Dammit. I’m leaving for AC right at 9 and since my trip starts via PATH I won’t get any phone service.

The good news is that I’ll probably run into Bill Bennett at Borgata and can tell his sorry ass off for his shamefulo shilling for Bush this morning on Today.

Oh, and yes he DOES still gamble. Just at more, shall we say, discreet places.

FITZ!!!

OT but … Some good Joe Conason about the not so good joe.

~~~

“The conventional narrative of what may become Joe Lieberman’s final campaign for public office—parroted faithfully by pundits and politicians who admire the Connecticut Senator—is a moving tale of courageous dissent in the very maw of fanatical extremism. It is the story of a supremely decent public servant, purged by party activists with a mean-spirited, shortsighted, single-issue obsession. And it is a fable with a familiar moral, supposedly proving once more that the Democratic Party cannot be trusted to protect America.” …

http://www.observer.com/200607.....onason.asp

The administration is already taking my calls, that’s why we are trying to have hearings on domestic spying.

I often write in to C-Span’s “Washington Journal” and - occasionally - they read my emails on air.

I’ve been trying, all morning, to frame an email to send to Al but - for the life of me - I can’t seem to come up with anything that would even remotely conform to FCC decency standards.

Can one transmit a bitch slap via email?

Has Specter dropped his lawsuit yet? Because we know he will.

Isn’t he already “taking our calls”?

So, thanks to our non-Diplomatic Diplomats like Bolton the Rome Cease-Fire talks have already broken down.

On to the musical!

Bomb the Lebanese

I sent a question in this morning. We’ll see if it gets on the air:

Dear Mr. Attorney General:

Local and federal investigators file complex criminal warrants with supporting documents every single day, and manage to not only conduct their investigations but actually nab the perpetrators. Why is the Bush Administration’s Department of Justice unable to do what local, state and federal law enforcement officials do every single day in America? If you don’t have enough staff to do the job, simply hire the people you need to do it.

I say this as a former prosecutor — oversight and balance of powers are essential to keep law enforcement from overstepping and violating the Constitution and individual citizen’s rights. Why does the Bush Administration continually try to find ways to duck any meaningful oversight by Congress or the courts? Especially when cops all over this nation — including the FBI and the DEA — do their jobs very well every day under the very same warrant and Constitutional constraints to uphold the Fourth Amendment. With a FISA Court that has rejected fewer than ten warrant applications in its entire 30 (plus) year history…why do you think George Bush deserves special treatment?

off topic suggestion christy

could the authors post their sig at the bottom of the abridged entry as well as the top?

I usually just go to the text without lookinf for the author, then when I want to post a comment I have to scroll back up to find outn who I am talking to

the authors name should be right after or before “read the rest of this entry”

would appreciate it

OfTSenate Passes Interstate Abortion Bill
By LAURIE KELLMAN The Associated Press
Wednesday, July 26, 2006; 7:13 AM
“WASHINGTON — An abortion bill aimed at stopping people from helping pregnant girls skirt parental-notification laws has gained passage in both houses of Congress, but sticky political and policy disputes stand between it and President Bush’s desk.
Just moments after the Senate passed its version 65-34 late Tuesday _ with the support of 14 Democrats _ Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., used a procedural motion to halt its progress…

and by the way, I haven’t heard ANYTHING about fritz or the plaimgate goings on, if we could get some kind of update I am having a plaimgate jones

Good Mornin’ Firedogs,

Can one transmit a bitch slap via email?

some very good, short but sweet common sense snark from yesterday’s thread - I used it all day long to talk with folks about what Specter is doing -

hat tip MarkB from Austin

“One wonders why Specter didn’t propose a bill during the Nixon administration to make burglaries legal if the President authorized it. That would have cleared up that whole thing, wouldn’t it?”

beautiful in it’s economy, no ?

I too am a CSpan3 junkie — today is the 4th Wednesday of the month and my pension check was deposited last night — normally I’d be out and about shopping but the Judiciary Cmte hearings could be just too juicy to miss — I also have to stay and watch Gonzalez lie and wriggle…

Hello, my name is Christy. And I’m a C-Span-a-holic. *g*

Larry King of CNN, for all his faults, keeps asking the faux-naif question : “To save human lives, why not just try a cease-fire and see if maybe it will hold?”

Dang — Condi Rice just interrupted the C-Span1 feed.

Small housekeeping item: on previous thread someone let loose with the random junk on 364 to 373, 376, 383, and 387. Firepups got some good riffs on them though.

