October 26, 2007 07:52 PM
Dodd's Speech on the Constitution & Rule of Law
Christy has the entire text of his speech:
Mr. President, for six years, this President has demonstrated time and time again that he doesn’t respect the role of Congress nor does he respect the rule of law.
Every six years as United States Senators we take the oath office to uphold the Constitution. Our colleagues on the House side take that oath every two years. That is important.
For six years this President has used scare tactics to prevent the Congress from reining in his abuse of authority. A case and point is the current direction this body appears to be headed as we prepare to reform and extend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act...read on
He'll be on "Meet the Press" tomorrow morning....
first!
Excellent speech from Dodd.
The Whitehouse, for the last 6 years, has been buried beneath an avalanche of incompetency.
Most of us have know this for a long time. We turned over the house last year, but not enough to over-ride the Veto powers of the Idiot in the Whitehouse. The 25 to 33% rs, will never go away, they are the nitwit factor, we're stuck with them, but we have to VOTE and take back Both houses and the Presidency.
Dodd is right on every count in this.
Thanks Chris.
He's got the talk and he's got the look.
Military for candidates that will end the war.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_timothy__071026_what_the_media_w...
Damn! The dems need some balls.
Why don't we demand that they all get some damned
"Well Stones"!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dodd just exhibited some.
Thomas Paine wrote in Common Sense:
In America, the law is king. For as in absolute governments the King is law, so in free countries the law ought to be king; and there ought to be no other.
The real problem isn't President Bush... its us, because we don't express our outrage to our Senators and House Representatives and demand that this illegal activity be stopped.
Call you Senators and let them know that you object to expansion of the powers of the Executive Branch in the new FISA bill. No blanket immunity for the telecoms who have made a business out of spying on Americans and disregarding our Fourth Amendment rights! Tell them that you want Habeas Corpus restored.
Either you fight for your rights now or you lose them forever!
I have been screaming to my Senators and my useless fucking congeressshithead for the last fucking 7 years.
Lotta fucking good it has done.
Methinks it is time to break out the pitchforks and torches.
Dodd is dead on here. Hopefully he has the backbone to actually do something.
"Action speaks louder than words."
Now get to work and evacuate the White House for us.
This man should be president. It's that simple.
Does Warlord AIPAC mean anything ? Just asking !
Someone made this comment the other day, should be on a bumper sticker:
"Impeach the cheerleader save the world."
Keep Larry Craig away from Dodd. With balls that big Craig will be all over him!
I love Dodd.
This man's testicles could crush a Volkswagon.
It only takes one Senator to hold a bill.
He should hold this one and write one just like Ron Paul's Freedom Act.
[Try sucking less ralph. And don't post in ALL CAPS AND ALL BOLD-Sitemonitor]
Bob in N. Thailand @ 3:
Incompetency? Right.
Here's what Bush and the competent Neocons have accomplished...
Iraq War
Taken Iraqi oil off the market
Kept Iraq from opening non-US dollar bourse
Stacked Supreme Court with Neocons with a cake-walk confirmation
Escaping justice for numerous domestic and International War crimes
Escaping impeachment
Enriched war machine & Military Industrial Complex
Gutted Habeas Corpus
Rationalized torture
Conveniently misplaced trillions (Sept 10th, 2001) and later billions of dollars
Reestablished record breaking opium production in Afghanistan
Implemented extraordinary rendition and secret torture camps
Manipulated - Stole 2000 and 2004 elections
Lied about Iraqi WMD's
Lied about Jessica Lynch-Pat Tillman
Working on reigniting Russian-American Cold War (Russian bomber flights, etc)
Gutted independent officer corps
Christianization of the military
Massive expenditures for Chem-Bio, Space Weapons, Internet cybercorps
Intimidation (or cooperation) of Media & Business
Permanent military bases in Iraq
Passed Patriot Act after convenient Anthrax and Manchurian-style Sniper attacks
Passed Military Commissions Act
Massive debt to break government (and public)
Electronic surveillance and massive databases
Illegal warrantless wiretaps
First-rate mercenary force enriched and empowered
Broke Posse Comitatus precedent with Blackwater and US military domestic deployment
Blinding of America to Iranian nuclear program
Decimated New Orleans post-Katrina (dry-run for martial law)
Coopted Justice Department
Turned over regulatory agencies to the foxes of industry (ex. Mining, Forestry)
Freed Scooter Libby with no political cost
Bankruptcy "reform"
No Child Left Behind and other Orwellian named govt initiatives
Garnered cooperation of fellow CFR and Trilateral Democrats to enable agenda
Unending blank checks from Congress
Convenient benefiting from a "New Pearl Harbor"
Pulled a sham Investigation on 9-11 over on the public for a paltry $15 million
Conning the American public that they are incompetent - mucho grande check
What more do you want to qualify them as a success? Most people think they are incompetent because they are operating according to a different game-plan, or paradigm, than the normal person. Normal people wouldn't operate at this level of corruption and genuine evil. These people are expert Machiavellian psychopaths (with a strong dose of Straussian Noble Lie telling) and to attempt to associate normal behaviors to them is an exercise in futility. You absolutely CANNOT continue to believe that the administration is incompetent - they are completely competent and shocking us into accepting a fascist version of America
Wouldn't be surprised if Dodd got swift-boated very soon by the very vocal, rebellious and ruthless right wing voice machine.
