Fitz!!

Almost!….Fitz 2

I hate that Arlen Spector and Rick Santorum are my congressmen. I will call them anyway.

criminals -liars, thieves & killers

Fitzo de Mayo is coming. . . . soon we hope

If not we always have the Fitz of July to look forward to.

If there is any relief to my blind rage, it is that more and more insiders are squealing on their Fuhrer.

More and more of BushCo’s secret evil deeds are no longer secret. How much more will be revealed before we impeach, convict, and execute the sonofabitch?

I certainly hope the FBI can review all the telephone calls Dusty has made and to whom…

Wait a minute! They got a warrant to search Dusty’s places? Before busting in the doors?
What a concept. A search warrant! F’g wow!

Kind of puts the lie to the rest of their lies, don’t it?

Jfisk 3 - i am in the same crappy boat :(

Oh, and it seems the lines to Specter’s office are, uh, jammed.

fitzo de friday!

most Congresscritters are like mine: total phone freaks. They all have multiple cellies and landlines. Are they comfortable with strangers poring over their calling patterns?

First time poster, long time lurker-

I was going to stay in bed all day waiting for Fitzo de Mayo, but I heard CIA & warrants, and decided this will do for now!!

Arlen Spector is a tool- Has anyone thought of buying up bulk copies of “1984″ and sending those along to our congresscritters? I think some of them should bone up on what’s to come…..

qotd: If Kevin Bacon receives a wrong number call from a terrorist does that make me a terrorist?

Foggo agog? A go-go?! Go! Go! (and don’t come back…)
:)

Fornigate? Come on, can’t we call it ‘Portergate’?

Fornigate-o de Friday!

Scribe #8

LOL!

come to think of it: it really is quite remarkable for the FBI to be searching a top office at the CIA … very odd

Something I’ve noticed and would like to comment on - it would be great if you could write with more brevity. Sort of just get to the point, minus all of the “internal dialogue” and to and fro.

My God. Every, single post is like a legal brief. It’s too much.

Wake me up before you Foggo-go.

I sent e-mails and faxes to my Congressmen and Senators here in Utah yesterday and today. With a note on the bottom alerting them that the transmission was monitored and logged by the NSA.

*ilson -

bet they’re doing the G-Man equivalent of cartwheels at FBI HQ

Specter, what a tiger. Rowr. Too bad he’s toothless and made out of paper.

*ilson said:

come to think of it: it really is quite remarkable for the FBI to be searching a top office at the CIA … very odd

More proof there’s a war on between the intel agencies?

Let’s throw them all together, call them GOPgate, and give them numbers…

Plame = GOPgate 1.0
Cunningham= GOPgate 2.0
Goss/Foggo= GOPgate 2.1
Lewis, et.al = GOPgate 2.2
Abramoff = GOPgate 3.0
DeLay = GOPgate 3.1
Ney = GOPgate 3.2

We must be up to at least GOPgate 57 by now…

I wish I could trust the FBI but its always been a frikken Gestapo organization AND its present head covered up the last major GOP/CIA scandal - Iran/contra.
If they are not carrying on like KKKeystone Kops then they are usually to be found licking their fascist masters jackboots.
They could do a lot more digging on the Niger forgeries so why don’t they?
Muellar is a liar for the GOP gangsters - he must stand down.

JUST IN CASE ANYONE THOUGHT THE HOUSE DEMS MITE DOW SOMETHING IF ELECTED IN THE FALL

(We need a party that fites)

FROM FROOMKIN:

Impeachment (Non) Watch

http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....00879.html

Charles Babington writes in The Washington Post: “Seeking to choke off a Republican rallying cry, the House’s top Democrat has told colleagues that the party will not seek to impeach President Bush even if it gains control of the House in November’s elections, her office said last night.

“Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) told her caucus members during their weekly closed meeting Wednesday ‘that impeachment is off the table; she is not interested in pursuing it,’ spokesman Brendan Daly said.”

Maybe someone should ask the people in Congress how they feel about having their phone calls listened to (and the connection data filed) by this administration?