I smell Caption Contest:

The two finalists in the Mr. Shit For Brains 2006 surprise each other at a contestant luncheon in DC yesterday

Whew — mercifully, Rice was short. They are back to regular programming. Not sure how I’m going to monitor C-Span1 and C-Span3 at the same time beginning at 9 am. *g*

Christy,
I can already hear the beginning of his answer to your question, “well, you know 9-1-1 changed everything…”

OT because I can’t not.

ccmask just shared a masterpiece here.

Gonzales: I’m sorry caller, I can’t hear you very well. [switches to an NSA earpiece] There, that’s much better.

Yes caller. I know you’re upset with the program. I heard you the first thousand times…

whoa, New Jersey is a doozy.

Someone mentioned that Condi and Kofi were in conference and were late to a scheduled press conference. That was probably Condi reporting on their ‘continuing talks’ … umm, hopefully neither was ‘carrying’ because if I were Kofi, I would have very heated comments directed at her.

Just as Condi reaches the apex of her ‘Brownie’ moment in full global glare, the longknives come out

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2....._0725.html

not having read the full article, am willing to bet these buffoons want Bolton in her place
(usual apologies if already posted)

cbl at 27 — oh HELL no! Talk about a diplomatic train wreck…as if Rice isn’t bad enough. (Must.calm.down…more.coffee.)

christy, FWIW

i de-lurked, or unlurked myself last night to not the warmest of welcomes, all because i had a different (yet civil) opinion on the crisis in the ME. one commentor bully went so far as to tell everyone to ignore me, which they did.
that did wonders for my ego let me tell you. Anyway, just curios why it is so difficult for people to listen to an opinion different than their own

cbl - of course they want Bolton. Their plan is to screw up everything around the world and then leave office and sit back and collect their royalties. Destroy the U.N., destroy financial solvency in order to stop any monies going to actually help people, not kill them (better money in bomb making), … And Bolton as Secretary of State which fit this plan nicely.

I would think those international corporatists that are funding much of this mess, will get a gut full of world war. But maybe not.

OfT Bush: New plan to help end Iraq violence
WASHINGTON -
President Bush said Tuesday a new plan to increase U.S. and Iraqi forces in the besieged capital of Baghdad will help quell rising violence that is threatening
Iraq’s transformation to a self-sustaining democracy.
“Obviously the violence in Baghdad is still terrible and therefore there needs to be more troops,” Bush said in a White House news conference with visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki….”

Redd
Thanks for the heads up. now all I have to tdo is think of o coherent question.

lo at 29 — sorry, I wasn’t up late last night (have to sleep sometime, I suppose). The situation in the middle east has a lot of people’s tempers flaring right now. We’ve been trying to encourage debate, but trying to keep a lid on nastiness, and I’m sorry if things got too heated yesterday.

The Arab/Israeli conflict is tied up in a long number of years of back and forth, and a lot of religious and political identification that is very, very personal for a lot of people. It is very difficult to step back from the personal and try to look at things from all sides, and I think that’s a big part of the reason why tempers tend to run high on this.

In any case, I’m very sorry if people weren’t civil. When I get time, I’ll take a look back through the thread.

Geez - Arlen’s doing a real job on misinterpreting his own bill. Can’t wait to hear some of the Dems, who I sincerely hope will call him on his misrepresentations.

Specter’s hearing has begun on C-Span3. Just FYI.

lo says:
July 25th, 2006 at 9:26 pm

look folks, i feel for all victims i am a mother too, but israelis are dying too! War sucks. IMO the israelis had to act. the us was to busy, the lebanese ignored it. Say what you want about israel and schlomo and yitchak, but sometimes you have to act in way people in ME society understand and that unfortunatly is in military terms.

lo, first, we had some comments tending towards anti-semitism, yesterday and Christy smacked him. Given the ridiculous position you’re putting forward, I would definitely ask you to show a little more respect towards Christy.

I can listen to a different opinion, but I do not like being called anti-anything because I disagree with an idea.

This is a community and we disagree sometimes. But to delurk just to voice an adverse opinion and then to disappear is not being a part of the larger community. Generally, people here are angered at the violence. And right now Israel is the bigger war power due to our tax dollars and planes and bombs, and those planes and bombs are killing woman and children — in our name. I do not like that.

