Fitz!

Isn’t it ironic that Tom Delay’s resignation is kind of a non-issue at this point in our fading democracy?

Fitz

How are the mighty fallen…

I think it’s awfully nice of Mara to say things like that, so Big Head Fred Barnes can nod sagely. *g* Yes, it’s a banner week for GOP corruption and lawbreaking, isn’t it? If it weren’t for the fact that it is all happening to our own nation, I’d almost feel relief at the fact that its been one big exposure after another (replete with hookers!).

is Delay trying to draw attention away from NSA or to coverup his own resignation?

incontext: Why do you think he did it today?

Tom DeLay has a vast sucking quality.

in your story, who “incited” the “indictment” in KY ?

I had forgotten about that douchebag. Now he can go kill more bugs.

I prefer to see his resignation as a sign that some part of this democracy must be working.

why aren’t the networks reporting it yet– not scripted; no talking points received?

Bigger fish to fry than this obvious, and lame target!~

Who in the Senate is going to stand up and put this President in check for his violations of the United States Constitution.

We are headed towards a facsist democracy at warp speed. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him declare elections illegal in the face of the terrorist, and deem himself King officially.

You know it’s not that far-fetched of a scenario when you look at the direction we are currently headed in!

Tomorrow…

Fitzmas?

Nah…

These are indeed inciting times!
… and some are getting indicted as well.

Oh, and we can only hope that Mr. Delay’s “arena” is that special kind of arena with barred windows.

Big Fr—— smile, S— for brains !!!!

Holy Cow Jane! Just how many computers are you using at one time anyway?I’m starting to picture Batcave except with dogs!

gary -

Yeah.

Y’know, I have never owned a firearm…

I had to get almost to the bottom of the article in the Herald-Leader to confirm that the indictee was a Republican. But hey, I knew that anyway.

I wonder whether Timmeh will be able to find some alleged misconduct by a Democratic governor before Sunday morning. It would be a shame if he had to keep harping on Jefferson and Mollohan every week, while such a richly diverse cast of characters continues to parade across the stage from the right wing. It almost seems like a trend.

Your post brought on a light bulb moment, Jane –

That 16% that are the strongly approve part of the Deciderer’s JAR are all victims of the MSM and talk radio brain eating zombies.

Listen to the MSM, and you too can become a BushCo zombie!!!

Thought it interesting today that wanker Begala hedged his criticism of the TIA program (which was “withdrawn” but was somehow initiated anyway), but had no problem opining that Howard Dean was “running wild” or some such term. Seems that Dean committing field organizers to the states–paid by netroots fund-raising, remember–really has the DC party pros steamed. Go, Howard!

wow, i actually did a little work and i totally missed the cafferty post/thread. I’ll have to remember to work less in the future.

Did someone mention the appropriations committee?

THIS Appropriations Committee?

http://tinyurl.com/r4eol

Federal prosecutors have begun an investigation into Rep. Jerry Lewis, the Californian who chairs the powerful House Appropriations Committee, government officials and others said, signaling the spread of a San Diego corruption probe

suin #6

I think the latter. With all that’s going on, who is going to notice him creeping away with his tail between his legs?

mary, I did because I was wondering if Bugman would be off of that when he resigned. I might have my committees mixed up though.

Jane – come on, let’s share the love. Andy Card’s kids are popular……

“Federal prosecutors have begun an investigation into Rep. Jerry Lewis, the Californian who chairs the powerful House Appropriations Committee, government officials and others said, signaling the spread of a San Diego corruption probe.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles has issued subpoenas in an investigation into the relationship between Lewis (R-Redlands) and a Washington lobbyist linked to disgraced former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-Rancho Santa Fe), three people familiar with the investigation said.”

Christy Hardin Smith @ 3:04 pm (#5) – Yeah! Sex, hookers … [harumph] I mean, yes, what a sad state our country is in.

In a day filled with talk about illegal wiretaps and the breakdown in the separation of powers, a congressman being indicted for mere money laundering related to a possible political racketeering scheme seems almost like comic relief.

I don’t get the joke about Andy Card’s kids.

I mean, I know that it’s a joke Stephen Colbert made about Scottie McLiarpants, but it’s not what it seems like. Is it?

…’cause it seems like a joke about pedophila. And that seems too dumb for a Colbert joke, frankly.

But maybe I’m just confuzzled. Anyone?

Na Na Na Na
Na Na Na Na
Hey! Hey! Hey!
GOODBYE!!!!!!!

Off topic perhaps, but a couple of questions for those politicos

How much did you declare on your income tax this year or last year or the one before?

Since it has been income tax time for many of us, where are the incomes being declared for these folks?

let’s see: Andy Card’s kids now have Uncle Scotty and Uncle Porter…playgrounds must be fun ! Just how high can that swing go?

http://www.latimes.com/news/na…..-headlines

I wonder if the new Army Manuel is going to end up classified as well?

