Although I don’t disagree with what Kinsley says, why is such torture to read his tortured prose?

There is an element to blogging, of course, that involves trying to affect the course of events. In this case we assume that “journalists” are informing themselves about which way the wind is blowing, cutting edge wise, by reading blogs. (It must be a pretty painful experience to see their own diminished image reflected).

So, basically, we are hoping that the feedback loop will be completed and some balance and integrity reestablished in the press. Reaching out, grabbing them by the virtual lapels, shaking them. Trying to wake them up . . .

Pardon me if this repeats other posts but I haven’t time to read them all and the latest news kindles in me an urge to vent.

Consider: Jim/Jeff Gannon/Guckert, Armstrong Williams, the other ho who was paid off, the pentagon buying news, NSA snooping, pentagon snooping, the fbi still snooping, repubs constantly awash in money from no discernable sources, the K street project, Texas redistricting, endless rovian dirty tricks, Boobie, Elizabeth Bumiller, tweety, Tubby, Judith Miller shilling, traitorgate, Cato Institute, Adolph Mellon Scaiffe, Fox News…..and…and…and five years later NOW the MSM thinks something stinks?

Christ, none of this surprises me, hasn’t since he said ”So help me” in 2001, and I dare it doesn’t anyone reading these words. Are we that smart or is the MSM really so fucking stupid.

Or paid for.

Heading home to Mrs ralphbon and 8-month-old miniralphbon.

Goodnight, my little froomkins.

zennurse – this Web page will give you a list of the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee: http://judiciary.senate.gov/members.cfm

new thread: Ouch

DrBB, I was going to issue a soft Wurlitzer corrective myself but figured, correctly, that someone would get around to it. I was privileged in the mid-1970s to hear the organist E. Power Biggs, in his waning years, perform Bach’s Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor on Radio City’s Mighty Wurlitzer. Utterly mind-blowing, which is why the metaphor is apt with respect to the mass media’s power to macerate rationality on a world-historical scale.

And I agree with you about the inanity of “F(r)itz,” but when perched atop a blank comments thread, one discovers that resistance is futile.

Hey at least the government of Ireland is sticking to some basic principles.

From today’s Irish Times:

Call for State to inspect US flights into Shannon
Mark Hennessy, Political Correspondent

The State must inspect any US flights landing at Shannon suspected to be carrying prisoners in order to ensure these passengers are not being sent on for torture, the Irish Human Rights Commission will declare today.

The commission’s statement on so-called “extraordinary renditions” by the US authorities has been in preparation for over a month.

In it, the commission will urge the Government to seek the US government’s agreement “as a matter of urgency” to inspections of aircraft suspected of involvement in the practice.

The State is obliged under domestic and international law to ensure that prisoners are not taken on to countries where they could be subject to torture or other forms of degrading treatment.

During talks in Washington in early December with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice insisted that prisoners were not being transported through Shannon.

However, the commission is believed to have come to the conclusion that the State cannot merely accept the US’s guarantees if it is to comply with its international obligations to prevent torture….”

Hi everyone-
Another thankyou from me for your diligent work covering all the important issues of the moment, yes, even the Evil Bill. Yesterday, had a VM from my first born who informs he will maybe be here for Christmas Day (typical 23y/o sense of emergency) and have been madly hitting music and clothing stores to find things for under the tree. NOw, the lamb roast is in the fridge, the gifts are (mostly) wrapped and I have a few moments to visit with you and catch up.

I want to thank PRof, rwcole and Redd for thier wonderful legal input on the NSA issue, it is a real help in working forward with letters and pressure points for those of us who are far outside that lexicon and orbit.

I heard about Rumsfeld’s announcement on the radio between Henry’s Market and Ski Market, and out loud in my car, spit,”Hypocrite!!”. I think I freaked out the Rent-a-cop directing traffic;I must have made an equally disgusted face!! This is such a baldly political move by this craven administration, and it sickens me to think of all the boneheads out in this country who will see it as the opposite.