The CNN.com poll is up to 76% ‘creepy’ (184,000-plus responses).

Christy,
You have down time on your computer? I bet that thing is smokin’ at the end of the day!

Help me out here:

If Qwest, godbless’em, didn’t comply with the, erm, request to turn over records of its customers’ calls, then how, as a practical matter, could the NSA program actually work? I mean, wouldn’t the “spiderweb” collapse when a Qwest customer fell into it?

I don’t mean to bypass the legal and ethical considerations that are paramount here, but aren’t those considerations even greater considering that without ALL phone records, the entire program is practically useless?

If ALL records were important to this program, as seems logical, then the voluntary program should have been scrapped as untenable as soon as QWEST failed to comply/acted honorably. And if it were NOT voluntary and a legal action of the NSA as the Bush administration has suggesed, then why was QWEST not prosecuted for–I dunno–obstruction of obstruction of justice or somesuch?

I think we all know the answers, but I hope these questions are added to the pile for the various investigations afoot.

Nice graphic. That you in college, Redd? ;)

I blogged about one danger of the database: in a secret and authoritarian government, the definition of “the bad guys” is highly mutable. Already a number of reporters are likely to be in that category because they’ve revealed things that the government wants to keep secret. And the government’s retribution is not likely to be through the courts, which this Administration avoids.

Must read: Kung Fu Monkey’s FISA in One Syllable Words.

A sample (not from the one syllable part):
“There is nothing stopping the President from doing his job. That law may well be the easiest law in the world to follow, subject to the loosest court in the land. To boil it down mathematically, if you had an arrangment by which you could fuck other women, then three days later tell your wife, and 98% of the time your wife said “Sure, whatever,” you would still be working under stricter rules than the FISA law.

To extend the metaphor, if you told me you can not get laid enough under that relationship, I can only surmise that is because you are up to some very, very dodgy stuff. The legal equivalent of furries. Trek Furries. Scat Trek Furries. With Electro.”

SETIatHome is now part of a larger program at Berkeley called Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (info here that lets you use one piece of software to participate in SETIatHome and any of several other distributed-computing projects, such as climate prediction. It’s very cool.

While we await more breathless breaking news inquiring minds on the California central coast are seeking a fearless reporter to ask Pebble Beach Company if they are sticking by their AT&T partner for 2007 ATT/Pebble Beach Pro Am tournament.

WRT anony at #20

Christy, please not brevity! If we wanted brevity, we’d do MSM.

Less is not more! And we aren’t here for less!

op99 @ 32 –

A comment like that is enuf to get you a one-way ticket to Gitmo-On-The-Pecos . . .

Paddy,

1984 what a great idea

John Kerry also came out pretty strongly against illegal surveillance in general in an article he wrote yesterday at Kos. (h/t to Taylor) We should thank him, as well.

I realized that the antennas were part of the VLA, and wasn’t offended. They’re such obvious examples of highly sensitive antennas that it worked for me. Of course, I’m not an astrophysicist, which might warp my perspective. In reality, I don’t think the NSA is using antennas of any kind to monitor our communications. It’s too easy to just suck the data right out of the switches. You already have a building to house your equipment, you don’t need to worry about weather messing up your reception, and you have a ready source of power. Take it from someone who used to do that sort of thing (not for the NSA) - it’s a whole lot easier that way.

Avenging Angel - Last thread and this, so it is on topic. My bet is that it will not help Chimpco. Whether it is a “winner” now (I don’t know whether the polling was scientific or what the questions were), doesn’t mean that in time it will turn on Chimpco’s head. Give the Foggo corruption - is that really what they do at the CIA to protect us - and more information as to who the tens of millions being spied on are, and the type of information being collected - time to develop.

One of the many problems with the CM is that they declare “victory” way too soon. Sorta like some Preznit we know. A snapshot in time of initial reactions, without more information, is meaningless.

Agh…I can’t reach the regional rep for my Senator’s office. I want to ask a warm body, one that’s not just a poor administrative assist:

ARE YOU FINALLY GOING TO CENSURE THE LYING MORON NOW???