lo — last night you popped in with the name of ‘anon’ and started with some ignorant stuff including spouting off that of course Christiane Amanpour is biased against Israel because she is married to a Palestinian. Informed folk jumped you on your biased ignorance of the facts. When you act like a biased dumbass, people tend to ignore you. Sometimes its best to listen and learn. Remember the old saying : its better to be quiet and thought a fool than to open your mouth and have it confirmed.

This morning you are back complaining about how you were treated after trying to sidetrack a lively discussion…

Sure hope someone asks why we aren’t just working to make the administration adhere to the current FISA.

I’ve got stuff to do this morning that may keep me from listening as closely as I think I would need to - sure hope you guys are “on the case!”

CHS at 21 Not sure how I’m going to monitor C-Span1 and C-Span3 at the same time beginning at 9 am. *g*

Online, split screen. Or one online, one TV. Volume low til you hear something interesting.

Hubert Humphrey once wisely observed that just because you have freedom of speech, nobody has to take you seriously!

apparently, they want Jim Baker, which again is non linear on their part, as he is more tied to the Saudis and less likely to give Israelis unlimited green lights thereby delaying their much anticipated thermo nuclear tea party in ME

oh, and btw,

“The criticism of Miss Rice has been intense and comes from a range of Republican loyalists, including current and former aides in the Defense Department and the office of Vice President Dick Cheney”

shocked !, shocked I tell you !

thanks christy, it wasn’t that bad and i don’t insult to easily. i have lurked here long enough to know that most commentors are pretty friendly..I will say egregious and conzumel welcomed the debate and i thanked them for it. It was hard for me at first to portray a different point of view when i usually agree with the posts here, but i felt different view was needed and under-represented.

egregious at 40 — yeah, that I’m doing — but I’m going to have to listen to two at once. And I’m clearly going to need more coffee…

Excuse me, Jim Baker? The Fixer? Well I suppose there is some ’stuff that needs fixing alright.

lo,

Several people including myself welcomed you and offered some advice for a smoother ride here.

OfT
lo,
The U.S. kidnaps people in the ME all the time, but Bush calls it “extreme rendition,” and says the AUMF gave him the authority.

Hezbollah kidnaps two SOLDIERS and Israel starts knocking out infrastructure that will take decades to replace.

On this blog, you have a lot of people who support Israel’s right to exist. When Israel and the US treat the Palistinians in a manner that appears to be on a path that is headed towards the way the Germans designed the Warsaw ghetto, it’s a problem. There’s a lot of blame to go along for everyone. Israel is in a 4G war. You have air, land, and naval supremacy and it doesn’t matter. With oil over $70 a barrel, a lot of people can afford to continue to buy old rockets for Hezbollah.

http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/
Interested in your opinion on this site.

look guys slow down ….. grandmaj i dissappeared because i was pretty much told too. And that i made a mistake about christian amanpor i apoligized for that and will be more careful in the future, i let my emotions get the best of me. John casper you took my words out of context and just because you don’t agree does not make me ridiculous.

lo, I’ll take back the ridiculous.
I apologize.

Gang — I’m trying to live-blog the Specter hearing and pay attention to the Gonzales appearance. I do not have the patience to monitor a re-argument of last night’s disagreement, too. Please, for my sake, let this drop. And I’ll have a Specter hearing thread up in a bit.

christy #50 sorry, go back to doing what you do so well. john casper i will look into your web site.

wow, excellent comment– thought you were supposed to act as a prosecutor for enemies foreign and domestic; you are acting as defense counsel for the preznit.

He took my question!!!!!!!!!!!!

angie (52) I was just going to comment on that, but disgust at Gonzalez chokes me up.

what did you ask, angie?

Yay, Angie!!!

angie, you rock.

it sounds like Mrs. Gonzalez just called …

Patiently awaiting live blogging of Angie’s question and gonzo’s answer….

Dear Mr. Attorney General,

I watched with interest your recent testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee and was struck by your statement that the President has only issued 110- 125 signing statements when it is clear that the number is actually between 750- 800 and the ABA has recently criticized this practice.

Michael Greco, President of the ABA, says that this “raises serious concerns crucial to the survival of our democracy. If left unchecked, the President’s practice does grave harm to the separation of powers doctrine, and the system of checks and balances, that have sustained our democracy for more than two centuries. Immediate action is required to address this threat to the Constitution and to the rule of law in our country.”

Mr. Gonzales, since you were under oath, what is your response to this?

(course he did not read that last part)

Arrrgh

Can’t get through by phone. Sent them an e-mail, but no luck yet.