Alito must be filibustered if he makes it that far. This will be a huge litmus test for the members of the committee on privacy and women, among many other issues. Does anyone know who all those members are? I know Kennedy, Leahy, but who else. I’m embarrassed that I can’t name more. I’d like to target them more with my writing.

But to me all of this should be taking a back seat to the Senate hammering the administration with a thorough investigation of the NSA issue without tolerance of the refusal of the WH to cooperate. That should be immediately addressed and they should be censured for that first. I’m very interested in the opinion of the FISA court judges which will, I think be happening next week.

Do we think Fitzgerald is quiet because he’s possibly waiting on outcome from Abramoff? I know that there may not be obvious connections, but remember what I always say,”We do not know what we do not know.”

I’m going to check out some links and check back. Eternally grateful to have you all.

Lo and Behold,

Straight from TurkishPress

(Snip)

“During his recent visit to Ankara, CIA Director Porter Goss reportedly brought three dossiers on Iran to Ankara.
Goss is said to have asked for TurkeyÂ’s support for WashingtonÂ’s policy against IranÂ’s nuclear activities, charging that Tehran had supported terrorism and taken part in activities against Turkey.

Goss also asked Ankara to be ready for a possible US air operation against Iran and Syria. “

(Snip)

Goss said that Tehran sees Turkey as an enemy and would try to “export its regime.”

Linkey-Doo Below

http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=89141

Prof – I liked your stuff too. Milligan is my favorite of the cases out there bc you can see the raw arguments that are being massaged even now. I still think the lawyers making the govt’s case would fit right in with Fox today. I also think that despite the many horrible things this country has been through, the Civil War stands unique.

I do believe that the Administration lawyers have taken and are continuing to take the basic proposition that once we have “warlike” incidents take place on our soil, then the President has war powers – notwithstanding any resolution from Congress formalizing those powers and notwithstanding the exact wording or content of any Congressional statements.

I think this approach is one of the reasons that the Milligan case is so important. During the Civil War – we HAD marital law openly declared and on our own soil. Habeas Corpus WAS suspended.

Since the Bush govt has been suspending habeas corpus, even for citizens, under claim of “enemy combatant” status, and has been likening the President’s power and authority to the power and authority that exists during martial law — I think Milligan becomes the most persuasive.

What, after all, would BE our rights if it were to be conceded, for purposes of argument, that Martial law is in effect right now, on our own soil and the Executive has all the powers he would have under an open state of Martial Law? If, for example, Congress (as it had in the history leading up to the Milligan case) refuses to enact laws limiting the Presidential power (which the Senate had done, bc “it was feared that the Executive might thereby be crippled”) and the drop the ball on their Constitutional duty to check the assertion of unrestrained power?

We are at Milligan.

The govt lawyers in Milligan go on at lengthy about all of the powers that exist in the Military and the Executive Branch during such a State, i.e., war on our own soil – and they argue in detail the “laws and usages of war” upon which they purport to rely under Martial Law. Prof – I am going to submit to you that, where American Citizens are at issue we do not HAVE to be experts in Martial Law.

Bc the Supreme Court tells them – it’saloadofcrap.

Ok, maybe not the exact words they use, but they do say:

“It can serve no useful purpose to inquire what those laws and usages are, whence they originated, where found, and on whom they operate; they can never be applied to citizens in states which have upheld the authority of the government, and where the courts are open and their process unobstructed.”

IOW – we don’t care about no stinking martial law. WE don’t care how you think the laws of war originated or how they should be applied.

Doesn’t matter.

