An Ironic Filibuster Threat

Senator Chris Dodd has had enough. His attempt to put a hold on the FISA bill - that would grant amnesty to telecoms for their part in cooperating with the Administration while it was engaging in illegal eavesdropping - was apparently going to be ignored by Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid, astonishing as they are supposed to be on the same side. So, as Talking Points Memo reports, Dodd is threatening to filibuster the bill:

Are you willing to go to the mat to restore the Constitution?

Just last night, we heard there are plans to disregard Senator Dodd's intention to place a hold on a FISA bill that includes amnesty for telecommunications companies.

That would be a pretty extraordinary move, but Chris Dodd has pledged to stop this horrible bill any way he can.

So if the hold is not honored, he is prepared to go to the Senate floor and filibuster.

Rolling back the Bush Administration assault on the rule of law has been a major focus of Chris Dodd's work in the Senate -- and it's also a centerpiece in his campaign for President.

Good for him. Finally one Democratic Senator is going to stand up to the Senate leadership that has been caving to every Republican bluster. And that is the irony here. It is maddening to see the Senate leadership pull bills because they don't have the votes to override a Presidential veto, instead of forcing the Republicans to filibuster. But apparently they willing to force the hand of one of their own and risk a filibuster. It makes no sense to me.