What would happen if a high-profile Senator got arrested on the floor

[Bonobo]

of the Senate in order to oppose the Torture legislation or the "Habeus" legislation (is it the same?)

Why shouldn't Kerry or Leahy or someone just refuse to follow Senate rules there and get themselves thrown out or arrested?

What if they said "I will not ALLOW this body to take away 700 years of Jurisprudence and replace it with a bill that CODIFIES torture!"

It would make a lot of waves. It would attract attention and light to these sleazebags who thrive in the darkness.

Whay won't a hero stand up!?

[iconocrastic]

1. I would love to see that.

Ted Kennedy would be my choice.

[AtomicKitten]

2. It's GOP Dirty Politics 101

This issue arises right before an election. The GOP is daring the Democrats to come out against this outrage. That's the way they do business. They did it with DOMA, the IWR, and Homeland Security.

I agree we need a hero to call bullshit on this. But Dems are so afraid of being painted weak on terror, they remain silent. That is wrong on so many levels.

[beachmom]

3. Kerry explained it all during the Alito filibuster

Here's the bottom line though and I'll just be blunt and direct about it. It takes more than one or two people to filibuster. It's not "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." I'm doing what I can, Senator Kennedy is doing what he can, but if, like me, you want to stop Judge Alito from becoming Justice Alito, we can't just preach to our own choir. We need even more of your advocacy.


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/26/192843/363

Also, see my thread here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2850019&mesg_id=2850019

Call your senator, and if you know anyone from the state of Maine, have them call their senators, because it appears that Collins and Snowe are fence sitters on this bill.

But to ask senators to make raging lunatics of themselves will accomplish nothing. This is up to YOU.

[Bonobo]

5. Damn it I'm trying!

I amke calls every other day to my senators and congressman.

Unfortunately I am in Massachusetts, so it is virtually worthless since they already "agree"!

I donate MORE than I can afford, trying to feed a family of 5 as a freelancer!

I NEED PROPER REPRESENTATION!!!

This is big states poker here and if raving like a lunatic is what they gotta do do stop this country from sliding further down the road to Fascxism, then they SHOULD DO IT!!!

They took the job, they took the perks, now they gotta take the hits if that's what it takes!

Fuck, shit, *&^%R$E#^&*!~!!!!! Pissed off!!!!! I'm so PISSED OFF!!!

[dflprincess]

7. Horse hockey

Wellstone single handedly stopped the bankruptcy bill the first time it came up using the various procedural tricks.

God, I wish he were alive.

[mike_c]

4. excellent question-- "why won't a hero stand up?"

I'm utterly tired of the argument that doing anything to counter the republican theft of my country's principles plays into Rove's hands or undermines the opposition party's chances in 2006. That is a corner into which we have painted ourselves. If dems are that powerless then at least let them go down fighting. Silence is complicity. Not doing WHATEVER it takes to block this bill is complicity. If it means sacrificing their personal spots at the congressional trough it is worth it. This bill undermines much of what America stands for. Successful reelection at the cost of passing this bill in the America it will create is a mockery of public service.

[Bonobo]

6. YES!!!!!!!!!

[Hosnon]

8. Meh...would be a good show but really can't happen - unconstitutional.:

Art. I, sec. 6, cl. 1

Edit: Internet running incredibly slow...