If an American Citizen is in a State that is not in rebellion and insurrection; even if that citizen IS A TRAITOR; even if the State has an open military tribunal and division established within it during a time of declared war on our own soil …

even if …

even then …

even CONCEDING martial law is on the American Public, right here, right now

even so

If the civil courts are open and operating, martial law does not apply to an American Citizen on American Soil. Period. Habeas may suspend during the hostilities, but no other Constitutional Protections are lost. A US Citizen remains subject to the protection of the Constitution FOR SO LONG AS THE CIVIL COURTS ARE OPEN AND FUNCTIONING

Despite the govt’s assertion that in such a time of war on our soil, the President has power to do, “
…as he thinks right and proper, without fixed or certain rules.”; with a certain amount of prescience the Court stated:

“The statement of this proposition shows its importance; for, if true, republican government is a failure, and there is an end of liberty regulated by law.”

Prof – I know you already quoted that, but I wanted to reiterate it for the tie in and close with my favorite quote from Milligan. Responding to the argument that war on our own soil means the Constitution must, as a necessity, be subrogated to the power of the Executive, the court says:

“The Â… argument, when turned into its true sense, means this, and this only: that when the Constitution is attacked upon one side, its official guardians may assail it upon the other; when rebellion strikes it in the face, they may take advantage of the blindness produced by the blow, to stab it in the back.”

I think Constitution, as a person, with a blindfold entitled “War on Terrorism” and with Bush, Cheney, Gonzales behind them wearing labels “official guardians” all plunging knifes in the back, with the quote above and attribution to US Supreme Court during the Civil War, would be a powerful political cartoon, but OTOH, my vision on those kinds of things is not necessarily great nor creative.

Jack Abramoff paid me to write this.

Thanks Dr. BB — I couldn’t find a photo of them doing maintenance on the organ, so I had to settle for the lesser jukebox. ;-)

Looks as though our “Bronco Billy” president from Texas was riding the wrong bull in the desert gulag rodeo, otherwise know as Iraq. Ahmed Chalabi, the sinister head of the INC and the off and on U.S. stooge garnered but 0.36% of the vote in the recent so called Iraq elections. Chalabi is the same character who’s been convicted for embezzling $100’s of millions, and is a wanted man. Only last month this guy was running around Washington and hob-nobbing with the media and the likes of Rice, Rummy, Cheney, and other architects of the WHIG war. Rice and the rest were providing cover, p.r., and you can bet funding, and plenty of propaganda to Chalabi in the Iraq election run-up. Once again the thieves of Bagdad blew it.

It really is time to start impeachment proceedings against Bush. His naked lies are emblematic of what’s wrong in America. The lies and distortions about “compassionate conservatism”, “leaving no child behind”, the benefits of the hugh tax cuts for the wealthy, the environment, the energy mess and health care all attest to out and out deceptions. And of course the latest wire tapping dirty tricks fiasco.

The grandaddy of the cabal chicanery practiced by this administration were the lies about why we had to make war on Iraq. An unnecessary provocation if there ever was one. Far worse in scope than Granada, Reagan’s example of macho and every bit as unecessary. Bush and Bush’s hero, Reagan: two tin-pot dictator would be’s.

There are so many lies the Bush provaricators have tried to foist upon the American people that it’s all but impossible to catalog them all.

It’s time we declared war on the Bush government and those that act likewise. Let the revolution commence.

I want a better place for my daughter and her children in which to live their dreams. And for me, that’s what it’s really all about. What do we leave to our children’s, children? This is, the essential question.

Also on the Pundit Payola, or in Jeff Gannons’ case, Gayola. Did not Armstrong Williams mention is his flaccid self-defense that “you would be surprised” how many others were involved in the same ‘drivel for dough’ behavior?

-GSD

Well, in the interest of historical accuracy, I have to point out that the phrase “the mighty Wurlitzer” originally refers to the great Wurlitzer organ at Radio City, not that much lesser musical device, the Wurlitzer jukebox.

And I too am appalled at FDL becoming one of those sites where the comments threads become too long to be useful within minutes. Price of (well earned) success I guess. Should have known that was coming the first time I saw one of those idiotic “Frist!” comments at the top of a thread here. If I am ever caught posting one of those, I hereby authorize the NSA to report me and have me deported to a secret prision in the former USSR.