Go Chris Dodd
can't wait 'till tomorow
to see him on MTP
heh...
angryspittle @ 9:
Do what ever it takes.
angryspittle @ 8:
You have called and made noise and so have I but how many other people have? Not enough of have been fighting the good fight and the politicians have relied on our complacency. Things are starting to change because enough people have become "uncomfortable."
The problem now is to get folks to realize that they are not disempowered, that they can make a difference and that the biggest enemy they face is their own defeatest attitudes.
Chris Dodd has my vote. These kinds of positions could propel Dodd to the top tier of candidates. Everybody, except pelosi and reid, knows us Dems have been craving for somebody to confront the pathetic wingnut fascists.
Chris Dodd has cajones! I just wish he'd teach some other Dems how to grow some!
chazaroo @ 24:
playing
Dodd is just another CFR shill playing good cop to the republican bad cop.
Its all a facade to dupe the people.
Truth Be Told @ 26:
Oh yeah? Remember that Dodd backed Lieberman, ostensibly a Democrat (ha!), in the primaries. When Lieberman lost, Dodd supported Lamont, the true winner. Dodd said he would back the winner, and he remained true to his word. What do you suppose would have happened if all the Dems had displayed the same integrity? Maybe we'd have a real Democrat in Congress, instead of that POS Lieberman playing the spoiler.
Good cop, my ass. Dodd is the real thing. I'm voting for him, and I don't give a crap if he's got a couple warts in his voting record. All I care about now is saving the Constitution and our civil liberties.
Straight Shooter @ 27:
There is no long serving Senator in the Senate that is the real thing. With very few exceptions, they are compromised in some form or fashion. There is a distinct political class in the US and they are not promoted to power, or for running for power, unless they meet the approval of a variety of think tanks and elite organizations, such as the Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission, and several others. Its like the mob heirarchy...no one is "made" unless they prove their loyalty to the cause.
Dodd is a member of the CFR, and thus, with its agenda, makes him a shill for their cause of doing harm to the US, the Constitution, and the concept of nation-state sovereignty.
"The damage that was done to our nation on 9/11 was stunning. . . . But when you start diminishing our rights as a people, you compound that tragedy, in my view" (Dodd, in clip).
The Patriot Act was written long before 9/11, and the FISA circumventions and illegal wiretaps began in the spring of 2001. The Bush administration's assault on our rights under the Constitution was planned from the beginning.
phayce @ 29:
Do you really think all that was started in the beginning of the Bush administration? Come on. This groundwork was laid during the Bush 41 and Clinton administrations. It was under Clinton that the original Terror bill was rushed through and passed in the wake of OKC after the failed attempt of the FBI in the 1993 Twin Tower attacks. Oh, you didn't know that the FBI was running the operation and that the Arab informant wore a wire recording the FBI handlers instructing them to not swap out the explosives with harmless materials? Oh, you didn't know or remember that several secondary devices were reported as being removed from the interior columns of the OKC building?
I wonder how they got there....
Kudos to Dodd for stepping up. He's a main event player now
Truth Be Told @ 28:
Name the exceptions, and your reason(s) for naming them.
"Iranian-Made Rockets Hit Base Near Baghdad." Well, well, well. If only Pentagon would admit that 20% of other insurgents' weapons are Made in US, another 20% are Made in Russia, a lot of them are Made in Iraq and Austria, we could really start the international play - "The paths to war with each other - how the diplomacy malfunctions without the Iranian rocket." An Iranian-Made Rocket. Amazing. The soldier who has found the "Made in Iran" engraving has probably been awarded a week vacation home and a medal already. Why do we have to be so selective? If 0.01% of weapons found in Iraq are Iran made, then the Bush administration should at least be applauded for the fact that the US military contractors ain't getting screwed.