What’s it going to take? Is Bush going to have to say, point blank on national television,
“Nanner-nanner-boo-boo, you can’t catch me” before these f*ckwits do something about him???

Feingold was right when he called for censure; he is even more vindicated and justified now that the DoJ can’t investigate. What oversight is there at all to protect American citizens from illegal search and seizure, and when does it stop?

I suspect the Senate has been blowing off Feingold because of his position on McCain-Feingold finance reform; they need to be told to start representing us and not the corporations who cannot vote or we’ll find candidates who will.

I will be calling Specter and my reps post haste. I have also canceled my MCI long distance (they are a subsidiary of Verizon, I was distressed to discover) and switched to Sprint.

I hope a class action lawsuite is created soon so I can join. I want blood.

CNN now actually is showing a “live-eye” helicopter shot of the Foggo home

IT’S HOT NEWS ! ! !

So if the FBI can get a warrant to search the home of a deputy director of the CIA, can Congress get a search warrant for the NSA? Or would the NSA be able to quash the search warrant on grounds of national security?

I mean, who is accountable to who? If we can’t legitimately answer this question, we have a constitutional crises if not a coup by the national security industrial complex (brought to you by the Carlyle Group/Hallibuton/Dubai Worldwide LTD.

“Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) told her caucus members during their weekly closed meeting Wednesday ‘that impeachment is off the table; she is not interested in pursuing it,’ spokesman Brendan Daly said.â€

I swear these cowardly fucks are being coerced. What phone calls and/or other secrets do they have on Pelosi or her family to so easily whip her in line. i think that botox has seeped into her brain.

The cynical reason they haven’t been going to get warrants is they know they won’t get them even from FISA Courts.

From their past history you know they have been spying on Anti-War groups, Unions, Progressive organzations, Members of Congress, Dean and member of the National democratic party, and pretty much anyone else - reporters, media figures, rock stars, bloggers, Cindy Sheehan, the whole lot really of people they think are dangerous, which means everybody who doesn’t agree with them 100%.

The Vichy’s have formed an Anchluss with the freeping GOOBer’s - just like they have done in Germany, Israel and any number of countries.
And so the fight to the bitter death becomes extra-parlimentary. The netroots Left and the anti-state Right must unite in massive ‘ Diversity-of-tactics’ blitzkrieg.
Not one step back!
This is not a lame ‘ Popular front’ for losers but more like a rebel alliance that forms up real time co-ordinated and networked horns of an irresistable force - an Impi.
‘ Fuck with the bull and you get the horn’
Left of right doesn’t matter. Just so long as we rip them a new one.

Just The Facts…

United States of America
vs.
Lewis Libby

May 5th transcript —-> http://patrickjfitzgerald.blog.....facts.html

The Foggo raid is interesting. The thought crossed my mind that it might not be good news, i.e. that it might reflect a continuation of the WH war on the CIA, rather than an extension of the influence peddling scam per se.

I suppose that’s unlikely, but I’d be curious to know what Christy, Jane, et al. think who are following the story more closely.

I don’t think Leahy is the best person to trot out on NSA spying. He didn’t do all that great a job on the NewsHour last night.

Outside of the legal issues, I agree with Diane Feinstein: we have a constitutional crisis in the making. It is not right that 10-odd people in Congress are the only one informed about a massive program of this nature. It is not right that no investigation has been possible. This is not how our government is supposed to work. It is a terrible idea to have a system where members of Congress are informed of a secret program that might be illegal and can’t do anything about it because it is supposed to be a big secret. Members of congress opposed to the program are put in a terrible position.

Clandestine data-collection activities of this magnitude should never be done without the consent of the governed.

I wondered right after this whole NSA stuff broke that maybe these “I don’t have anything to hide” jokers would feel differently if they thought someone had a record of what guns they owned. Since they are so touchy about the government knowing about their guns, and nothing else, maybe this is a way to get through to them.

And then Tena over a first draft cut me a new one.

I still think this is a good idea.