Jane, Reddhedd, and everybody else here (even the trolls),

Here’s to 2006, and making our world a safer, better place for all of us. Many of us have kids and I think we want them to grow up in a country that values freedom, the rule of law, honesty, and security. The crankosphere (!) can make that possible-witness Firedoglake and the people here. We’re a small community, but I know that there are many millions of us across this country who feel the way we do about what’s happening to our government.

But we can change things, and we are. I’m realistic about the hard work ahead, but I’m also optimistic. When we win, the whole country wins.

So, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Re; Iran.

The same neo-coneheads that predicted the flowers, candy and endless blowjobs given to America by the Iraqis are the same pointy-headed idealists that are pushing the Iranian attack too.

So, that means they are planning for a pie-fight and are walking into a den of pitbulls.

Again class, what is the best way to unify a divided nation? Attack it! Very good.

Iran is 60 odd million and has not been in a fight with anyone since the late 80’s and back then we saw the “human waves” launched against Iraq, indiscriminate shelling and missiling of population centers in the “war of the cities”. Not to mention the exporting of the revolution to Lebanon and support of international terrorism to boot.

The day that the US starts attacking Iran is going to be a very dark day. It could be the catalyst that pushes the religious fundamentalists of all stripes in Iraq to unify and take up arms against US troops on their soil.

Those that think a “shock and awe” campaign will cause Iran to roll over and revolt against the leaders in Iran are sorely mistaken.

Maybe they are taking their cues from those learned folks on the inside. Remember Ahmed Chalabi was just back in the US for his AEI and Bushco victory lap. Chalabi was going to use all of his influence to lead the new Iraq and all of his followers grateful that HE liberated Iraq and mend fences and moderate Iran. Too bad all of Chalabis followers could fit in Darth Cheneys Urban Assault Vehicle that was just flown into Afghanistan. Also it is too bad that Iran decided to go with the dog with the better bark in the last elections too. All the better to face a bully with a bully.

Hold onto your hats kids. Mr. Shit is in his car and driving quickly to the intersection of Damascus and Tehran to meet Mr. Fan.

There is also the looming Mehlis report that is linking Syria to the assassination of Harriri and don’t you think that grumpy muppet of a UN Ambassador, Nutsy Bolton will push for everything and the kitchen sink against Syria. Again, Syria is in a siege mode and even the Israelis think they may be better off with Assad than with a fractured Syria or the radicals in charge.

We have the confluence of events coming in fast and furious too. Libbys’ trial, Delays trial, impending Rove charges, the NSA spying hubub, the Abramoff cancer, Italians looking for CIA and American accountability, EU prying into the gulags, the Abu Ghraib pics…..and then we have as someone just mentioned the creators of “new realities” that are about to smacked with this shitstorm….

So, buy some Orville Redenbacher stock we are waiting for the curtains to go up in Bush/Rove/Cheney Go To Washington Act II.

-GSD

Prof,

Me too…sorry, up ’til now I’ve taken a lotta good things fer granted. Can’t do that these days ‘cuz I don’t know how long we’ll be able ta read these “good things”. So thanx again, very much, for the light of yer reason and heat of your passion for it.

“So why this sudden indignation about somebody spewing drivel for money – Isn’t that the name of the game?”

