Telecoms May Yet Be Let Off the Hook

No matter how I try to tell the story, I can never get it to work out satisfactorily. If the various telecom companies have acted unlawfully--even if they were told to do it by the administration--shouldn't they be answerable for that? And of either of the two parties, shouldn't the Democrats be the ones to stand up for the little guy against corporate malfeasance? I started to type, "Or at least, those are the cliches." And while the second statement may be a cliche, since when is it a cliche to act according to the law?

But most of the Democrats in the Senate don't seem to be interested in following the cliche. At this point, at least, they seem to be lining up to express fealty to a lame duck, unpopular, discredited president on an issue that the majority of Americans oppose. There's no way I can spin this in my own mind so that the Democratic position can seem anything other than unreasonable. And that's even before we get to the potential Chris Dodd filibuster.

It all looks like it may be coming to a head on Thursday, so get on the phone to your senators. Christy Hardin Smith has phone numbers that might be helpful--phone numbers of the Senate Majority and Minority Leaders, of Senators Dodd and Feingold who indicated that they'd filibuster, and of twelve senators (including two who are currently up to no good in South Carolina) who suggested they'd support the filibuster. It seems to me that a good test of leadership might be which presidential candidates felt strongly enough about the Constitution to drop whatever campaign plans they have made and run back to the capital to, y'know, lead or something. It would be a demonstration of priorities and of a willingness (to coin a phrase) to change from the corrupt policies of the Bush administration. Also at Firedoglake, Jane Hamsher calls out Clinton and Obama. Returning to Washington to take part in a filibuster if necessary is far more effective than a long-distance "I've got your back" from the campaign trail. While I'm passing along links, I might as well offer Glenn Greenwald's take down of Harry Reid and his Senate leadership. You might want to read it while you're on hold with your senator.