Thanks for the links to emptywheel, who always makes things clearer.

This was just stated by Harry Reid on the Senate floor Friday morning, in response to Mitch McConnell's demagoguery on behalf of the "bipartisan" Rockefeller/Bond bill which the almighty "PRESIDENT will sign" (of course he will - it's his own bill language...).

In addition, on Thursday evening Reid filed a Democratic cloture motion on an amendment to the FISA bill (an amendment which he was able to set aside S. 2248 to call up and make pending, without objection). That amendment - SA #3918 - reads as follows:

SA 3918. Mr. REID proposed an amendment to the bill S. 2248, to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, to modernize and streamline the provisions of that Act, and for other purposes; as follows:

1. EXTENSION OF THE PROTECT AMERICA ACT OF 2007.

Subsection (c) of section 6 of the Protect America Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-55; 121 Stat. 557; 50 U.S.C. 1803 note) is amended by striking "180" and inserting "210".

In other words, Reid's amendment proposes a 30-day extension of the Protect America Act, through February.

Furthermore, Reid "thinks" cloture will fail on the Rockefeller/Bond bill on Monday (this was also stated by Reid on the floor Friday, as the session opened), which Mitch McConnell thus acknowledged as likely, in response.

As a result, after the 4:30 p.m. Republican cloture vote on Monday, a second, Democratic cloture motion to bring to a close debate on a 30-day extension of the PAA will also be ready for a vote - but which some Republicans will need to support in order for cloture on the 30-day extension amendment to reach 60 votes and succeed (and for which the votes of Obama and Clinton will presumably also be needed to help reach 60).

Here's Reid's Thursday evening cloture motion submission (sent to the desk at about 8 p.m.):

Mr. REID. What, then, Mr. President, is the pending business?

The PRESIDING OFFICER. S. 2248 is the pending business.

AMENDMENT NO. 3918

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have an amendment at the desk to this legislation, and I ask that the clerk report that amendment if it is in keeping with what the Chair suggests.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the amendment.

The legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from Nevada [Mr. REID] proposes an amendment numbered 3918 to the language proposed to be stricken by amendment No. 3911.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

The amendment is as follows:

Strike all after the first word in the bill and insert the following:

1. EXTENSION OF THE PROTECT AMERICA ACT OF 2007.

Subsection (c) of section 6 of the Protect America Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-55; 121 Stat. 557; 50 U.S.C. 1803 note) is amended by striking "180" in inserting "210".

CLOTURE MOTION

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The cloture motion having been presented under rule XXII, the Chair directs the clerk to read the motion.

The legislative clerk read as follows:

Cloture Motion

We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the Reid amendment No. 3918 to S. 2248.

John D. Rockefeller, IV, Dianne Feinstein, Jeff Bingaman, Debbie Stabenow, Sheldon Whitehouse, Daniel K. Inouye, Charles E. Schumer, Thomas R. Carper, Bill Nelson, E. Benjamin Nelson, Frank R. Lautenberg, Richard Durbin, Ken Salazar, Tom Harkin, Sherrod Brown, Harry Reid.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum be waived.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2008_record&page=S302&position=all

Wow!

many will find a need for Gold.

Not Maya Gold, but Acapulco Gold.

All this Senatorial maneuvering seems to be based upon something which happened in the background.

Certainly, it cannot be due to these spineless excuses for Senators suddenly finding religion.

In the time it took for me to call Salazar's office, email him, and send emails to Clinton and Obama - the world spun 180-degrees. Sheesh...

Amazing.

Waiting for updates from all of the usual suspects.

Thanks, pow wow!

sysprog, January 25, 2008 06:29 AM:

Call these Senators and tell them to vote against cloture and for amendments to the SSCI bill on Monday. The list includes all the Democrats who voted against the SJC bill, except for Jello Jay Rockefeller, since he is co-sponsoring the SSCI bill, plus Arlen "Scottish Haggis" Specter, who also had an amendment shot down today.

Bayh (202) 224-5623

Carper (202) 224-2441

Inouye (202) 224-3934

Johnson (202) 224-5842

Landrieu (202)224-5824

McCaskill (202) 224-6154

Mikulski (202) 224-4654

Nelson (FL) (202) 224-5274

Nelson (NE) (202) 224-6551

Pryor (202) 224-2353

Salazar (202) 224-5852

Specter (202) 224-4254

I just hung up from talking with a Bayh staffer. The conversations went like this (my tone was calm, modulated irritation, as in "What the hell's going on, here, Son?"):

Staffer: Senator Bayh's Office. May I help you?

KR: Yes, this is Ken Rogers, one of Senator Bayh's constituents here in Indiana. I'm calling to ask about Senator Bayh's position on cloture for the bill conferring immunity for the telecoms who participated in warrantless surveillance of American citizens.

Staffer: I'm sorry I don't have the latest information from the Senator regarding that. May I ask what your position is so I can pass that along to him?

KR: Yes, you certainly may. I'm amazed that Senator Bayh has not already publicly stated his opposition to retroactive telecom immunity, which would not only condone blatantly illegal behavior on the part of the telecoms, but would also let Bush and Cheney off the hook. And tell him I said that if it comes to it, he'd damn well better support Senator Dodd's filibuster of such a travesty of justice as telecom immunity.

Staffer: May I have your address, please?

KR: Yes, it's (provided my mailing address).

Staffer: Thank you very much for calling, Mr. Rogers. I'll see that Senator Bayh gets your message.

KR: Yes. Please do. (Click).

I think the guy heard, felt, and computed my righteous indignation regarding the issue, but how much of that will get communicated to Bayh is anyone's guess. It was a satisfying conversation, in any event, because I let the good Demokrat's staffer, at least, know how I feel about this particular piece of corporatist-government bullshit, and why.

KR