I think Pelosi’s “impeachment is off the table” position is cover; she avoids the implication that by not taking a position, it is a possibility, and thus takes away an issue that could drive more Republicans to the polls on Election Day.

By the time the Dems take control, I think the majority of the people will be begging her to repudiate her earlier stand and throw the bum(s) out.

Jfisk, twolf1 - I suggest that if you’re progressives, consider voting for Chuck Pennacchio in next week’s primary in your state. I used to live in PA many years ago, and so still have an urge to interfere in its politics from time to time. Bob Casey, Jr. strikes me as a Republican politically, and he’s a candidate with a pretty lousy track record.

That’s one way you can change things for the better.

Incidentally that CNN poll on NSA phone data mining can be found here.

Poll still at 75% -> Creepy with 144,000 respondants (approx)

FDL people,

If you are going take evil money (i.e., the telecom ad on the left, attacking net neutrality), could you please at least write a post explaining why you are accepting it, and pointing out what a crock of shit it is? Thanks.

I understand that you need the revenue. And I know that there are certain free-speech issues involved (see the Nation’s advertising policy on this), but if you are going to post a deceptive ad it would behoove you to warn your readers about it. It sort of makes you look hypocritical to just let it run, you know?

I think someone already collected copies of 1984 to send to congresscritters. I seem to recall it being done a few months ago. It came up on a different blog, but my mind has gone a bit Foggo on this.

EPU –

I posted a (now EPU’d) response to your “membership” post — I see it as “tribal identity,” and it’s another key issue that the Democratic Powers-That-Be are totally clueless about.

deadlast and others - I am loathe to give Pelosi much credit for anything these days, but am thinking the whole impeachment off the table thingy is intentionally leaked (from a closed door meeting!) to beat back Ken Mehlman’s pearl clutching “they’re going to impeach the President!!” meme

EPU,

am always heartened when I find myself on the same track as the Evil One - was just reviewing my Maslow 101 night before last - excellent comment last thread

“Just ’cause you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get ya.”

Scenario: A major disaster on the scale of 9/11 or Katrina, real or fabricated; Bush declares martial law; within hours, all liberal, progressive, left-leaning websites become inoperable.
Believe it, they already have a list of who to close down, and you know the NSA has the technical means to do it.

Aside from the obvious law breaking that is the NSA wiretapping program, the Cheney/Rove administration sent out the Chimperor yesterday to say “9/11…wiretapping ok….Al Qaeda…move along….terra…nothing to see here…” and it’s just a big, treasonous lie. According to multiple reports, this program was under way prior to 9/11:

http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/006585.php

Spin that treasonous bastards!

Anne @ 10:43 am (#52) - By the same token, her statement just opens her up to charges of partisan hackery if she does decide to impeach him down the road. I think it’s better to tell people up front what you intend to do or not do and stick to it. Support erodes when people think you’ve lied.

Ugh — We don’t either endorse or oppose as a matter of principle any ad unless it is an obvious scam or pornographic. And we have written many opinions on the net neutrality subject if you bother to look before opening your big yap. If your attention span is too short to use the search box it does not make anyone here a “hypocrite.”

Advertisers support this site. Do you?

while I am impatient for a Fitz sighting, the CNN helicopter overhead shots of Foggo’s house being searched is rather entertaining!

Pelosi said on Kos that she was taking the gloves off. She runs into the RightWing spew machine and immediately retreats to her corner of the ring and cowers in a foetal position.

There must be a way of leaving impeachment option on the table without looking like a heap of jello - even if one is not intending to impeach. These are criminals who are currently “running” the government. If investigations confirm the criminal wrong-doings, they should face the consequences or at least leave the option open.

God. Why can’t there be a politically astute fighter at the helm right now. Not Nancy -EmptyWords - Pelosi. Yeccchhh.

Cujo - perhaps she should say that she does not see it happening in this Congress, and that what, if anything, happens in the next Congress remains to be seen.

Even “I don’t know” would probably be better than “definitely not.”