Straight Shooter @ 32:
I would submit that Feingold, Leahy, and the deceased Senator from MN, Wellstone are or were honest men of integrity.
My test is this, basically, if they are members of the CFR, the Trilaterals, Skull-n-Bones (the Order), the Bilderberg, and other similar think-tanks, I would disqualify them and
say they are anti-American and working for America's downfall.
Music to my ears. Now, Senator Dodd, back it with ACTION! Stop these bastards.
Truth Be Told @ 34:
I will agree to Feingold and Wellstone. Leahy, eh, I'm not so sure.
You'll notice Feingold has declined to run for president. So, at this point, perhaps you could refrain from consistently slamming the person attempting to reverse some of the destruction to this country.
Applying impossible litmus tests to such a broad swath of politicians is not realistic. Go back in time and look at our "forefathers." Look at George Washington, greedy for land; look at Thomas Jefferson, slave owner; Ben Franklin, a womanizer who fathered illegitimate children, a serious issue in his time. I'm sure we can find great fault with every "great" historical figure in our history. All men and women, no matter how noble, have feet of clay. I just want to avoid another one in the Oval Office made of clay up to his cranium. And Dodd is standing up to that cretin, and the others are following his lead, little by little.
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Dodd obviously believes in this quote from Benjamin Franklin. Seems to me that too many people just aren't willing to put enough effort into keeping alive the spirit that the authors of the Constitution fought for. What a shame.
I don't trust most of the candidates to restore all that we have lost during the Bush dictatorship because that is an awful lot of power to throw away. Those that would, possibly Dodd, won't get the backing they need from the money and media to have a shot so we will probably won't see changes any time soon. This causes me to wonder how long before the people wake up to take a stand?
Truth Be Told @ 19 is correct. Bush and his neocon supporters are not stupid. They have accomplished most if not all of their goals. Whether or not they will continue to hold the strings of power is yet to be seen.
Before we can ever expect to have a voice in our government, we may have to make a choice to try to elect a person who we hope will reverse the damage to the Constitution. There is no personal 100% candidate for anyone. Without our voice in our government, we have nothing.
Nice speech.................anyone listening...........................................................?? I didn't think so.
Retired Navy @ 37:
Well said.
I agree with Dodd, however, I think it is going to take an armed revolution to take our country back. Unfortunately, the country is going to implode long before people get the idea that most of our representatives are not working for the common good.
Nice speech. Though, his record is a little wishy washy. He DID vote for the Patriot Act and he DID vote for at least one of the reauthorizations.
If he really is serious about righting the wrongs our government has done, he should introduce an equivalent bill in the senate to the American Freedom Agenda Act bill that Ron Paul recently introduced in the congress.
(from the link above) This legislation will:
* Repeal the "Military Commissions Act of 2007" and thereby restore the ancient right of habeas corpus and end legally sanctioned torture by U.S. government agents
* Restore the "Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act" (FISA) and thereby outlaw warrantless spying on American citizens by the President of the United States
* Give Congress standing in court to challenge the President's use of "signing statements" as a means to avoid executing the nation's laws
* Make it illegal for government agents to kidnap people and send them abroad to be tortured by foreign governments
* Provide legal protection to journalists who expose wrong-doing by the Federal government
* Prohibit the use of secret evidence to label groups or individuals as terrorists for the purpose of criminal or civil sanctions
Every six years as United States Senators we take the oath office to uphold the Constitution.
Yep,, and almost everyone of them have forsaken their oaths. They should all be, with bush and cheney put on trial as traitors.
While you are at it, look into the possibility that our intelligence agencies may have set up false "telemarketing" cover outsider of the United States to call Americans, giving them a legal (or so they think) excuse or alibi to listen to your conversations.
The same thing could apply to emails. Think about it.
Retired Navy @ 37:
I don't think it's a question of when, but if, or if ever.
I gave up on this country a long time ago. Enough said.
GonzoD @ 25:
Sorry, gonzo. You cant teach someone to have cojones. You either have them or you dont. The main thing is to use them if you have them. It seems that most of this congress either has none at all or they have atrophied from disuse.
With few exceptions in the Congress, our senators and reps represent only corporate America. Bill Moyers said, "Money ruined democracy." Most politicians worship at the alter of campaign contributions(legalized bribes). Nader was correct when he said there is but one major political party that wears two-different suits. The shredding of the American Constitution began at noon on January 20, 2001. I will vote for Dodd in the Illinois primary and third party if Hillary wins the nomination.
