Habeas Corpus: Please Call Now

UPDATE: The bill failed by a 43-57 vote. The Democrats received a yes from Arlen Specter (already on board), as well as Maine's Republican moderate Olympia Snowe, retiring Nebraska maverick Chuck Hagel, Indiana's Dick Lugar, and two GOP members who're facing the fight of their political lives, New Hampshire's John Sununu and Oregon's Gordon Smith. That wonderful "independent Democrat" (a/k/a GOP kiss-ass) Joe Lieberman voted no, and Senate Majority leader Harry Reid also voted no on procedural grounds. All in all, just disgusting. But then, the Democrats should attach the provisions to a popular funding bill and force the Republicans to filibuster it again. DO NOT LET THESE PEOPLE OFF THE HOOK!

If you support the restoration of the principle of habeas corpus in federal law, please take the time to call your US Senator if she or he is one of the following members whose name is bolded below. So far 52 Senators, led by Democrat and presidential candidate Chris Dodd (with most of the Democratic caucus plus Arlen Specter), are on board with this change, 9 Republicans "dead enders" are against it, and 39 members of the august upper body waver, either as "unclear" or "maybes." Since the Democrats have conceded to the Republicans' filibuster power, they need 60 votes get the measure through. (Why don't they highlight the GOP's obstructionism and filibustering more? Remember the whole "nuclear option" threat?)

Yes, I know these are some pretty distasteful characters, but they may be willing to vote yes, so it's worth a try; and while you're at it, even if you live in a state--say, Georgia or South Carolina--represented by one of the far-right characters, like John Cornyn or Jim DeMint, you can always at least place the call for the sake of principle). Oh, and you can always register a note of support to your Senator if she's already on board.

They're set to vote tomorrow!

Murkowski, Lisa	R	AK	unclear	CALL THEM NOW!
Stevens, Ted	R	AK	unclear	CALL THEM NOW!
Sessions, Jeff	R	AL	no	CALL THEM NOW!
Shelby, Richard C.	R	AL	unclear	CALL THEM NOW!
Lincoln, Blanche L.	D	AR	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Pryor, Mark L.	D	AR	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Kyl, Jon	R	AZ	no	CALL THEM NOW!
McCain, John	R	AZ	maybe	CALL THEM NOW!
Boxer, Barbara	D	CA	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Feinstein, Dianne	D	CA	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Allard, Wayne	R	CO	maybe	CALL THEM NOW!
Salazar, Ken	D	CO	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Dodd, Christopher J.	D	CT	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Lieberman, Joseph I.	I	CT	maybe	CALL THEM NOW!
Biden, Joseph R., Jr.	D	DE	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Carper, Thomas R.	D	DE	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Martinez, Mel	R	FL	maybe	CALL THEM NOW!
Nelson, Bill	D	FL	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Chambliss, Saxby	R	GA	no	CALL THEM NOW!
Isakson, Johnny	R	GA	no	CALL THEM NOW!
Akaka, Daniel K.	D	HI	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Inouye, Daniel K.	D	HI	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Grassley, Chuck	R	IA	maybe	CALL THEM NOW!
Harkin, Tom	D	IA	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Craig, Larry	R	ID	maybe	CALL THEM NOW!
Crapo, Mike	R	ID	no	CALL THEM NOW!
Durbin, Richard	D	IL	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Obama, Barack	D	IL	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Bayh, Evan	D	IN	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Lugar, Richard G.	R	IN	maybe	CALL THEM NOW!
Brownback, Sam	R	KS	unclear	CALL THEM NOW!
Roberts, Pat	R	KS	maybe	CALL THEM NOW!
Bunning, Jim	R	KY	maybe	CALL THEM NOW!
McConnell, Mitch	R	KY	no	CALL THEM NOW!
Landrieu, Mary L.	D	LA	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Vitter, David	R	LA	maybe	CALL THEM NOW!
Kennedy, Edward M.	D	MA	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Kerry, John F.	D	MA	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Cardin, Benjamin L.	D	MD	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Mikulski, Barbara A.	D	MD	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Collins, Susan M.	R	ME	maybe	CALL THEM NOW!
Snowe, Olympia J.	R	ME	unclear	CALL THEM NOW!
Levin, Carl	D	MI	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Stabenow, Debbie	D	MI	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Coleman, Norm	R	MN	maybe	CALL THEM NOW!
Klobuchar, Amy	D	MN	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Bond, Kit	R	MO	unclear	CALL THEM NOW!
McCaskill, Claire	D	MO	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Cochran, Thad	R	MS	unclear	CALL THEM NOW!
Lott, Trent	R	MS	unclear	CALL THEM NOW!
Baucus, Max	D	MT	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Tester, Jon	D	MT	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Burr, Richard	R	NC	maybe	CALL THEM NOW!
Dole, Elizabeth	R	NC	maybe	CALL THEM NOW!
Conrad, Kent	D	ND	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Dorgan, Byron L.	D	ND	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Hagel, Chuck	R	NE	maybe	CALL THEM NOW!
Nelson, E. Benjamin	D	NE	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Gregg, Judd	R	NH	maybe	CALL THEM NOW!
Sununu, John	R	NH	maybe	CALL THEM NOW!
Lautenberg, Frank R.	D	NJ	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Menendez, Robert	D	NJ	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Bingaman, Jeff	D	NM	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Domenici, Pete	R	NM	maybe	CALL THEM NOW!
Ensign, John	R	NV	unclear	CALL THEM NOW!
Reid, Harry	D	NV	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Clinton, Hillary Rodham	D	NY	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Schumer, Charles E.	D	NY	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Brown, Sherrod	D	OH	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Voinovich, George	R	OH	maybe	CALL THEM NOW!
Coburn, Tom	R	OK	unclear	CALL THEM NOW!
Inhofe, James M.	R	OK	unclear	CALL THEM NOW!
Smith, Gordon H.	R	OR	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Wyden, Ron	D	OR	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Casey, Robert P., Jr.	D	PA	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Specter, Arlen	R	PA	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Reed, Jack	D	RI	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Whitehouse, Sheldon	D	RI	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
DeMint, Jim	R	SC	no	CALL THEM NOW!
Graham, Lindsey	R	SC	no	CALL THEM NOW!
Johnson, Tim	D	SD	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Thune, John	R	SD	unclear	CALL THEM NOW!
Alexander, Lamar	R	TN	unclear	CALL THEM NOW!
Corker, Bob	R	TN	unclear	CALL THEM NOW!
Cornyn, John	R	TX	no	CALL THEM NOW!
Hutchison, Kay Bailey	R	TX	maybe	CALL THEM NOW!
Bennett, Bob	R	UT	unclear	CALL THEM NOW!
Hatch, Orrin	R	UT	unclear	CALL THEM NOW!
Warner, John	R	VA	maybe	CALL THEM NOW!
Webb, Jim	D	VA	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Leahy, Pat	D	VT	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Sanders, Bernard	I	VT	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Cantwell, Maria	D	WA	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Murray, Patty	D	WA	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Feingold, Russ	D	WI	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Kohl, Herb	D	WI	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Byrd, Robert C.	D	WV	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Rockefeller, Jay	D	WV	yes	CALL THEM NOW!
Barrasso, John	R	WY	unclear	CALL THEM NOW!
Enzi, Michael B.	R	WY	unclear	CALL THEM NOW!