Hi from DC. Had preplanned a trip here for another reason; got involved in the fight over the interstate parental notification bill yesterday. And it has quickly escalated to an all-out Senate war, because the Child Custody Protection Act would have a major impact on abortion in the US. Read backdrop here.
Senator Frist's bold move took everyone by surprise. But to our side it was a "yee, haw!" moment; to pro-aborts it was an "oh, no" moment (or something like that). So we organized much more quickly than they did. In fact, the other side is still reeling. God forgive me, I'm loving that.
That said, Democrat Senator Dick Durbin, ever earning his name, quickly became the Senate force behind stalling/stopping CCPA, throwing nails, glass, and even his pitchfork on the road to blow out CCPA's tires. Goal? Slow it down at least until Saturday, when senators may leave town for campaign events. CCPA needs 60 votes to overcome procedural roadblocks. Last time the Senate voted on CCPA, there were 65 ayes. And if senators don't leave town, Republicans will suffer more than Democrats for missing opportunities to get their message out at home.
So, our side's goal is to call CCPA for a vote THIS AFTERNOON. Therefore, calls are critical this morning. If you called yesterday, call again today. And make those calls to DC offices if possible, not in-state offices. The Capitol switchboard is 1-202/224-3121. I was proud to hear you ringing Senator Obama's phone off the hook while I was waiting to waste my time speaking to his staff yesterday afternoon. But I did it because someone told me the other day that while some people may seem impossible to convince, placing a pebble in their shoe at least makes it harder for them to walk.
Calls to 14 Democrats who previously voted for CCPA are top priority. If you live in those states, have everyone in your family call, even the dog. Then tell your friends and their dogs to call:
Mark Pryor (AR)
Ken Salazar (CO)
Thomas Carper (DE)
Bill Nelson (FL)
Daniel Inouye (HI)
Evan Bayh (IN)
Mary Landrieu (LA)
Ben Nelson (NE)
Harry Reid (NV)
Kent Conrad (ND)
Byron Dorgan (ND)
Tim Johnson (SD)
Robert Byrd (WV)
Herbert Kohl (WI)
I cannot overstate how important this bill is. More on that when the dust settles. Thanks.
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