Reminded me of when saw Contact at the movie theater: I just cracked up when Rob Lowe appeared as the Ralph Reed character! He was even called Rich Rank or something. I thought it was hilarious.

I was the only one laughing though…

Maybe Pelosi should take a page out of the administration’s book, and when asked about impeachment, say “If the president can leave the threat of nuclear war on the table with Iran, I think we can leave impeachment on the table in the Congress.”

shoogarp #22

Do you ever get a response? Crickets chirping are the only response I get….

I’m starting to get so mistrustful of the powers that be that I’m starting to suspect some sort of conspiracy behind these polls . . . I mean, how helpful is it to the Bushies to have polls saying that a vast majority of Americans think it’s A-OK for them to be doing whatever they want in order to “fight terrorism� I mean, honestly. I just can’t swallow it.

Either that, or they really BELIEVE the Liar-in-Chief when he says, “We’re not listening!!†OMG. Much easier to believe the former.

RE: “playaphone”: EWWW!

Oh, boy…
_____

SACRAMENTO (MSNBC/AP) - California children would read about homosexuals’ contributions to history under a bill approved by state senators who often drew on their own childhood experiences in supporting the measure.

The bill would require California’s social science textbooks to include the contributions of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people to the state and nation’s history. California is the United States’ largest buyer of textbooks, with annual spending topping $400 million…
_____

You can just hear the red-meat-to-the-fundies uproar comin’ over THIS one.

Anne @ 10:53 am (#66) && (#68) - Either would be preferable to unilaterally taking the option off the table for what, at best, is short term political cover.

This just strikes me as an incredibly stupid and reckless thing for her to say. As far as I’m concerned, you never take impeachment off the table. It’s the one thing Congress can do to an out of control President. It’s like the government saying to an ordinary citizen “we will never, under any circumstances, arrest you or put you in jail”.

Professor Rat - Two points:

1. No organization is perfect, but there is a fair amount of professionalism at the FBI. There are after all FBI agents who did (and do) the grunt investigative work for Fitz and all the other prosecutors presently prosecuting or investigating myriad other repugs (Abramoff/Delay, Cunningham/ MSM, Foggo/Hookergate, etc., etc. Some may wear jackboots, doesn’t mean they all do, and the facts actually support that most don’t. Don’t denigrate them all with blanket accusations, or if you do, at least do so with some facts.

2. I still have never read a cogent explanation of how exactly Israel is responsible for anything that is wrong with THIS country, its foriegn policy, Iraq, terrorism, the price of gas, lack of healthcare, corruption, etc., or even that Israel (either its existence or treatment of Palestineans) is the root cause of MidEast instability. Either back it up with fact (and I’m talking real facts, not some bullshit like AIPAC is a powerful lobbying group or Chimpy read Revelations too many times or that there are too many Jews in the State Dep’t). You can blame Israel for many things, but American political stances and adventures are done, for good or ill, rightly or wrongly, for America, not any foriegn country, Israel or otherwise. All the same issues, other than whether Palestineans have a homeland (and they deserve one) would still exist. Palestineans have been everyone’s bastard stepchild pawn, be it the US, Russia, Europe, Iran, or the Arab States. They have always been shit on, and used, by everyone - sad but true.

Do you really believe that 9/11 wouldn’t have happened if there was a Palestinean homeland (whether Israel existed or not), that Shia and Shiite would be living in peace, that territorial ambition and nationalism wouldn’t exist. If you do, at worst you are naive.

Which of course begs the questions: are all Catholics Papists? And should we be worried?

Gen. Poindexter and DARPA’s Total Information Management was rejected AND UNFUNDED by congress in 2003. not to be alarning, besides … “”data-mining,” the use of sophisticated algorithms to discover unusual patterns of behavior within the matrix of as many American transactions as could be searched.” there was … “facial and gait recognition technology (Project name: Human ID at a Distance.) DARPA can identify an individual by the contours of their face or by their walk from distances as far as 150 feet with accuracy over 90%, and the project’s prospectus for 2003-2004 includes extending that capacity to 500 feet, with a 24/7 identification system - literally a constant watchful eye…” and then folks, …”TIA technology eventually be extended to law enforcement, building on existing technology such as traffic cameras…” and who knows what else is already in place. the article linked to research paper “Weighing Benefits and Privacy Rights: Terrorism Information Awareness” by John’s Hopkins Undergrad Tim Junio from 2004. it’s a very informative read.