Do you hear that woman THANKING him for the NSA spying program??

Sickening

lhp, that “Mrs. Gonzales”-caller was surely Abu’s momma. All I can figure . . .

Do you hear that woman THANKING him for the NSA spying program??

dankte sie ihm in der Muttersprache ?

Questions to ask AG are too numerous to count…I wonder if he believes that having a conscience just an inconvenient human quality.
Strange week. Matthew’s adminstration & bush rant on Imus was quite a surprise to me, he couldn’t get the words out fast enough. This from the guy who enthused over bush’s manly codpiece PR setup. Buchanan on KO last night also let fly on “not real conservatives” neocons & policies. Media reporting more on Lebanon/Israel crisis than on Iraq. The first line from old song popped into my head, “There’s something happening here, what it is ain’t exactly clear.”
I know I read that US ranked 24 in world for free press but can’t remember where. Anyone know so I can counter the “where did you read that, on the internets?” crowd with a solid source?
I have a young relative in Marines basic training now. No one in the fam could talk him out of it & damn, we tried hard enough. I just heard on the radio that the Army has the proper helmet liners but not the Marines. The liners protect from brains getting scrambled from too many close explosions. Worried sick about where he will be sent when he is done with basics in Aug & need any helpful info on what he will need that our adm refuses to provide.
Someone sent me the latest Madsen piece on June meeting of Cheney & ME former heads, etc..Israel got the go ahead nod from adm. Is this credible?

“How often do you read the Constitution?”

LMFAO

I sent one in by email, hasn’t been read yet

Mr. Gonzales:

Many people do not realize that the FISA court–begun in the 1970’s in repsonse to the domestic spying abuses of the Nixon Administration– is not a separate court system; that instead it is made up of regular sitting Federal District Court Judges who, in addition to their regular case load, also accept FISA cases during the period of time they are designated to do so. Likewise, FISA Court of Appeals Judges are regular Federal Circuit Court judges, adding the review of FISA appeals onto their regular duties.

These judges have enormous and ongoing experience with the evaluation of Title 3 warrant applications with their far more stringent requirements. They understand the constitutional balancing test that must be applied and application of such principles as exigent circumstances.

These judges also keep secrets, even National Security secrets as a regular course of their duties.

Why does this administration not trust these highly experienced professionals to do their jobs competently? Some of the judges in question were involved in these issues back when the folks in the current administration were still in Texas. Why does this administration not trust those with MORE years of experience and more specific experience in the area of National security related surveillance, to do a good job?

Signed
LHP, Esq.

well, actually I didn’t use my screen name

so sealed vs sealed is abu vs osama?

Today’s WaPo has an opinion piece by Ruth Marcus, that opens “Alberto Gonzales is achieving something remarkable, even miraculous, as attorney general: He is making John Ashcroft look good.”

That’s a tough thing to pull off . . .

It’s a good read, to accompany CSPAN (how’s that multi-tasking going, Christy?)

OfT
lo, I left a comment for you on the prior thread. Thanks for your response.

Excellent pointy question, lhp, and I hope — without holding my breath — that he takes.

[signed] lotus, ex-Esq.

I never get through on c-span

I guess I’d just ask why the AG believes the President has the inherent power to ignore the warrant clause of the 4th amendment with respect to US Citizens on US Soil.

Isn’t it a violation of your oath of office to work with the President to defeat the Constituitonal requirements of the Bill of Rights?

Then there’s: Why do you claim that the FISA court will not give you a warrant to listen to al-Qaeda calls. Has that EVER happened, that you had an application to tap al-Qaeda calls and the court said, no?

How many other programs of surveillance on US citizens are you keeping secret from the American people and do you feel obligated to tell the truth to the American people, even when you are not under oath.

And the me to me question: Isn’t the only reason to not get a warrant, especially when FISA gives you 3 days to go ahead and wiretap while you file your application, because you are NOT limiting the wiretaps to al-Qaeda.

Of course, the pragmatic question is - now that our Iraq venture has created so many more members of al-Qaeda, how do you guys keep up?

“How often do you read the Constitution ?”

every morning, in the bathroom, just as I tear off another piece

Arlen Spector represents us?!??

lo, you weren’t told to disappear, and despite your going off in a huff about being ignored by the cool kids, no one here stops talking to someone because someone else says so (most of us are way too pushy for that.) There are plenty of different opinions here on many topics, as I would think you would know if you lurk here, so coming in and declaring that “everyone” here is in agreement and they’re wrong, and stating your position in fairly inflammatory terms, you should not be surprised if you get people’s hackles up.

