http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRA…..kl.01.html

I just read a horrible Reuters article on The Dixie Chicks, titled “Dixie Chicks Bush-whacked at record stores”

Basically said that even though they debuted at no. 1 with almost no radio airplay, their sales of 525K “pale” in comparison to their last record that opened with 780K.

Gee – could this maybe be because ALL album sales are down?!

Idiots!

It also mentions that Rascal Flats opened in April with 778K. Big Whoop.

And because that wasn’t enough idiocy for one article, they talk about how the Chicks have left their country base by working with producer Rick Rubin, best known for (in their words), “his work with funk-rock band the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who had ruled the charts for the previous two weeks, and with deceased Nashville renegade Johnny Cash.”

Because Johnny Cash isn’t very country, y’know…

Sheesh! Talk about trying to manufacture a story.

http://today.reuters.com/News/…..CHICKS.xml

Fairuz is more accessible, if that means anything, more western influence. I like her just fine.

The “Patumayu” series has a raft of great world music as you all know.

No one person gets the glory or the sole responsiblity for any disaster and I don’t blame one person. I do blame a lot of people, and he would be on the list, for turning their back on the Constitution. When you look at the genesis of a train wreck, there may be a lot of people who, if they had things to do over would do them differently (I would on a lot of things), but that doesn’t mean that you can see the wreck through the lens of what might have happened, just what did happen.

No one involved in the policy and legal decisions that were made is a child or unwise to the world. Clients always want to push the boundaries; politics is always about power; political clients use lawyers as a tool for power or to escape consequences of misuse of power. Substitute military for political and you have Mora’s situation. I’m not saying I would do better – I’m sure I wouldn’t. I’m not that drawn to power so I’m not likely to be in such a posititon to start with (and luckily for everyone I haven’t had those kinds of things dumped in my lap). Plus, I am a wimp. I don’t pretend to be more.

I’m also the wimp that really is bothered by terrorists. I know how I have felt about the war in Iraq and can absolutely sympathize with the feelings of someone who has been even more frustrated, but from another set of circumstances. Someone who has been on the frontlines dealing with the victims and the horror, not just pictures but people, of the prior assaults. Who would be human and not rage against that? People who have to dig in and live in the minds of people like terrorists as a part of trying to do something to counteract them.

I know that there was tremendous frustration by people who were dealing with the front lines that Clinton was dropping the ball. I know they had to shoulder a very nasty series of episodes that didn’t even register for most of America. To know that more was coming, to see the result on 9/11 – the devastation that everyone else felt, they probably lived X 5 or X 10 or more.

You want to do something and when you have almost on a silver platter that something good can come out of it, a new focus on addressing the problem and a commitment on behalf of the GOvt and the will of the people to be behind you – of course you want to take that and run with it. I can have tremendous sympathy with that and still say and belive – history has already taught us this lesson.

Good motives. Even the best of motives. The best of motives from people who have done the work that no one else wants to do and lived that cost. Death threats, pictures of the killed and maimed always with them, disturbing insights into the minds of terrorists. You go from a point where this is under the radar and no one caring – to where suddenly you have a whole country that says, “do something” and what do you do?

If it sounds like I am unsympathetic I’m sorry for that. Complex situations and reactions are hard to address in paragraphs here and there. I don’t know the inner workings of anyone involved (I don’t know the inner workings of lots of people I have known for years even) and I absolutely believe you if you say people involved have been very troubled. Since I don’t know them, even my sympathies may be wildly off base.

But with all that, I watched the Patriot Act unfold with misgivings bordering on dismay and Padilla with deep deep depression. I think it was this site that posted a link to an article where Comey was on his way to the position of Dep AG and was specifically asked about the military v. criminal response. So I don’t think he went in unprepared for the nature of the struggle. Still, I also know that it can be a little like being in a combat group to have lawyers working together and the last thing you want to do is take aim at the people you work with. It goes against every instinct, even if you sometimes hate their guts. You just don’t do it.

I don’t know if that ameliorates anything I have said, bc I do still have to say I don’t look and see a hero. My initial response was more cautionary, bc I saw people here having what I thought might be unrealistic expectations that could hurt them later. I truly don’t see how someone like Comey, at this late stage, testifies to the judiciary committee to any good effect, even if we knew what he would say.

That is partly bc I don’t expect him to break the rules – I don’t expect that of lawyers in general. I would especially not expect it from those who have been able to look back and see what comes from ignoring the rules. You don’t break them for the frustrations of a GWB any more than you break them as a quickie end run for addressing terrorists.

That’s not fun and ez for me to say. I would love to see people ditch privilege and classifications and scruples and just tank the bad guys. Except I wouldn’t. Bc the costs are long term and too high. So I have low expectations that having Ashcroft and Comey to testify before the Judiciary Committee would be a cathartic and cleansing experience with the emergence of some heroic figure. Those are just my expectations though, and maybe I foisted them too strongly?

I think Fitzgerald has done an incredibly good work on the mess that he took on, but I don’t see a hero there either. OTOH, I like that others see heroes – I think you get what you expect sometimes and it’s a nice thought. My personal priorities rank the way in which we have addressed American values and principles, throught the Patriot Act, covert domestic spying programs, enemy combatant status and Padilla, much higher than how we deal with nasty lying political operatives (although Plame obviously has much bigger ramifications as well) so while I think it has been fascinating to watch and I am shocked at how much Fitzgerald has pulled off, staying in the lines, it’s hard for me to say, “Padilla is fine bc we may end up getting Rove” or feel something similar.

I look at what is basically some incredibly good work done on cases like Cunningham (some great work done there too) and I would like to get excited about that, but there is not one thing that is done that doesn’t make me go back to the fact that so many good lawyers, standing by silently. I think America in general has tremendous trust in our law enforcement and our military personnel. I know I have. Trust is a handing over of power and when that power is misused, the trust is never the same. As a matter of faith I would say that when the Bible tells us to trust in the Lord, it is partly bc of the risks of trust, but more bc it can be tremendously unfair to someone to place your trust in them.

Even so, when you ask for, and even, as with the Patriot Act, demand that trust, it is your responsiblity. When you tell people that some good guy will be there to come forward if there is an abuse, you have the duty to be that good guy. All IMO. Maybe not a fair opinion, maybe not enough shades of grey in my opinion, maybe not enough respect for things I don’t know enough about. I’m open to any of those things being true.

But for now, I still have the same opinion. As prosecutors who are able and willing to make someone pay, DOJ and various elements have been able to shine. As defense counsel for a Constitution that had no one else to defend it, because of secrecy and political maneuverings, they’ve done a very bad job and that is ongoing. And the effect of that failure to represent and protec that interest is ongoing.

OTOH, I’d never say those things aren’t my responsiblity – citizen, lawyer or whiner – as much as theirs. I’m not super proud of every thing that I haven’t done the last 5 years either. More than not proud – ashamed.

Best bar bands I’ve ever caught:
Sonia Dada
Billy (Vera) and the Beaters
Textones (w/Carla Olson)
Chuck E. Weiss and The goddam Liars
Delbert McClinton

Could y’all keep doing these once in a while?

Sisterhood: powerful.