Pelosi said on Kos that she was taking the gloves off.

John Kerry said he was taking the gloves off, in the Fall of 2004.

Memo to Beltway Democrats: quit telling us your are taking the the gloves off, and JUST DO IT!!!

see Murtha, (D-Guts)

On Quest:

If it would have been that important, the Bush administration would have gotten a warrant to get the information from Quest. This tiny fact suggests that BushCo wanted the information for some other purpose. Like maybe building a prototype model for Total Information Awareness?

By the way, where is John Poindexter these days. Last I heard, he was forced out of the civilian part of the Pentagon because of his efforts to build a “futures market” on terrorist activities and his involvement in Total Information Awareness.

Congress should ask if he is working at NSA these days…oh, I forgot…congress does not have the security clearances high enough to investigate national security matters (my bad).

….at worst best you are naive….

Call AT&T executive offices at 800 222 0400 and ask them why they’ve violated their privacy commitment to you. Hear an amusing explanation of the secret laws that take precedence over our country’s actual known laws.

You know, with all the talk of possible impeachment—whatever stance the Dems take just *might* be ok (I surprise myself saying this…). The fact is, the underlying ASSUMPTION is, Shrub DID DO SOMETHING to deserve impeachment. I mean, the Repukes are not even challenging the assumption that he WOULD be impeached!!

Even they know he committed high crimes and misdemeanors!

William Timberman @ #50:

The Foggo raid is interesting. The thought crossed my mind that it might not be good news, i.e. that it might reflect a continuation of the WH war on the CIA, rather than an extension of the influence peddling scam per se.

The same thought occurred to me. If some “higher up” had nothing to gain from this, you can be sure we wouldn’t be hearing about it on CNN.

Christy:
This is entirely off topic for this thread but I wanted people to see it. People who may want to chuck their AT&T, Bell South or Cingular service for another service need to see this:
(http://rcrnews.com/news.cms?newsId=26354)

“T-Mobile USA Inc. and Verizon Wireless said they did not participate in a data-mining operation run by the National Security Agency that collects phone records and looks for trends that would indicate terrorist activities.
USA Today said Verizon Communications Inc. was involved in the program but Debra Lewis, spokeswoman for Verizon Wireless, said the wireless carrier is not involved.

T-Mobile USA, which is owned by German telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom AG, said it is not participating.

“T-Mobile is not a participant in any NSA program for warrantless surveillance and acquisition of call records, and T-Mobile has not provided any such access to communications or customer records,†said Peter Dobrow, T-Mobile USA spokesman.

Cingular Wireless L.L.C. and Sprint Nextel Corp. both declined comment but stressed their commitment to customer privacy.

Cingular is owned by AT&T Inc. and BellSouth Corp. Both of these companies were mentioned by USA Today as participants in the program. The only Bell company to not participate is Qwest Communications International Inc. Qwest does not have its own wireless licenses but resells wireless service using Sprint Nextel CDMA network in Qwest’s 14-state territory.”

We need to know what our money is supporting and until companies will tell us if they are involved we should not give them our money.

I’d hit it.

*poof*

Christy — the search for intelligent life could have started at the WH — but that would have been a waste of taxpayer dollars. What if we heard from aliens, and they were all neocons?

I have T-Mobile wireless, but BellSouth landline. I’ll be using my cell a lot more. Time to upgrade my plan.

paddy #13

Welcome to FDL as a first time poster. Glad to have you as part of the community.

Personally, I think we are way past “1984″ and that BushCo is working on “Twenty twenty-four (2024): the crystaline behavior matrix or programmable hologram of of society.”

Remember, its good for bidness.

Where is Rep. Pelosi’s finger when she thinks she is testing the political winds?