I know it can be tough with an emotional topic, but if you can state your position in fairly calm terms, and refrain from declaring what “everyone else here” believes, you’ll find that contrary opinions are not the problem.

Great questions CHS and LHP and I hope they take them.

My shoer is actually here today, so I’m going to miss Specter’s hearing and I’ll look forward to reading about it here.

ps lhp - hope your arguments went well.

So they’re gonna throw Condi under the bus, eh? Gee whiz, I thought she was headed for the White House.

No such luck.

Well she can always get the job she’s most qualified for : Denny’s hostess.

Getting a mite crowdy under that bus, innit?

cbl says: “apparently, they want Jim Baker…”
July 26th, 2006 at 6:01 am and 6:13 am

I read yesterday that Senator Frist lacks the votes needed to halt a filibuster of John Bolton’s nomination as United Nations ambassador. Were he to be nominated as Secretary of State, how likely is it that his nomination would survive a filibuster?

James Baker (who is 76 now), or someone like him, would stand a much better chance of confirmation.

How did Gonzales reply to Angie’s question?

Dennys, like the GOP, is also trying to overcome its reputation for racial discrimination — Condi knows how to work that schtick…

Q for mr. gonz.

Why are you such a fucking prick?

Any questions/comments from Gonzales about Bush personally squashing a Justice Dept investigation into domestic spying by refusing to grant security clearances?

FYI Juan Cole has a pretty detailed column wrt to al- Maliki and the democratic rebellion to his lack of apology with hx of the Dawa party.

http://www.juancole.com/

The caller pointing out that Osama is on th e most wanted list for the embassy bombibg? you know how that happened?

Our very own Patrick J. Fitzgerald, while affording every single constitutional protection that criminal justcie system contains, built a case and took to a GJ and secured an indictment.

Without cutting corners. Without violating Osama’s or anybody else’s rights.

Without raping the Constitution.

We know it can be done, because Pat has proven that he can do it.

(sorry if that sound’s kinda like a Tom Suozzi slogan– I watched the Spitzer Suozzi debate last night)

Peterr,
Tht was gonna be my call in question, but all I ever got were bust signals.

I guess there were a lot of callers on the dem line. Hmmmm, wonder why?

Peterr, he just said that the preznit was following precendent and that it was within his Constitutional powers and that he was respectful of Congress and that he thinks they could maybe do a better job of explaining this to the people.

blather.

I think Bradbury’s next job should be sales rep for some shuckster company.

Mary says “I never get through on c-span”
July 26th, 2006 at 6:39 am

What’s the best way to relay Mary’s questions? All of them are worth considering.

Marcus summed it up nicely, Peterr. Ye gods, imagine living in a state that was comfy with Abu as its chief justice and Dubya as its governor. Makes me dizzy. Oh … wait . . .

Pobrecito Senor Gonzalez got some hostile questions from wingnuts about why he isnt doing more about them damn Messicans illegal immigrants

From the FISA hearings -

hayden is saying there should be no geographic limitations on electronic surveillance. Americans should have no greater rights than foreign citizens in the eyes of the American government. And he just asked for amnesty for NSA/other intel officials who broke FISA law. wow.

Oh, about the satirical point about Specter/Nixon. Arlen joined Sen in 1980. His Sen website has the info. Don’t think he was House prior. Mebbe Penn/AG? Anyway, good food for thought, but not accurate. (hmmmm, who could have imagined? I have accuracy.)
——
About Condi…heck, if they could do it, they’d throw the whole State Dept under the bus with her, fer chrissakes. Defacto policy looks like that to me, anyhow.

angie says
July 26th, 2006 at 6:51 am

What precedent was he referring to?

Well, they tossed Colin Powell under the bus and only let him stay on if he would lie to the UN and the world.

Then he got a medal and a big fat goodbye and keep your mouth shut. Sorta ‘honorable discharge’ for the ‘good soldier.’

Stephen Parrish @ 88

What’s the best way to relay Mary’s questions? All of them are worth considering.

Call in on the Republican line? ;)

All the other presidents that issued signing statements before him, Stephen.

SP CPA -

I’m guessing he migha scoured the Articles of Confederation really closely to find the kind of precedent he’d want to cite. OTOH, IANAL; salt, plz.

‘Ear, Kludge.

LHP - how was the debate? Am trying desparately to find some good news and talking about Spitzer is always good.