The Pentagon has been forced to delay the release of its updated Army Field Manual on interrogation because of congressional opposition to several provisions, including one that would allow tougher techniques for unlawful combatants than for traditional prisoners of war.

Lawmakers expected to see the new document last month. However, the Pentagon canceled those briefings and instead described the manual to only a handful of senior senators and aides.

How easily do you boggle?

The specific interrogation practices in dispute remain classified. The military is rethinking whether to publicly release the list of do’s and don’ts or to keep them secret.

I did not make this up.

Being a Kentuckian, I’m sooo glad Fletcher has been indicted. But it sure took them long enough.

thought I’d hit an old post when I hit refresh, June 9th huh ? so counsel has advised the indictment should come sometime after that ?, is June 8th a magical date as to pension ? And of course let me remind everyone that approx. June 15th is the day SCOTUS is expected to issue ruling in the Texas gerrymandering case. Have the prosecutors in the Gus Boulis murder trial issued their subpoenas ?

I’m tempted to thank you Jane for this last chance to commune with the Majority Whip, but somehow I think we’re few mug shots shy of a full jacket

I think this NSA thing is the tipping point. I really do.

oh Mary … I’d settle for a no torture resolution outta this congress … damn!

Busted 24 – I think you are right about appropriations (and judiciary for that matter). I just thought it was amusing that the Rep. Head of Appropriations is also in the headlines today as an investigation target.

I sure hope Patsy Roberts has some up-to-date memory pills with him tonite…..

TIME’s Matthew Cooper -

“…conservative Judge Michael Luttig of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago, whom many on the right wanted President Bush to name to the Supreme Court, abruptly resigned yesterday, reportedly in part because of civil liberties issues. The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Luttig was shocked back in November when the Bush Justice Department announced that the government would file charges against suspected terrorist Jose Padilla as if he were a regular citizen. Just two months earlier, Luttig had written a seminal opinion saying that the federal government could detain Padilla without a charge, reasoning that the government must have had an extraordinary case against Padilla to justify such an extraordinary imprisonment. When the Bush administration reversed position and in effect acknowledged that the regular old justice system was able to accommodate the case, Luttig was enraged, saying the reversal strained the Bush administration’s “credibility before the courts.” It was that frustration that helped lead to his resignation, the Journal reported.

If provoking the anger of a conservative’s conservative like Luttig wasn’t enough, another development out of the Justice Department was nearly as stunning. On Wednesday, the Justice Department’s point man on government accountability, H. Marshall Jarrett, wrote to Congress saying that he was shutting down his review of the NSA spying probe because his staff was denied access to the agency’s files and personnel.

So to review the bidding: Bush’s Justice Department is blocked from investigating its own controversial spy program; a leading conservative jurist resigns, reportedly in part over the government’s handling of civil liberties; and a big NSA program of eavesdropping on Americans’ phone-calling patterns is revealed.Will this be enough to turn public opinion against Bush on civil liberties and terrorism? Given the collapse in public support for the Preisdent on so many issues, it wouldn’t be surprising.”

chisolm-
I thought that about 10 scandals ago.

about Card’s kids: he resigned abruptly to spend more time with his kids. Very odd. Then Scotty also abruptly resigns before a successor is chosen. So why not also use the kids excuse (Scotty is unmarried) ? Then Porter Goss resigns precipitouly… what’s his excuse? the kids again?

Odd things happening covertly in the White House these days…

Twofer!

FYI, I am meeting with the grand jury tomorrow.

http://patrickjfitzgerald.blogspot.com

When I was in the army, there was always plenty of Manuel labor. But Manuel never seemed to be around, so Sarge always found me.

*ilson46201 #9

Accusing a KY Governor of corruption or lying is a little like accusing the winter of being cold.

very good ! @ Hugh

Mary @ 3:18 pm (#31) I wonder if the new Army Manuel is going to end up classified as well?

Actually, I kinda like the idea of not telling soldiers what they’re allowed to do, then putting them on trial in a secret court when they transgress. Ought to be a real recruiting inducement, don’t you think?

Let’s see if they add that little scenario to the America’s Army game.

Mara forgets that mostly lefties go to NPR. NRP runs on contributions. Lefties don’t like Mara.
The lefties that listen to NPR are middle aged and upper middle class.

Does anybody have a consice list of all the people either under investigation/indictment or in plea deal?

Just wondering–’couse I think we must be up to close to 20 by now?

Brian @ 3:17 pm (#28) – I don’t think you’re confused, at least not on this issue. It’s just one of those little jokes everyone’s piling onto.

oops– s/b “‘cAuse”

Cathy–I didn’t—there just wasn’t enough sense of this “critical mass”–low polls (and getting lower–those who dismiss the idea that Bush will get down in the 20s are flat wrong), scandal after scandal after scandal, gas prices, etc. This USA Today article/NSA horror story is too big for the admin to handle–an Alphonso Jackson resignation, sure, but not this. Not now.

ck #20 Not necessarily. My brother in law is 78. My sister is 72. They have cable and they can see through the crap. They don’t do computer.

