Chris. Dodd. Rocks.

Wave yer lighters and give the Senator some...


I'm not one to look to our so-called “august” bodies—the House and Senate for much in the way of principled leadership. Could be I'm jaded. Could be I'm a simple fist-in-the-face realist who's absorbed a bit of Amiri Baraka's idea of the Dems and GOP too often being “two wings of the same dying bird”.

But every once in a while, an elected representative elevates himself above “teh stoopid” and cravenness that makes our eyes glaze over, and really fights the good fight in a way that leads his waffling brethren to do the right damn thing. A right damn thing that they were fecklessly willing to let slide along with a sizable chunk of the constitution down Bush's chute of totalitarianism.

As Jesse notes below, Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd performed one such major elevation above the masses through his leadership in blocking Bush's prized Telecom Immunity in the FISA bill.

He led on this from jump, months ago—promising the filibuster when it seemed his so-called “progressive” co-horts were going to leave him high and dry. Made this promise when he was still running for President, too. And forcefully re-stated his intentions and re-doubled his efforts when it appeared that the Senate Dem leadership had abandoned him. But fight he did—beginning last week, and in one of the very few cases where the battle between right and wrong ended up with right triumphing in recent legislative sessions, he led forcefully and brought enough of his colleagues around (a.k.a. shamed them to where they couldn't slink away like wet rats) to defeat the Telecom Immunity.

He even managed to get Clinton and Obama to get back to D.C. in time to do some actual legislative work.

And anyone who can leave the turtle-faced Mitch McConnell spluttering, make the Haband suited Kit Bond look worse than he usually does, or so pisses off Orrin Hatch that his pointy, white hat won't keep its starch from the heat pouring off his head, is going to get serious kudos from me.

He should from you, too.

Give the REAL Senator from the Nutmeg State's office a call, or drop him an e-mail thanking him for his leadership and protection of your rights as an American.

Tel: (202) 224-2823 or e-mail him here

And remember...for every positive message sent to Senator Dodd, an evil pixie floating around Lindsey Graham's head evaporates.