Comments on: FISA Fight Reconvenes at 2

By: MadDog

MadDog — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:03:25 +0000

And rises Chuckles “The Clown” Schumer.

Oh my! He must finally be standing up to be heard on the FISA travesty before us!

He must finally being willing to rally the Democratic troops to oppose this constitutional abortion!

Huh? Wait a minute. Chuckles “The Clown” has a hard-on but…but…but it’s for feckin’ Eli Manning!

Chuckles “The Clown” slobbers and drools as he breaks out his magnifying class to show us all what Eli’s jockstrap has done for Chuckles.

When our very Constitution is at risk, Chuckles “The Clown” rises to salute with his tiny weapon, his unrequited love for some Eli!

Way to go Chuckles! You be the jerk in jerk-off!

By: cboldt

cboldt — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:47:47 +0000

If Pelosi chose to hold things up in the House (if the Blue Dogs in fact join in the retroactive immunity fun), could she? Are there mechanisms in the House that could be used to derail any further action after the Senate vote?

Yes. The House is an independent body. It can go as far as refusing to handle the bill. But, in passing the 15 day extension, and in other rhetoric, it appears the House is willing to “debate” and pass the Senate version.

By: selise

selise — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:23:20 +0000

may i suggest that everyone read pow wow’s comments at glenn greenwald’s. here are the last three:

http://letters.salon.com/6658d.....dex18.html
http://letters.salon.com/6658d.....dex19.html
http://letters.salon.com/6658d.....dex20.html

i really miss pow wow on the fdl comments threads.

By: selise

selise — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:16:26 +0000

yep. after some further thought, i have to conclude that this entire process - especially the UC on thursday - is designed to cave while appearing to fight.

i made a bunch of calls today - and the most depressing thing was that no one could tell me how thursday’s UC was not designed for complete capitulation. even had someone from feingold’s office call me back (in no way requested by me) to try to convince me that thursday’s UC was a good think, because it would allow debate and move the process forward.

i asked how was it that moving a process forward that would give retroactive immunity and a bad bill could be a positive thing. crickets.

By: phred

phred — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:16:12 +0000

And he’s doing it on a day when everyone’s focus will be on Super Tuesday, to give him more cover than he would get late on a Friday night.

By: phred

phred — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:11:30 +0000

By: JimWhite

JimWhite — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:06:11 +0000

Reid wants to vote on three amendments tonight. (But immunity tomorrow). He wants to finish tomorrow. Yep, he’s doing all he can to ram this through.

By: cboldt

cboldt — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:01:02 +0000

The reason for a rule rather than as emergency has to do with the margin for passage. The 15 day extension was handled as an emergency, and therefore needed 2/3rd majority for passage. That (2/3rds) is insufficient cover for House opposition to what the Senate is apt to pass.

All the Democrats agreed to the UC and whatever vote timing is implied from it. That includes Obama, Hillary! and Kerry.

By: cboldt

cboldt — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 18:57:29 +0000

’m guessing that the blue dogs will unite with the GOP in the House to pass hte Senate bill as is, don’t you think …. So the only question is how it gets put on the House calendar?

For the most part, yes. It probably needs to be handled in order, not as an emergency. That is, first forming and passing a rule, then handling the legislation.

I wouldn’t foreclose the possibility of the House amending the bill. It’s not unusual for the two chambers to pass amendments back and forth, without having a conference committee.

By: klynn

klynn — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 18:54:05 +0000

EW,

I hope in the next few minutes this is cross-posted at FDL to back up the tag-team you & Christy have done on this. As yet, I have not seen a Christy posting up to update on FISA since Friday…