It is incredible Siun. From the same article:

The Pentagon has said it will treat captured terrorists humanely whether or not they are deemed to be protected under the Geneva Convention.

Oh goody. So terrorist get the humane treatment – cab drivers, civilians wrongfully purchased and kidnapped, Chinese dissidents fleeing persecution, cooks, etc. are subject to the “classified” treatment.

The McCain amendment read:
“No person in the custody … of the Department of Defense or under detention in a Department of Defense facility,” the law reads, “shall be subject to any treatment or technique of interrogation not authorized by and listed in the United States Army Field Manual on Intelligence Interrogation.”

Apparently, the problem was that the old manual was “confusing” about things like waterboarding, etc. I thought maybe it was confusing bc it didn’t spell out that if you followed orders to torture -they were illegal, and if you were just a creative kinda recruit who didn’t need orders, it was still a War Crime.

Not so.

It’s only confusing bc the torture parts aren’t classified. Who knew? An Army Manuel where the rules a soldier is supposed to follow are “classified” – it seems like a novel idea, but it’s chapter and verse for these guys. After all, they are so concerned about the military and terrorism they were willing to crater the defense authorization bill if they didn’t keep War Crimes cover.

and the White House threatened last year to veto the defense authorization bill if the torture amendment was not dropped or modified

The military had a tremendous reputation – a wonderful recovery from Vietnam. They’ve tossed it. Pace & Co. should be ashamed – they’ve served to dismantle the integrity of the military just as much as Bush has dismantled independent intelligence from civilian based agencies.

chisolm-
I’m not yet sure we hit the tipping point. I think these scandals are blending into each other. I think the tipping point will be a Rove indictment.

Samwoman @ 3:28 pm (#49) – Josh Marshall keeps a fairly current list at the Grand Old Docket. Damn thing’s not easy to find, though. It took me searching in one of his websites to find it on the other.

Dobbs is pushing Roberts – we have some unexpected allies on this one

Wyden was not clear or strong and it seemed that Dobbs was trying to get him to speak up

holy fuck, Roberts says “program would have stopped 9/11″

Lou Dobbs called him on it. Roberts doesnt like it.

Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas is on Dobbs saying the telephone spying is Ok. If Kansas voters realize that every telephone call made to & from Kansas is being tracked … EVERY KANSAS TELEPHONE !!!

WATB – Oh, lawdy, the leaks, the leaks.

Glenn Greenwald at AlterNet:

“…beyond being just collaborative, the blogosphere is characterized by an independence and autonomy that is glaringly absent in the conventional national media venues. As Hamsher eloquently observed last month, there has to be some significant motivation for someone to go to their computer every day and do the work to maintain a blog, just as something has to motivate people to spend time at their computers every day reading and participating in intense, detailed political discussions.

Bloggers, their readers and commenters are mostly just citizens who are highly dissatisfied with the conventional media outlets and dominant political institutions, all of which fail in too many ways to serve our democracy well. What is most significant about the blogosphere is that it enables direct and immediate communication — and coordination — among huge numbers of citizens who want to force new ideas and arguments into what was previously a closed and highly controlled media and political dialogue.

And, gradually and incrementally, it is working. We seem to be at the very beginning of that process, and the impact on our country’s political processes will only grow, vastly. And as it does, not just new faces and new voices — but whole new perspectives and approaches — will force their way into our nation’s mainstream political dialogue…”
_____

Yeah, unless the Suits and their political waterboys can scuttle ‘net neutrality and turn the internet into the Chinese version. Don’t think that’s not EXACTLY what they intend.

Excuse me Senator Roberts, but those drug dealers and child pornographers are pursued WITH WARRANTS !

HAh. Thats the way to do it.

I dont agree with Lou always, but dammit, he says what he thinks, without all this annoying triangulating.

This is my favorite blog. THANK-YOU for everything that you write. Big -Time Kisses and Hugs !!!

Patsy sounded like a weakened WATB– not nearly as vehement as usual. He did not deny any of it….
it’s over buddy.

I wussed out on trying to watch Pat Roberts – afraid my head would explode – and I kinda need it….

Lisa Myers just reported – email information was gathered too.

Total Information Awareness lives!

Poindexter must be smiling.