The MSM has an ethical standard to report the news “impartially.” For example, it would be an unbelieveably serious breech of Journalistic ethics for the NYT to extort money from the Transit union to publish coverage of its side of the strike. It would also be illegal. The problem with the two authors that ReddHedd mentioned is that neither ever disclosed that they were paid to write those pieces. That is why the WSJ’s Paul Gigot issued such a strong denial.
Authors, who want to get paid for a specific opinion write books, they are not journalists, or are not acting in a “journalistic capacity,” when they author a book. Once something appears in the MSM, such as the NYT, it has the “imprimatur” of impartiality, because of the code of ethics that is supposed to guide journalists and editors. This imo is simply a more egregious abuse of the inadequate sourcing that so often plagues the MSM. When Jim VandeHei and his editor, John WATB Harris, print what ever Karl Rove’s attorney wants them to print, as an “unnamed source,” it’s a very very serious problem. Readers trust VandeHei and Harris are vouching for their source, that s/he is providing credible information from the perspective of the reader. We pay the MSM to inform us, the reading public, not to shill. Until Fitz nailed his sorry ass, Karl Rove’s attorney was only providing information that was slanted to help Rove or his attorney, goldbars Luskin. When the WaPo prints stuff that is so obviously wrong, as what Luskin had given them, it hurts the credibility of all MSM. Look back at the stories the WH “fed” Judy Miller and her editors at the NYT that helped get us into war. This is what traitorgate is all about. Joe Wilson tried to stand up and say that Judy’s WMD stuff was wrong and he and his family got run over “anonymously” by the WH leaks. While Wilson is trying to pick the asphalt out of his teeth, Bush claims to want to know who leaked to the Press. If it weren’t Fitz, we wouldn’t know.

ralphbon — LOL!!!

The Evil Prince Novak is on right now. Scumbag. Bah humbug.

GrandmaJ –

Yes, such a Christmas tree is really the best, a blessing!

Mr. K8 came home with a small “Charlie Brown” style tree, very modest.

Actually I’m happy that it’s not the usual Arizona-style tree. That kind is very, very thick and looks like it’s been shaved on a cone-shaped angle. There’s barely room to let the ornaments hang straight down, let alone put tinsel on it. What’s up with that? You need verticality to balance the cone shape, I think.

Fewer dense branches will give me a tree more like the ones I grew up with.

Yes, we in the reality-based community will be left to believe that Christmas trees emerge from the judicious pruning of discernible forests, but YOU, Mrs K8, are an empire now, and when you act, you create your own Christmas tree. And while we in the reality-based community study that Christmas tree -– judiciously, as we will –- you will act again, creating other new Christmas trees, which we can study too, and that’s how things will sort out.

I just want the RNC to know that I’m a writer and I’m available. I’ll tell any lie you want for the right price!

rwcole,

“Copyright 2005 by NewsNet5. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.”

LOL You might want to give this a read…

http://www.tomwbell.com/NetLaw/Ch07/LATimes.html

As a result of the above, posting a couple of paragraphs and then linking the rest is pretty much the accepted and legal practice. ; )

Prof –

Sorry for not having mentioned it to you before, but I am also VERY grateful for your links. That stuff is essential reading for us in the days to come.

Thanks for all your work on this! It may seem thankless, but for every one of us who follows your links, we are then equipped to pass the stuff on to others.

I don’t have a dKos account; hope this info is being posted there. Are you aware about that? I haven’t been able to split my attention too much to check out all the diaries there yet.

One lean year when my kids were small, I could not afford a tree. One day I asked the ‘tree guy’ at a local tree lot if I came by on Christmas Eve before they closed could I get one cheap. He said if I came by after 4:00, he would give me one.

My children and I stopped by, he gave us the best tree we have ever had, or have had since. I believe he held that one back just to give to me, altho he denied it then. Angels can be found in the oddest of places I guess.

That Christmas Eve, with just my kids and myself, we decorated the tree with handmade paper ornaments, all typical of 3-9 yr old coloring. Best tree ever.

Merry Christmas.

Thanks for the heads up, Cliff Varnell!

Hope everyone will help inundate Tweety by sending the Media Matters “Chris Matthews 2005 Misinformer of the Year” Award text and link to him at:

hardball@msnbc.com

To repeat the Media Matters link: http://mediamatters.org/items/200512230005

Frank –

I think they’ll be keeping the Douchebag interview until the *end* of the hour on CNN, as a kind of teaser.

Ick.

rwcole –

Have you seen these comments from the ACLU in Ohio concerning the Ohio Patriot Act?

http://www.acluohio.org/issues…..ee/sb9.htm

Thanks, EPU, for the Ankara link!

