--is the big vote for cloture on the revised FISA bill (which I most recently talked about here, here, and here). The Republicans apparently think it's to their advantage to keep Congress from passing a new bill so they'll have the advantage in campaigning. At this point, I'm expecting a whole lot more fear being served up in the Republican primaries and then in the general election in the fall. Glenn Greenwald wrote more on the dynamics of the issue (all the bolding is as it appears in the original):

The only reason Senate Democrats became angry on Thursday is because Republicans actually refused to allow Democrats to capitulate, as they were ready and eager to do. Senate Republicans blocked Democrats from caving in completely to Bush because they didn't want this issue resolved. They want to ensure that Bush, in Monday's State of the Union address, can accuse Senate Democrats of failing to act on FISA, and thus attack and mock them as being weak on national security and causing the Terrorists to be able to Slaughter Us All.

And, rather pitifully, some Democrats are shocked -- so very upset -- that, yet again, their demonstrated willingness to give the Republicans everything they demanded has not prompted a Good, Nice, Courteous Response. "We did everything you told us to do. Why are you being so mean and unfair?" That sad posture is what led even Jay Rockefeller apparently to announce that he will vote against cloture on his own bill.

Worse, even if Democrats prevent the Republicans' cloture vote on Monday, that will mean we'll just be right back to where we were before that happened: with a series of votes that will almost certainly end in the Senate with some form of retroactive immunity and vastly expanded warrantless eavesdropping powers.

Just because the Prez will go to town in the State of the Union about how the Democrats aren't really interested in protecting the country, I think enough voters have gotten tired of this rampant fear-mongering that they'll see it for what it is. Just in case they don't, though, it doesn't hurt to continue to contact your senators or others who you think need to hear from you. Once again, Christy Hardin Smith has the contact information, including phone and FAX info for the three main Democratic presidential candidates (only two of whom have an actual vote in the Senate). And Jane Hampshire follows up her own post from a couple of nights ago with the announcement that Hillary and Obama will both be in the Senate chamber to vote against cloture. Let's hope they do a little bit of twisting arms for that position, too.