Not so fast, Delay is a slippery one…

Tom Delay still has not resigned from Congress…

“So, the plan is this: Around about the end of June, Tom is going to say, “I know I’m lower than a snake’s belly. I know I’ve taken bribes, cheated, and helped the sex-slave trade. I know I am meanness compacted into the smallest form known to man and tested in laboratory conditions. However, if you don’t vote for me, Nancy Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi, Barbra Streisand, Nancy Pelosi, 9/11, Nancy Pelosi.†[more]

Top 16* Things Tom DeLay is Waiting On Before He Resigns:

1. Little-known Congressional Free Starbucks Lattes for Life legislation is still stalled in committee.

2. Offhand chance that Jack Abramoff, Michael Scanlon, Tony Rudy, all the caddies at the Congressional Country Club, two CIA agents, and three “hostesses†at Signatures Restaurant will all develop incurable amnesia all at the same exact time.

3. Has three of the most darling judicial activism soundbites he needs to use before Bill Frist steals them.

4. Wants to have a ringside seat when Hookergate Congressmen are revealed. Will point and laugh at Congressmen who took sex bribes instead of cash bribes.

5. Hey, this Patrick Fitzgerald guy can’t live forever, you know.

6. Waiting on that whole Rapture thing.

7. Star Wars, Episode 7.

8. A month left on his franking privileges and Boy Howdy, there’s no need to waste all those botox treatments and Glamour Shots.

9. Trying to pass a constitutional amendment making every day Tom DeLay Day!

10. Finding $500,000-a-year seamstress jobs on the Mariana Islands isn’t as easy as you’d suspect.

11. Foolishly put all his offshore accounts in Patrick Kennedy’s name.

12. Oops, mistakenly thought the 72 virgins thing was for resigning, not dying.

13. Waiting on an invitation to Rep. Cynthia McKinney’s Texas Hold-Um tournament.

14. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get kickbacks as an EX-congressman?

15. Still working on a David Wallace Mind Control Machine, the Imitationtron 7000.

16. Waiting for someone to strap a bottle rocket on his hiney and point him toward Virginia.

Sixteen because 10 is never enough for Tom DeLay

http://patrickjfitzgerald.blog…..graft.html

This issue is such a loser for the GOP. I have no idea why the Dems are so afraid of it.

And the idea that they dont capture content is bullshit.

It’s not news to be able to track calling patterns. Shit, I can do that with my website. Thats like 1970’s technology. They are capturing all data and “sifting” it with technology.

And they know that the public will revolt, so they are lying their asses off.

http://tinyurl.com/a6erq

Help Impeach Today

Now… People think this is a waste of time because even the Dems said that they were not going to impeach (yeah right)…

Keep the pressure on Congress… Talking about impeachment wakes people up… They question, it’s a strong motivator to get people thinking. It also lets Congress know how intense the dissapproval is for this President… They seem to be a little slow on the uptake. So please:

1) Sign petitions if you have not done so
2) Send a letter to Congress (both Senators & House rep)
3) Send a copy to the media
4) Enlist friends and family to help, ask them to chip in time
5) Spread the link around, email it (with a request to forward) post it on a blog, or in the comments of a news story.

Help out!!!

Thanks :)

#28
The reference is to the Jon Stewart joke at the Academy awards. It was part of the taped intro. Steve Martin turned down hosting this year “to spend more time with his kids” and then David Letterman turned it down so he could “spend more time with Steve Martin’s kids.” Colbert’s homage to the boss.

From the previous thread, I just saw Cafferty talking about immigration and amnesty. He is a fully qualified turd. You’re happy that he’s mad about one of the same things you’re mad about? That doesn’t make him smart, coherent, or rational, it just means he knows which way the wind blows. Let’s just say it ain’t blowing to the right today. Specter!?!? I’ve seen Arlen Specter talk tough on TV, and then be just another Bush-Bitch in the actual committee room. If he believes any of the things he says on TV, then why hasn’t he pulled a Jim Jeffords, I would like to know?
Remember that Rove and Bush really like to attack from weakness. The next four weeks are very important in trying to slow down the rush to war with Iran. We have numerous demonstrations coming up in DC. The first are next week. Check afterdowningstreet.com for details.

Jane off topic to Delay but here’s a very important Oregon Story. Recruiters signed up an autistic kid. Here’s an extract from the Oregonian.

An Army of one wrong recruit
Autism – The signing of a disabled Portland man despite warnings reflects problems nationally for military enlistment
Sunday, May 07, 2006
MICHELLE ROBERTS

Jared Guinther is 18. Tall and lanky, he will graduate from Marshall High School in June. Girls think he’s cute, until they try to talk to him and he stammers or just stands there — silent.

Diagnosed with autism at age 3, Jared is polite but won’t talk to people unless they address him first. It’s hard for him to make friends. He lives in his own private world.

Jared didn’t know there was a war raging in Iraq until his parents told him last fall — shortly after a military recruiter stopped him outside a Southeast Portland strip mall and complimented him on his black Converse All Stars.

Rest of the story is here.

If any you or any of your readers happen to know anyone in Portland or Oregon generally, who could help (I’m pretty sure there’s a few Lawyers in Oregon) that kid’s parents could probably do with some help.

(The story has contact details for the journalist.)

Of all the uncivilised fuckbaggery – Jesus.

