Money changes everything

Last week, only 15 Senators voted against cloture. That means they voted to block the pending FISA downgrad, from merely intrusive to totally Orwellian. And as a bonus, the bill gives a Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free card to telecom companies whose multimillion dollar legal teams knew damn good and well they were being asked to break the law.

Here's the list:

Joseph Biden, DE
Barbara Boxer, CA
Sherrod Brown, OH
Maria Cantwell, WA
Chris Dodd, CT
Dick Durbin, IL
Russ Feingold, WI
Tom Harkin, IA
John Kerry, MA
Frank Lautenberg, NJ
Patrick Leahy, VT
Robert Menendez, NJ
Bernie Sanders, VT
Chuck Schumer, NY
Ron Wyden, OR

If you feel inclined to support them financially, here's the Act Blue page where you can contribute some $$ love: http://www.actblue.com/page/thanksdoddfeingold

You can also read Dodd's and Feingold's statements; modern classics of liberal courage:

Dodd:

I rise—once again—to voice my strong opposition to the misguided FISA legislation before us today. I have strong reservations about the so-called improvements made to Title I. But more than that, this legislation includes provisions which would grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that apparently have violated the privacy and the trust of millions of Americans by participating in the president’s warrantless wiretapping program.

Feingold:

In the end, my opposition to this bill comes down to this: This bill is a tragic retreat from the principles that have governed government conduct in this sensitive area for 30 years. It needlessly sacrifices the protection of the privacy of innocent Americans. And it is an abdication of this body’s duty to stand up for the rule of law. I will vote No.

Thanks, guys.

Here's the whole list of who voted what.

And I've compiled the names of the sorry-ass Dems who voted Yea, or didn't bother:
Akaka (D-HI), Yea
Baucus (D-MT), Yea
Bayh (D-IN), Yea
Bingaman (D-NM), Yea
Byrd (D-WV), Not Voting
Cardin (D-MD), Yea
Carper (D-DE), Yea
Casey (D-PA), Yea
Conrad (D-ND), Yea
Dorgan (D-ND), Yea
Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Inouye (D-HI), Yea
Johnson (D-SD), Yea
Kennedy (D-MA), Not Voting (He's got an excuse)
Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea
Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Landrieu (D-LA), Yea
Levin (D-MI), Yea
Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea
Lincoln (D-AR), Yea
McCaskill (D-MO), Yea
Mikulski (D-MD), Yea
Murray (D-WA), Yea
Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Obama (D-IL), Not Voting (He's got an excuse)
Pryor (D-AR), Yea
Reed (D-RI), Yea
Reid (D-NV), Yea (Procedural vote)
Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea
Salazar (D-CO), Yea
Stabenow (D-MI), Yea
Tester (D-MT), Yea
Webb (D-VA), Yea
Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea

Oh, and Sen. Tester and Webb? You know that talk about a VP slot? Don't call me, I'll call you.