———–

rwcole — I wrote about that Channel 5 story last night, but nobody much was around to take notice, and those who were were engaged in conversations, and it slipped by.

What I took note of, besides the absolute OBSCENITY of this “Ohio Patriot Act” was that the article showed, as far as I know, the first published *mainstream* comparison of American “law enforcement” to the GESTAPO.

This “fascism” theme will not be going away in the weeks to come.

Sorry. Anonymous @ 1:17 pm was me.

GrandmaJ: I believe that comment re reality is from the Suskind article in the NYTimes Magazine about the Bush administration. Try this link: http://www.hereinstead.com/Sus…..aDoubt.htm

Well, thanks to you two, GrandmaJ and siun, for reading the stuff. As I said yesterday, it makes my Christmas if some FDL readers will follow the links and see the words and reasoning of some of these seminal Supreme Court cases.

Then, when the talking heads ramble about them, you’ll know where they are informed and where they are blowing smoke.

And the Constitution must be taken into the hearts, heads, and hands of every citizen — not just the lawyers.

.

btw Jack Balkin’s blog located http://balkin.blogspot.com/

Heads up! For those interested, Novakula is supposed to be giving an “exclusive interview” to CNN in the next hour.

Wolfie covering the radiation surveillance of mosques and homes of Muslims in the U.S. now.
Mrs. K8 | 12.23.05 – 1:07 pm | #
———————————————————–
Anyone see it? The Douchebag of Liberty has seemed awfully close to coming unhinged lately.

USNews story up on warrentless radiological monitoring of mosques

Hello, IÂ’m George W. Bush with another of my 98 reasons why you should trust me to safeguard your liberties.

Reason #12: when you hear the words roving wiretap, it means we have to go to the courts first and get a warrant.

And IÂ’m Henry Block with another of my 42 reasons why you should let H&R Block prepare your tax return.

Reason #18: our specially trained surgeons will come to your home and remove your corneas, entitling you to receive further benefits as a blind person.

“Wiretaps said to sift ALL overseas contacts”
http://www.boston.com/news/nat…..ts?mode=PF

They’ve unleashed ECHELON on all Americans.

RR

Mr. K8 is out looking for our Christmas tree. Hoping it’s not too late to get a decent one. (We worry about that every year, but so far it always works — it goes up and gets decorated Christmas Eve and goes down on Epiphany/3 Kings’ Day Jan 6).

In the event we can’t find one, we’ll just have to have an imaginary one. We are, after all, in an era where it’s possible to *create* one’s own *reality.* Why should our household fall behind the wingnut capacity to believe firmly in illusion?

CLEVELAND — A bill on Gov. Bob Taft’s desk right now is drawing a lot of criticism, NewsChannel5 reported.

One state representative said it resembles Gestapo-style tactics of government, and there could be changes coming on the streets of Ohio’s small towns and big cities.

The Ohio Patriot Act has made it to the Taft’s desk, and with the stroke of a pen, it would most likely become the toughest terrorism bill in the country. The lengthy piece of legislation would let police arrest people in public places who will not give their names, address and birth dates, even if they are not doing anything wrong.

WEWS reported it would also pave the way for everyone entering critical transportation sites such as, train stations, airports and bus stations to show ID.

“It brings us frighteningly close to a show me your papers society,” said Carrie Davis of the ACLU, which opposes the Ohio Patriot Act.

There are many others who oppose the bill as well.

“The variety of people who opposed to this is not just a group of the usual suspects. We have people far right to the left opposing the bill who think it is a bad idea,” said Al McGinty, NewsChannel5Â’s terrorism expert.

McGinty said he isn’t sure the law would do what it’s intended to do.

“I think anything we do to enhance security and give power to protect the public to police officers is a good idea,” he said. “It is a good law in the wrong direction.”

Gov. Bob Taft will make the ultimate decision on whether to sign the bill.

WEWS was told that Taft is expected to sign the bill into law, but legal experts expect that it will be challenged in courts.