TIA

Mark

To Cujo359 (#50) and *ilson46201 (#31) -

Thanks! Maybe my reaction to the joke says more about me than I thought! :)

angie @ 3:43 pm (#64) – When the likes of Lou Dobbs start bitch slapping Republican senators around about this stuff is when you bring on Dandy Don.

The “fog facts” are beginning to coalesce into a thundercloud. From Larry Beinhart’s book Fog Facts – those things we know, out there in the public domain but not yet connected by or to personal pronouns or common names. So much secrecy, so few connectors. No wonder Bush wants to stop the leaks – they’re often the connectors.

Like Gonzalezes’ testimony in which he hinted there were NSA programs other than the ones about which he was being questioned, to which other answers might apply; shuffling the admin deck chairs to particular avail; telecom legislation over the last 12 years; middle-aged couples paying too much on their credit card bill and inviting inquiry. We still don’t have all the connectors but more are slipping into place every day.

I’m experiencing son-us interruptus, school’s out. Y’all can come up with plenty more. examples. The thunder is immentent.

Mary >”…Pace & Co. should be ashamed…”

Peter Pace is a DISGRACE to the uniform he wears

He should be immediately discharged at the rank he entered the Corps at

“…I spent thirty- three years and four months in active military service as a member of this country’s most agile military force, the Marine Corps. I served in all commissioned ranks from Second Lieutenant to Major-General. And during that period, I spent most of my time being a high class muscle- man for Big Business, for Wall Street and for the Bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism…” – Smedley Darlington Butler

Me3 70, Gee, thanks so much for posting that, I mighta missed it the first 350 fucking times.

op99, be nice. Me3 is ok.

Marty Kaplan at HuffPo -

“The goofiest argument against discussing the NSA data-mining and warrantless wiretaps is that it telegraphs our counter-terrorist strategy to the bad guys. This is the tack Bush took once again, when he unsubtly chastised USA Today and its government sources. It’s what Republican Senator John Kyl meant when he called the public debate about the NSA “nuts”: “We are in a war and we’ve got to collect intelligence on the enemy, and you can’t tell the enemy in advance how you are going to do it.

And discussing all of this in public leads to that.” …
_____

Yeah, this is the cognitive equivalent of the rhetorical droolings of Senator Sphinctorum, i.e., that the “unconstitutional right-to-privacy lifestyle” leads inexorably to man-dog marriages, kiddie rape, necrophilia, and beastiality.

Kyl, STFU.

Drive by …

Mary and daCascadian

Here’s something related

Geez…we’re all going to hell in a handbasket fer sure.
Unless I’m thinking with the pre-911 side of my brain…..but, no… who could ever forget a day when 2 airplanes took down 3 buildings?

Since I’d probably be EPU’ed from the previous conversation – I think Jane and christy should cast their lovely and sharp eyes over to Ars Technica’s analysis of the USAToday information – and stick around for their rather pointed questions about Telco Astroturfing while they’re over there – the equipment used by the NSA to wiretap every single frickin’ communication in the US can easily be adapted to screw over anyone through traffic shaping and selective bandwith throttling. Is it me, or are these two issues related?

mommybrain 80, what? I said thanks. :)

hum-m-m-m let’s see . . . I’ll run in the primary to collect a pile of needed loot for my defense fund then screw Sugarland residents by resigning. I sure can’t tell them it is to spend more time with my lawyer. I’ve got it! I”ll tell them I need to spend more time with my lawyer’s kids!! Ya . . that’s the ticket.

markfromireland @ 3:49 pm (#73) – Right now, military recruiting is about the least desirable job in the military that doesn’t involve getting shot at. There’s enormous pressure on them to fulfill quotas that are, under these circumstances, utterly unrealistic.

My guess is, assuming these recruiters actually knew about his condition, that they assumed he’d be weeded out during basic training. Someone prone to catatonia is probably going to be found out pretty fast in that environment. Meanwhile, that’s one less guy the recruiter has to recruit.

I have recently made the decision to pursue new opportunities to engage in the important cultural and political battles of our day from an arena outside of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Might I interest you in a bimonthly magazine startup, Tommy boy?

markfromireland says:
May 11th, 2006 at 3:49 pm

In response to your post (73), please look at this Associated Press story that appeared on Raw Story this morning:

http://159.54.227.3/apps/pbcs……6/60510039

So, are we finally approaching critical mass here? The proverbial tipping point? The straw that broke the camel’s back? What do you think?

Is today Fitzmas Eve?

Senator Kyl: does every telephone call to and from Arizona have to be tracked by the Federal Government? EVERY ARIZONA TELEPHONE ???

Ed N Sted 90, I certainly hope so, otherwise it would be a criminal waste of metaphors.

I’m thinking that the telecom executives are gonna tell Arlen Specter that he doesn’t have the security clearance to hear their testimony.