Today Dan Froomkin describes Bush’s approval crashing down through the psychologically significant 30% - and in the same piece tells me my Congresswoman opposes impeaching the Wiretapper-in-Chief.

Every time the Repugs’ media marionettes tell the Dems “hitting us will kill you Dems and immunize us Repugs”, the Dems drop their clubs and run away. Will someone please tell my Congressperson about Brer Rabbit?

I’d do it, but I’m too busy bundling up my old phone records for her.
_____________________________________________

Hi fdl’ers -

The magic of the blogosphere ensures Rep. Pelosi’s office will see that bit of snark - in public!

I admit to taking a guilty pleasure in publicly adressing my Congressperson.

In a place her staff reads and posts in!

It’s lots ‘o fun, and the more the merrier.

Which brings me to the reason for posting this.

Rep. Pelosi and Sen. Reid both say they’ll be attending the kos gathering in Vegas in June. Their offices can’t now pretend not to be reading Kos (I’m sure they read fdl, too, but that’s another story)

Between now and June 8 we have the opportunity to ask Reid and Pelosi all the questions we want - in a very public forum.

So I’m not here to blogwhore (not with writers like Jane and Christy and the guest posters and the commenters), but just to inivite fdl’ers to join in asking the Democratic leaders what they fuck they are doing and why.

The gathering starts June 8 - so many topics, so few days to post.

[ps - the guilty part of the guilty pleasure arises from typos and the like. My Congressperson deserves the very best from me - as we do from her.]

i just got through to Arlen Spector’s office. talked with a human!
she took my message!

roar!

Great post, Christy. Dan Froomkin’s column is also great today. He links to a ton of MSM editorials against the latest NSA revelations, and he posts an awesome list of questions raised by his readers to ask Tony Snowe in his new job as press secretary. The questions are heartbreakingly good–too bad we won’t get any honest answers, and most of these questions won’t ever be asked by the MSM.

EPU –

George Ball, the Under Secretary or State that predicted the course of the Vietnam War in 1965 (and resigned in protest) wrote a book on the USA/Israel relationship:

The Passionate Attachment: America’s Involvement With Israel, 1947 to the Present

http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ.....p;n=283155

It’s a good read, but it also made him radioactive — such is the nature of our relationship with Israel.

#77 “If it would have been that important, the Bush administration would have gotten a warrant to get the information from Quest.â€

Quest’s lawyers actually told NSA they would not give up the info without a warrant from the FISA courts—and the NSA *said* they would not ask them for one because they knew they could not get one!!

In other words, they KNEW no court would approve what they were doing—that means ILLEGAL, friends!!

It surprises me that this aspect of the story has not gotten more attention.

Scarecrow - I can assure you that aliens are NOT neocons. Most would be described as hippy-ish; lotsa tie dye. Seriously.

On this article, I’d like to see the WH identify, by name and city, anyone arrested on terrorist-related charges based upon information gleaned from this phone # collection effort.
Also, if the WH really is wanting to roll up domestic terrorists, I think a total collection effort on bank accounts would be more successful. The bad guys always use many means of communication, and sometimes speak only in cryptic terms/phrases. But they always need a money pool to use to stage their attacks. Now, I do NOT endorse such a measure…but it just further points out to me that this WH/NSA effort to collect phone #’s is, at best, incompetent.
Ghostman

I should be surprised if the search of Mr. Foggo’s residence turns up anything. Basically, this guy’s been given all the forewarning of an air raid siren.

If the FBI does find anything incriminating, Mr. Foggo is not as smart as I would have assumed.

Nice picture, Redd!

Just posted this below in the wrong thread:

Surely Foggo would have already cleaned out his office given recent events, and surely the FBI would have expected him to have already done so. Makes their raiding the place seem as much an opportunity to asssert their “authoritay†as anything else.

And I sure would like to have seen the looks on the neo-spook faces when all the G-men and women dropped in on them. Here’s hoping it incited a major turf war.