Its very easy to be cynical these days but Dodd deserves a lot of credit for his efforts.
He may prove to be America's "Man for All Seasons" one day.
At any rate,how refreshing and inspiring to see someone stand up and be counted.
This guy has my vote as of the past few weeks. He is leading. If this Fisa bill comes to the floor and he fillabusters it he is going to get a lot more support. We are looking for someone....anybody...who will finally say enough. I think this might be the guy. I would love to support Edwards but I just don't see him taking the lead on many things. Every one is playing it safe when if they pulled their heads out they would realize that if they just would lead people will follow them.
.
Senator Dodd,
Thank you for making a stand FOR American Principles.
R E M E M B E R -
Principles like these were important enough for our Founders to include into that Document you've sworn to defend and support. And remember that our Founders felt these Principles important enough during their time of war, ON OUR SOIL, to mandate that they they codified in print so as none can mistake.
Got warrants?
Got Habeas Corpus?
Got torture?
Got America?
.
Thank you, Senator Dodd
Senator Dodd should have full support from the Senate on this one. I really hope they doi not allow him to stand alone.
Thank you Senator
Our streets, our state, our nation will never be SAFE under the rulers of LAWBREAKERS. Under a nation ruled by leaders who has NO respect for the LAW is a NATION where CRIMINALS will take over our space. WE better stay HOME for we will be NO longer SAFE for the criminals has taken over our government. FEAR becomes the NORM and fear is the GOVERNING FORCE.
IF AMERICA WANTS to REMAIN a FREE NATION where PEOPLE is the DRIVING force of OUR SOCIETY; then WE THE PEOPLE must take CLAIM of OUR nation BACK. FOR WE NO longer HAVE the FREEDOM that WE WERE ACCUSTOMED TO. Like Hitler in Germany; his NAZIs (police) have blindly followed the LEAD of HITLER.
WAKE UP AMERICA; it is gradually HAPPENING while YOU were NOT paying attention. There is a tuggle-war of POWER between the GREEDY and the WORKERS. The top FEW is winning NOT because of their numbers but because of their dollars. They have EXPLOITED the working people through the help of the corrupt government officials.
Many have been sleeping on the job like VP cheney; when they were paid to protect the security of the AMERICAN PEOPLE. Instead; they have made our people LESS and LESS secure, more and more in debt, exploited our treasuries; squandered our TAXES and put our soldiers at harms way and used our MILITARY power to occupy another nations resources (OIL) for NEOCONS.
They have swindled AMERICAN finance consumers to debts through predatory lending without looking out for its people and made BANKRUPTSY even an impossibility for those who have fallen victim to these schemes.
The have made sure that education is inaccessible to our children and then cut-off health care for the children of this nation.
HOW MUCH LONGER ARE YOU going to TOLERATE this MADNESS? Until YOU are FORCED OUT of your HOME and INTO your STREETS? OR ARE WE going to take control of OUR NATION back from those who HAVE threatened OUR SECURITY?
GIVE ME LIBERTY or GIVE ME DEATH.
And once again, where is the "great and wonderful" leader Hillary Clinton, on this? Having taken the filthy bribe money from the telecoms, she sits silent waiting for another tear in the Constitution. She has sold her soul to the telecoms, to big Pharma, and to every other industry that has supported George Bush for all these years. She is the next George Bush.
Christopher Dodd took a very brave stand. Christopher Dodd did something so very few democrats are doing. He is LEADING on an incredibly important issue. Whether we are truly a nation of laws, of the people, by the people and for the people, or whether we have been sold out to the corporate industries?
I will not vote for a triagulating, manipulating, corporate whore for President. If Hillary gets the nomination, I will write in the name of the person who I think would serve this country and our Constitution best. Hillary Clinton is not that person.
When will Americans stop cowering in fear and do what's right. There's nothing more important than defending the Constitution or our moral integrity.
Dodd is going to get my vote.
Were'nt they, under the pretense of "reforming" FISA, preparing to make it even more invasive by allowing it to escape remaining Constitutional restraints? If so, the immunity issue - while extremely important - is distracting attention away from that plan.