That’s Fletcher, Gov. of Kentucky, not Fleischer, or whatever
…and it’s about time too!

That bastard needs to go to prison!

Stephen – thanks – if you read the Oregonian story you’ll see that they (the recruiters) were very inclined to try wiggle out of the blame. Glad to know there was a good outcome how do you want to bet that the (low level) recruiter will get a mild punishment if any and that their CO won’t even get a wrist slap. I can’t help wondering if Jane couldn’t run a very effective article or two on this.

op99 93

Thx! I needed a good chuckle!

What Urban Pirate said at 69.

daCascadian 77 – it just eats at me to see the military get so sucked into playing secret private police and thug squad for the CIC. I remember, not any “spitting on” veterans, but a very lowered esteem by many for the military after Vietnam and all the stories of drugs, killing civilians, etc. Of course, a lot of people also kept their POW/MIA bracelets until the day they died or still have them.

Americans WANT to admire their military and over time it began to re-emerge as one of the most trusted institutions we have. Kids who went into the military were standing much straighter over that decision the last ten years or so.

We all have either friends or family or both in the military. To engage in political maneuvering to benefit a run amok President to the detriment of our national security, all for the “privilege” of *legal* torture – I just can’t get my head around it.

In other news – Afghanistan is going to have a bumper opium crop – the Taliban will probably be happy to hear that.

http://news.independent.co.uk/…..363606.ece

Yep – GWB is a great successs. Not so much on more and cheaper energy, but on more and cheaper drugs that line the pockets of terrorists . . .

MFI – public feedback caused the army to reconsider the autistic recruit.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/…..utism.html

Ed 97, the underlying sentiment is certainly in ernest.

One thing I forgot to include in the previous comment is that Ars Technica’s analysis concludes that the NSA “Topsail” program is essentially Total Information Awareness under a new name. Your Congress has repeatedly acted to block TIA – which now appears to have been utterly futile as Topsail has been implemented already.

Funny how that works, huh?

op99- Me3 used to be a very regular commenter at FDL before he got involved in website and diving into right wing sites to challenge the comments. Much respected. His reminders to keep on doing something were a great spur in the early days to keep people writing letters and to keep active. He occasionally comments now in more detail, and I wish he would do so more often. But, he is def. a part of FDL history. So, just try to calm down about Me3. Everytime I see one of his posts at FDL, I am reminded of my duty to write and email.

Have to wonder whether any of the reported billions of private U.S. calls surveilled by NSA can help locate who pilfered the 200,000 stolen AK-47s thought to now possibly be in the hands of ACTUAL “terrists” instead of the intended recipient Iraqi police?

Nah…silly me.

I guess that would require monitoring Chalabi’s calls.

I hope you ROT in prison along with everyone else in this CORRUPT administration ( i use the word administration lightly) It is actually a Nazi Regime!)
So, to you Representative Delay, I say,
FUCK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today massive unConstitutional surveillance admitted.
Today DeLay resigns.
Tomorrow Rove and ??? indictments.

JAR next week? 25 or less.

Yah – Mary and a good thing too – that was rampant predation. One of the regular commenters on my sites (grania) has an autistic child. She had some very apposite comments to make on This Old Brit’s site about Jared’s situation and about the situation his family is in.

MORE PROPAGANDA: CBS NEWS TONITE

So I’m watching the funnies, I mean, the CBS evening news and they have a reporter in Ramadi. Story is how our boys are defending the govt center which is always under attack.

I about fell off my chair when the reporter said the marines are fighting “Al Queada.”

Huh?

She just said it like it’s fact. No support. No facts or “official spokesmen” saying the insurgents are A.Q. nothing, nada zip. Just the blanket, bold, bald lie.

Bob Scheifer then does a promo for tomorrow’s story by saying that she is reporting from Ramada where the marines are fighting “Al Queada.”

Huh?

Who?

WTF. They are insurgents. Nothing I’ve seen has shown that they are “Al Queada.”

I mean I’m sure they are not very nice boys and girls but, jeez, this is just pure propaganda.

Let’s get this clear.

Telecom executives were given security clearances to discuss the programs.

Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility lawyers did not qualify.

Bc of Gonzales position on torture and enemy combatants, the Army’s new manual (including the one for Manuel) may end up being partly classified.
To heck with Bush- first off impeach Gonzales.
Then be tough about who gets the next nod and start working down the line of “actings†until you get someone who believes in following the law and upholding the Constitution. At that point, Bush is screwed. All it takes is Justice (the Dept, not the personification) to take a stand and most of the worst of what has happened to this country grinds to a halt.

Stephen Parrish CPA, did you see my post on the previous thread? Please contact me at editor@daringdepravity.com if you would like me to e-mail you the links to the supreme court case which states that congressional acquiscience is tacit approval.

Behind Delay, can the proper ruler markings for bookings be added. The little prick is 5′3″, tops.