Copyright 2005 by NewsNet5. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

Prof – thanks for replying to my comment. Somehow this morning it just struck me that for several years a bunch of us have worried and written about Bush declaring martial law – and may easily have missed the fact that martial law is way too old school for this crew.

Working my way through your lessons in between a few work emails and taking the puppy out to play with his buddies.

Continued thanks!

Stop the presses!

http://mediamatters.org/items/200512230005

Wow! Tweety had to beat out b-r-u-t-a-l
competition to win this award!

;->

Goss in Turkey

http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=89141

Re Goss in Ankara, and possible actions against Syria and Iran. I keep being reminded of some republican who said, and I am going from memoray, fallible as it is, that we (the repulicans) create our reality, and the dems turn it over, analyze it, process, as we always do, while they move on to a new realty. Which new reality we will process with the same diligence.

They are leaving our little argument over constitution rights and freedoms, to move on to war with Iran and syria. And the elections with the Iranian backed mullahs gaining seats give more fuel to this fire.

So, we can process while they move on. They are not afraid of our rumblings. The supreme court will protect them. And by the time we nail them legally, they will be out of office, filthy rich, and be thumbing their noses at us.

Ok, done ranting.

rwcole –

Could you please provide a link to the Ankara story? Thanks.

Heads up! For those interested, Novakula is supposed to be giving an “exclusive interview” to CNN in the next hour.

Wolfie covering the radiation surveillance of mosques and homes of Muslims in the U.S. now.

And… If you are really bored:

Please Click Here for the Media Campaign

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10562904#survey

Impeachment Poll ^^^

http://www.pollingpoint.com/

http://www.question.msnbc.com

Where are we all? We are all at the Cub grocery store by my house. I went a couple of hours ago and everyone was there. I helped 3 men, carrying their wives grocery lists, who were absolutely lost. One was looking for nutmeg (never heard of it he claims) and “white spagetti like sauce”. “Alfredo sauce” I asked? Yes, that one. Can I buy a gallon of it? ummmmm.

Had to take numbers just to pass by the cake section, and we were literally waiting in line to get soup off the shelves. There is a small ‘cheap’ gift section and they were 2 deep there. So, thats where I was.

Actually, the whole scene was pretty entertaining. Now back to realty — which is really messed up, ain’t it?

Prof: Thank you so very much for your posting here. I read every word. Can’t respond because I have nothing to add except ‘oh shit’, but actually there is no adequate responce to watching them steal our freedom, but keep doing what you are doing. We will all learn constitutional law — actually someone should stand in the town square and READ the whole blessed thing.

I always thought these institutes and thinktanks exist as seat-warmers for ex-cabinet members and bureaucrats till they are called in again to ’serve’ the country. While they are enjoying the sabbaticals, they routinely write and disseminate partisan op-eds and other forms of propaganda for which they get paid handsomely by various sponsoring organizations.

So why this sudden indignation about somebody spewing drivel for money – Isn’t that the name of the game? If we troture the specifics enough, we will always see some difference or the other, but it just means that some are smarter than others in setting up these fronts; so what?

Cumhuriyet – During his recent visit to Ankara, CIA Director Porter Goss reportedly brought three dossiers on Iran to Ankara.
Goss is said to have asked for TurkeyÂ’s support for WashingtonÂ’s policy against IranÂ’s nuclear activities, charging that Tehran had supported terrorism and taken part in activities against Turkey.

Goss also asked Ankara to be ready for a possible US air operation against Iran and Syria.

Link to “Combat troops to be scaled back in Iraq: Rumsfeld”

http://today.reuters.com/news/…..TROOPS.xml

Guess someone in the WH noticed the MSNBC Impeachment poll numbers and then realized that other MSM may want to poll on impeachment too.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..00909.html

Froomkin: Year in Review

In the age of Bush, Santorum, Feith, and Pajamas, ain’t no shortage of pinheads, I can tell you that.