Also, I’m wondering how the FBI got into the building–I mean, did they just flash their badges and wave their warrant at the front desk or did they have some sort of inside assistance? Trying to picture the whole scene is messing with my mind too.

Oscarsmom 91 -

Bush fully intends to do as he wishes until The Court reins him in. And, he’s counting on that being a long way off, if ever. And, all he would need would be 5 votes backing his “plenary” play.

Before offering up congrats to congressional dems, I counsel waiting to see if they’re prepared to fight. I don’t mean a dog-and-pony show type fight, either.

I’m not at all convinced they have it in them. They shouldn’t need a deluge of phone calls and letters from outraged constituents to light a fire beneath them, for one thing. They should know what to do without being told.

Bethie 82

Those of us who are on the *right* coast can’t get Qwest. I use Working Assets for LD and they are party to the ACLU lawsuit against the wiretaps. I highly recommend. They also raise money for progressive causes.

I called them and my local service Trinsic who said they also did not give out our records. I told them they needed to post something on their web site to that effect. They can be gotten on the E. Coast.

I don’t trust Verizon Wireless on this and am looking into finally switching off them to Working Assets for wireless too. We need to publicize who the good guys are once we find out and all get on board.

Ghostman says:
May 12th, 2006 at 11:19 am

On this article, I’d like to see the WH identify, by name and city, anyone arrested on terrorist-related charges based upon information gleaned from this phone # collection effort.
_____

Sorry, that TOO has to remain secret. Might reveal “sources & methods.”

ck - It is not that we don’t have a “close” relationship with Israel, it is whether that relationship is ultimately the cause (whether in large or small part) of any of Chimpco’s actions (or any Dem admins actions). At the end of the day, even if it somehow helps Israel, the motivation is what is best for America (whether its people or businesses or anything else), not what is best for Israel. The mere fact that it might be good for Israel doesn’t make it logically follow that it was done for Israel’s benefit.

I ask Prof. Rat (or anyone else) to support his statement with facts. Maybe he can.

The picture– a biker gal at Daytona Bike Week or something??? criminy!

EPU #92

Who knew an evil universe could have such fun-loving inhabitants? Our own evil universe seems alien to me now, and humorless by comparison with the great one. We are bereft.

EPU @ #74

Well said. I’ve known several FBI agents and employees over the years. Some were dedicated, inspiring officers, others were devious, incompetent, or merely time-clock punchers.

Re Prof. Rat and the Israel thing: I’ve been quite critical of Israel here and elsewhere. But I try to limit criticism to specific issues of government policy, settlement activity, etc. And I can be just as critical of any other country’s government.

That being said, it is important to realize that politicians and policy makers at the national level in our country are notable in their lack of criticism of Israeli policies in the occupied territories which are clearly provocative, if not illegal.

EPU # 92…

Really? All the ones I’ve met are way more “Sex Pistols” than “Grateful Dead”….

Just can’t teach an ELF how to color-coordinate…..

I want to take a moment to let everyone know about a fantastic program that we do here at our house: SETI at Home.

on the davenport, the ottoman, or on the settee?

Totally agree BobbyG #97—I like what Al Franken said yesterday: “What Bush doesn’t realize is that the next president might not be as NICE and TRUSTWORTHY as he is!!â€

Hard to argue!

100, BobbyG….chuckle. They probably would say that!
Hmmm…let’s see……I remember the arrest from….2002? Those guys up in Lackawanna (sp?)…they were arrested on terrorist charges as I recall. And, by WH admission, this program was already in place. What then did the phone # collection efforts yield? That’s been over 3 years ago…anything?
Padilla? Anything come from the phone ” collection on his phones?
Ghostman

from everyone’s favorite Newt:

I don’t think the way they’ve handled this can be defended by reasonable people. It is sloppy. It is contradictory, and frankly for normal Americans, it makes no sense to listen to these three totally different explanations.

EPU 92: you can’t convince me that neocons are not Klingons.

Re FBI search: I guess the NSA had no problems giving security clearances to the FBI for any NSA-related papers/files that might be found in Foggo’s office.