Aren’t you glad the FCC has that tax in place to pay for all the wiretaps?

http://news.com.com/FCC%20appr…..=nefd.lede

vg 101, I guess if I could listen to my Alzheimery mom tell the same story 5 times a day with a smile on my face, I can tone down the venom on this matter. Compromise: I’ll keep saying thanks, raising the counter on the number of times, and take out “Gee” and “fucking”. Deal?

Patsy Roberts – per FEC as of 4/26/06

Contributions-

AT&T / $15k ($2k from trade group) his 3rd largest contributor

Bell South / $10k ($2k from trade group) his 7th largest contributor

no direct $$ from Verizon, but another $5K from National Trade Group of which Verizon is a member

all courtesy of this great site – tons of current data, easily navigable

opensecrets

Hey, buck up Mr. Delay, Jesus kept company with whores and thieves. You’ll fit right in.

-GSD

opp 99@79
elephant! lol

If your head is exploding trying to keep track of GOP atrocities, here’s a lengthy scorecard:
http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/gopscorecard.htm

http://www.editorandpublisher……1002501487

===White House Won’t Confirm or Deny It Tried to Stop ‘USA Today’ Story

[..]Q If you’re fiercely protecting Americans’ rights to privacy, why would you need a database of tens of millions of American phone call records?

MS. PERINO: Well, not confirming or denying or acknowledging the substance of the story this morning in USA Today, what the President said today, all intelligence activities of the United States are limited and targeted and focused solely on al Qaeda and al Qaeda’s affiliates. They are the enemy.

The government has no interest in knowing what innocent Americans are talking about on their domestic phone calls. So if you are calling to make reservations at a restaurant, and if you are calling your daughter at college, or if you are calling to plan your wedding, the government has no interest in knowing about those calls. The government is interested in finding out if al Qaeda is planning an attack in America — you can bet that we want to make sure that we get ahead of that to prevent that and to save lives.

Q Was there any effort to get USA Today to not run the story?

MS. PERINO: I’m not going to comment on that.===

opp99,

Me3 is a little voice of conscience that pops in on occasion to remind us all not to be complacent.

-GSD

Bobby G: Is today Fitzmas Eve?

if only

The Captain says:
May 11th, 2006 at 4:33 pm

Yes, I did see your post, then migrated back to this thread, having transcribed the citation you provided. Thank you very much for that very helpful citation.

As soon as I have some time, I will look at the full text of that decision. Having done this before, whether it’s a tax case or some other case, I know where to look.

ccmask (#83)
“Geez…we’re all going to hell in a handbasket fer sure.
Unless I’m thinking with the pre-911 side of my brain…..but, no… who could ever forget a day when 2 airplanes took down 3 buildings?”

Are you saying what I think you are saying?

Re: me3, OK, I give up you guys. But it won’t be easy because he affects me like Windows Messenger spam in the middle of a timed game. That is all.

OT
http://www.editorandpublisher……1002501233
===Fla. Elections Office Getting Impatient With Columnist Ann Coulter

NEW YORK Universal Press Syndicate columnist Ann Coulter has not responded to a Florida elections office’s request that she explain why she allegedly voted earlier this year in a precinct that wasn’t hers.

That’s according to a Wednesday column by Palm Beach Post columnist Jose Lambiet, who has reported several times about Coulter’s Florida voting problem.

Lambiet wrote yesterday: “Conservative pundit Ann Coulter, who makes a nice living commenting on the political process, may temporarily lose her right to be a part of that process.===

1,049 DAYS AND THE KILLING GOES ON AND ON…

Markfromireland,

How is yer boy doin’…I’m sorry, I been workin’ so much lately that I haven’t been able ta keep up with the FDL neighborhood news. As for the contracting of the military with the autistic teenager, I really believe that the family and the young man should have the same “opportunities” or choices that others have. Even though I believe that the military breaks more men (and women) than it makes…I am firmly behind a representative, diverse and “civil”, not professional, military. I believe that we need a draft under the guise of “universal service” in which the civil society excercises control over the military thru universal service. I am convinced that if it were not for the draft, we would still have 500,000 troops in South Viet Nam.

I admire your work and the continuity of your social and political values with your experience.

KEEP THE FAITH, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE ENOUGH OF THESE BASTARDS TA KEEP US BUSY!!

RE; Ann Coulter.

Perfect example of why ball gags were invented.

sonate: regarding my #83- looks kind of crazy written out like that, doesn’t it?

the way he smiles in that photo…

the sheer genius of it.

it is with such subtle machinations that this dictatorship took over the greatest democracy in the world.

when it comes to setting foreign policy, republicans & democrats, excepting brave souls like feingold & rangel, are joined at the hip as they try to please the arms manufacturers — until we have a political party that has enough cojones to chart an independent foreign policy, we’ll never be able to deal with our domestic mess — america’s elite like nothing better than to see us fixate on domestic problems while the elite meet to defeat our purpose by wasting our resources overseas, the very resources we could be using to rebuild & modernize our industrial plant

when bush attacks iran, democrats will cheer — when bush splits iraq into three parts, democrats will cheer — but such moves will lead to our pauperization at home

This is waaaay OT (and probably old – apologize if so) but I just read that Ken Mehlman came out – with “I’m Not Gay!” Whaaaa?