Although the media is focusing on the telecom immunity portion of the FISA bill, this may be the most distrubing part. IMO
Although most of the attention has focused on how the Senate bill might offer telecommunications service providers retroactive immunity (and derail the lawsuits against AT&T), the actual language appears to cover physical intrusions too:
ASSISTANCE--The term 'assistance' means the provision of, or the provision of access to, information... facilities, or another form of assistance
PERSON--The term 'person' means...a landlord, custodian, or other person who may be authorized and required to furnish assistance...
IN GENERAL--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no civil action may lie or be maintained in a Federal or State court against any person for providing assistance to an element of the intelligence community, and shall be promptly dismissed, if the Attorney General certifies to the court that...any assistance by that person was provided pursuant to a directive under sections 102(a)(4), 105B(e)...
ELEMENT OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY--The term 'element of the intelligence community' means an element of the intelligence community as specified or designated under section 3(4) of the National Security Act... [Ed. Note: That includes the FBI, CIA, NSA, Homeland Security, the Defense Department, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the State Department, the Treasury Department, and any other agency the president chooses.]
Let's translate that. A hotel manager who lets FBI agents into a guest's room to copy a laptop's hard drive in secret would not be liable. An apartment manager who gives Homeland Security the key to a tenant's unit to place a key logger in a PC would not be liable. A private security firm that divulges a customer's alarm code would not be liable. A university that agrees to forward a student's e-mail messages to the Defense Department would not be liable. An antivirus company that helps the NSA implant spyware in an unsuspecting customer's computer would not be liable.
No court order is required. And if an eventual lawsuit accuses the hotel manager or antivirus firm of unlawful activities, it'll be thrown out of court as long as the attorney general or the director of national intelligence can provide a "certification." The "certification" is, of course, secret--all a judge may say publicly is that the rules were followed, and then dismiss the case
eo @ 20:
Bring them on. To paraphrase Gandhi, what is right always wins in the end. Always.
A brilliant speech by Sen. Dodd. Keep it up. We need you.
Truth Be Told @ 19:
Don't forget: The further erosion of the seperation of church and State with Faith Based Initiatives.
foolme1ns @ 54:
Good for you. It's time to recognize that the status quo in this country is an absolute failure. Syncophants like Hillary do us more harm than good by forestalling the change we desperately need to secure our future. It's time to recognize that our generation has an chance to leave a legacy to the next generation---and it must not be that we knew what to do, but chose to do nothing, essentially passing the problem on to our children. What a sordid legacy that would be.
I feel like listing some dates, in the order of the speech:
Abu Graihb
May 2004 - Taguba report
GITMO
Mid 2002 - ISI, northern warlord alliance prisoners start coming in
SECRET PRISONS
Mid 2002 - US doesn`t talk about who is in GITMO
Sep 2004 - General tells congress the CIA keeps up to 100 prisoners of the books
Oct 2004 - HRW has questions about those whose arrest is announced, but who don`t reappear in GITMO or say Egypt. Ghost detainees. Speculation about boats in international water, Diego Garcia, Thailand
RENDITION
May 2004 - HRW translates Swedish eyewitness accounts of a rendition case. Dont read the accounts unless you can handle a detailed mental image of silent hooded CIA people “preparing” prisoners for a horrible flight.
LOYAL BUSHY DOJ
??? 2005 - patriot act allows US attorneys without confirmation
Dec 2006 - attorneys US get fired
Fing FISA
Aug 2002 - first FISA worries. FISC public opinion alarms James Bamford on nytimes oped page
???? 2003 - IIRC senior intelligence committee members told?
Mid 2004 - James Risen Learns about warrantless surveillance but the New York times gives the president a year to fix things, he doesn`t even come up with a PR tactic for when the story is revealed after the elections.
TORTURE
Mid 2002 - questions ever since GITMO
Nice speech, Mr. Dodd goes to Washington! The Chimp has no concern for the American people although he is the executive. It's nice to hear from somebody who does. How the Hell did Bush ever get elected? That idiot could not manage a Gas and Sip, WTF is he still doing in office. Send More Pretzels!!!
Oops, that was a question (?).. My bad, still nowhere near as bad as Chimpy's English..
a senator with back-bone, who would of thunk it? I hope its not some ploy for mulla ala specter style. If more senators had just a modicum of integrity we would not have 80% of the bad legislation passed into law.
Talk that talk Senator Dodd.
I hope something comes of this......but for some reason...I have my doubts.
If Dodd can hang onto his candidacy until California has its primary, he has my vote.
Do you think they will ask him to apologise?
Thank you Senator Dodd! Its encouraging to see that the people can really make a difference and you've shown us how. Keep up the great work!
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