E Pluribus Unum

I hate to sound Pollyanna and all, but I think we did pretty good, considering how late the movement started and how ragged and disorganized the Democratic Senators were in taking up the fight.

From Digby:

The last time we had a serious outpouring from the grassroots was the Iraq War resolution. My Senator DiFi [Feinstein] commented at the time that she had never seen anything like the depth of passion coming from her constituents. But she voted for the war anyway. So did Bayh, Biden, Clinton, Dodd, Kerry and Reid. The entire leadership of the party.

Every one of them went the other way this time...

This is a dramatic moment for the netroots. Get ready for marginalization, evocations of 1968 and 1972, calls for purging us from the party, the whole thing. That's what happens when the citizens rise up. Don't let it shake your will.

We are the heart of the Democratic party and we can make a difference.

Get ready for the next battle: the Congressional hearings into Bush's warrantless wiretapping program. The Senate Judiciary Committee will question Attorney General Al Gonzales on February 6. Glenn Greenwald already has some questions. Contact the Senators on the Committee and press for answers.

And soon, Congress will re-consider the renewal of the Patriot Act.

Watch this space for more information on how you can get involved in both of these actions.

P.S. I was at a Democratic fundraiser in Baton Rouge over the weekend. During the "table-talk" before the main speaker came on (James Carville, BTW) I cannot tell you how many people there were baffled by the decisions being made at the top levels of the party. What I took away from that gathering was that we, the people, are at least as smart and principled as anyone in Washington.

That said, it would be our fault if we didn't continue to speak up for what we believe in.