Now I’m not a gay person so I’m not even close to being an expert on this, but I don’t believe that for one second. My guess is he was responding to a direct question about his gayness and he’s probably never been asked it right to his face – so he just did what republicans do – lie, especially considering his party’s homophobia and anti-gay policies.

Does anyone think it’s possible that he’s straight? I mean, I don’t care one way or another, except for the hypocrisy of it all. Too weird…

http://pageoneq.com/rssfeedstuff/index.php?id=7285

Mary (#107)
Bc of Gonzales position on torture and enemy combatants, the Army’s new manual (including the one for Manuel) may end up being partly classified.
To heck with Bush- first off impeach Gonzales.
Then be tough about who gets the next nod and start working down the line of “actings†until you get someone who believes in following the law and upholding the Constitution. At that point, Bush is screwed. All it takes is Justice (the Dept, not the personification) to take a stand and most of the worst of what has happened to this country grinds to a halt.”

Mary, Really?? I doubt that our “foxhole” Dems even have the stomach for that, but that gives me some (abiet litle) hope for the survival of our country as a republic. Thank you.

Atrios is pointing out that the telcos could be liable for billions.

They could be. My only question was on whether there was some other law that superceded the various privacy statutes. And, according to Think Progress, FISA does not. Go to Think progress, they have a good short paragraph on it.

OT, but Brad DeLong was just on Marketplace, demolishing the BushCo snake oil tax cuts.

Is it possible the Republicans are not the party of values?

ccmask:
Two planes and four buildings, I think.

Hey, buck up Mr. Delay, Jesus kept company with whores and thieves. You’ll fit right in.

-GSD

Has gannon been arrested too? Are they going to share the same cell? oh please, please, please, please ….

Thre’s an old Texas saying that goes, I know it’s in Tennessee, it oughta be in Texas, “Don’t let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya.”

op99 – good deal. fwiw, we’d defend you, too ;-)

kemo 109 – That’s about Scooty’s size, too. what, is it some kind of com[ensation thing with them? Scooty had those crutches to make himself look taller.

G’night folks *poof*

gannon: Whatreya in for?

Bugman: Money laundering.

Gannon: I’m sure you’ve heard stories about what goes on in here when the lights go out.

Bugman:(nervously) Yeah, I heard.

gannon: Well I’ll tell ya what, I’ll let you choose. You want to be the wife or the husband?

Bugman: Really! Oh, I’ll be the husband!

Gannon: Great, Now get over here and give your wife a blowjob.

Liarsson.

OK now I understand.
They just keep the records of who is calling to whom, perhaps for how long, sometimes also the conversation, because you know, you did receive that call from American Express Bangalore India and it was kind of strange, they offer you credit and you refuse… are you crazy or a terrarist…

new thread– get out of my underwear drawer!

A lawyer and internet expert on CNN just said yes, people can sue their telecom companies for giving out our private information to the government without our knowledge or consent – and that there’s a lawsuit in process against AT&T in California we should keep an eye on for clues as to how it could play out…

Can wiretapping evidence be used in Federal Court?

chisholm,35:”I think this NSA thing is the tipping point. I really do.”

Yeah, but in which direction?

Listening in the Dark – Wiretapping and Privacy in America
David Fillingham

Paper for MIT 6.805/STS085: Ethics and Law on the Electronic Frontier, Fall 1997

The government is charged with enforcing the law, and with protecting individual privacy rights – but of course no one values their privacy more than criminals! There is a fundamental conflict of interest between privacy and law enforcement. The history of the US Government’s attempt to reconcile these interests is long and tortured. First I’ll sketch the development of a basis for privacy, describing why it is that we feel we have such a right. Next I’ll describe the competing law enforcement and national security interests.

Read the rest of this great tutorial on the evolution of wiretapping here…..

http://swiss.csail.mit.edu/609…..pping.html

Tought I’d put this here….This is the link for the Gore Wiretapping speech….

In Martin Luther King Day address, Gore compares wiretapping of Americans to surveillance of King

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2….._0116.html

According to opensecrets.org, the only Democrat in the top five US Senate recipients of money from the telephone utility industry is… Hillary Clinton.

You will notice the order he asks god to bless things…speaker of the house, president, fellow house members, the the nation at large and nowher does he mention the constituents

It’s Ernie FLETCHER, and bluegrassreport.org has a lot of information on his jobtrot scam. TPM as a lot on him in their Grand Ole Docket, Kentucky files.