Prof,

Yes indeed, Cloud Coocooland has arrived. My lord, this is worse than a bad Sartre play…and we are all standin around, tuggin on our forelocks and scartchin’ our armpits tryin’ ta figure out the latest legal arguments about the ratio of angels to pinheads.

OT: anyone catch Rummy’s press conference fm Afghanistan Wed? Unable to sleep I switched on Faux News about 3am PST and there was Rummy smiling away. The interpreter didn’t want to translate the question that’d just been asked, but Rummy insisted. It was whether there were torture prisons in Afghanistan. Rummy, smile in place, replied something like “then they wouldn’t be secret.” Seeing how well his “joke” went over he dropped his smile and said “not to my knowledge”. Did I hallucinate? I can’t find any mention of this press conference. Is there somewhere to find a transcript?

In a fax I sent to Senator Schumer in January 2001, I closed it by saying that if Dubya was allowed to enter the White House, there would be tanks in the streets before he left.

It was intended as hyperbole, but it’s scary how close to the truth it has become . . .

Please ignore typing errors in post above. the slow dialup made me do it!

Link to 2004 Salon article by Doug Bandow, entitled “Why Conservatives Must not Vote for Bush.”

http://www.salon.com/opinion/f…..x_np1.html

public@nytimes.com

Byron Calame will forward any email you wish to send to any author printed at the Times.

siun wrote in the previous thread at 10:06 am:

has Bush really just declared martial law (but not directly told us) since he is commander in chief and his war on terra has no national boundaries? While we imagine martial law as troops on the street corners, how much more effective to simply use those powers secretly and without bother of tanks and such? In a technological world, the soldiers in the streets may be redundant – and we might not even notice if W is lucky?

As off-the-wall as that may sound, that is the question in my mind, and it is why I posted so much about that from the Milligan case.

Pres. Bush recognizes no legislative limits on his powers to spy on Americans, and claims that his power to ignore limits comes from being “Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy.”

Why is martial law substantially different from such an assertion?

I believe that the meme that should propagate is something like this:

1. Our 4th Amendment rights to be free from improper searches and seizures in our communications has been violated by the President.

2. The President refuses to abide even by the protections that Congress provided in the 1978 FISA.

3. The President bases his assertions on his power as Commander-in-Chief during a war that has no boundaries. — even though the Supreme Court has said repeatedly that there are limits on the President’s war powers.

4. If neither the Congress nor the courts can restrin this President and protect our constitutional rights, we effectively have a situation similar to martial law.

.

Link to short bio on Peter Ferrara, “senior staff member in the White House Office of Policy Development under President Reagan and as Associate Deputy Attorney General of the United States under the first President Bush.”

http://www.ipi.org/ipi/IPIPers…..o?OpenPage

The reporter’s name is Philip Shenon. Why don’t we send Mr. Shenon an email asking about that particular choice of wording? Including the phrase “We see what you’re up to. Stop it now.”

Anybody have Mr. Shenon’s email address? I didn’t see it at the end of the article. Perhaps there is an email address naming convention for NYT, but I don’t know what it is…Anybody?

are evidence that the ties may be much closer than research organizations, conservative and liberal, would prefer to admit.

“Conservative and liberal.” Wow. Love how that false balance just slips in.

NYT: “[This is] evidence that the ties may be much closer than research organizations, conservative and liberal, would prefer to admit.”

Interesting phrasing, since the article doesn’t mention a single instance of liberal or Democratic activity like that!

Holiday? So that’s why I’m alone here in the office (getting SO much done).

LOL Ralphbon — it’s full tilt holiday travel season. Plus, you know I’m still here. :)

it’s overload

here we are, more corruption then in history, and hardly anyone who follows corporate media even knows about it, or appreciates just what’s being done to us and our country

we need a fox and we need it now

OK, now you’re all scaring me.

Damn. Twilight.

It’s like one of those Where Is Everybody Twighlight Zone episodes….

This is bizarre…there are usually a hundred comments on a FDL thread by now.

Stop me before I……fitz