And Angie, thanks for the Juan Cole link. Always enlightening. I have no clue what the dems are doing in this. Cole refers to them as the AIPAC Dems…

Christy’s got new hearing threed up…

My boyfriend just realized he can stream C-SPAN (we have no TV) - he is so happy about that it almost makes up for his out of control allergies.

Christy. re: multi-tasking/sanity

You need ’split-screen-personality-trait’.

ADHD kids do grow up &, in very personal case I’m intimately familiar with, retain the ’syndrome’as adults - sigh.

It can be an extremely useful ‘gift’, if one learns how to apply it, at least partially, at will. *g*

My sympathies to you for only being ’super-charged’ (comes attached to gifted brillance such as yours), & not ‘hyperactive’ (out-dated term for those not as able to concentrate on just one thingie, as you, more purely smarties)

YOU GO GIRL! You are a precious gift to the world!

redshift #74

point taken- i should nevere lump “everyone” together as having one opinion. I just felt like those most vocal were portraying only one side. But being as christy asked us to drop it, i will brush up on my blogging social skills and move forward. gotta get my kids ready for camp!

Great. Bradbury wouldn’t answer Leahy’s question about whether or not soldiers’ emails would end up in a government databse.

Does Bradbury have a good nickname yet? He deserves one.

lhp @ 85

Great minds . . .

I miss imm.

angie says: “All the other presidents that issued signing statements before him, Stephen.”
July 26th, 2006 at 6:57 am

If you’re referring to precedents for signing statements, I agree.

What I was referring to was your response to peterr’s question: “Any questions/comments from Gonzales about Bush personally squashing a Justice Dept investigation into domestic spying by refusing to grant security clearances?” You responded by stating “Peterr, he just said that the preznit was following precendent and that it was within his Constitutional powers and that he was respectful of Congress and that he thinks they could maybe do a better job of explaining this to the people.”

So if the president was following precedent by refusing to grant security clearances, what precedent was Alberto Gonzales citing? Did he cite any case law? Can he show us where the word inherent appears in the Constitution?

Mary says:
July 26th, 2006 at 6:39 am

Were you unable to e-mail your questions using the e-mail address that Christy provided?

lo

Don’t know if this has been said in comments yet, but FDLers have some very wise/handy protective devices to fend off trolls.

When you’re were all wrought up, & suddenly exploded into your 1st comment, my guess is you triggered a number of these all at once. Ouch!
Some background I’ve noticed about this unusual and wonderful site (please correct me at will, more experienced FDLers, thanks):

-commenters deep into meaningful discussion aren’t going to be receptive to OT comment, especially one that bursts in as full-blown tirade, from a stranger yet. Reactions could range from totally ignoring you to verbally popping you on the nose - neither fatal, but both discomforting to a newbie.

-in fact, commenters totally new to FDL routinely feel somewhat ignored for awhile, as ‘regulars’ get used to their style & size up the possibilities of whether the newby is a troll or crank up to no good, or someone genuinely interested in participating in meaningful discussion, and listening to ideas other than their own.

-overly emotional right-off-the bat, or overly self-involved, both are highly likely to trigger an ‘ignore’ response.

-makes it a little hard on some who are used to presenting an i.d., bit of personal background, et al., initially, as what they deem to be ‘proper’ intro.

Stick around. You’ll gradually realize that there are some tremendously high-powered credentials, and great wisdom, among rather deliberately low-key commenters here. That, plus superb moderation by Christy and the others, makes the site all the more powerful, democratic, and meaningful.

It’s a good place to be.

(((((peace)))))

Stephen I was answering Peterr’s question at 79.

This Bradbury guy reminds me of a used car salesman.
He has a great poker-face when he is dodging the question.

lo

one more:

I’m too new at this to be sure, ’cause I don’t blog actively elsewhere, but I get the strong impression that the moderators here are a lot more careful and helpful to maintaining a sense of balance tw’ serious discourse and other types of commentary.

They don’t use a heavy hand at all. There’s no “censorship” per se, except in one way — ABSOLUTELY NO abusive posting is allowed. Even then, an offending poster is warned, or otherwise informed what’s happening.

The basically serious nature of FDL’s “mission”, if you want to call it that, attracts a lot of very serious, concerned folks. Discussion on such serious topics is exhausting for both posters and moderators.

Antidote: surely you’ve noticed plenty of free-wheeling *snark* — somewhat sharp-edged, often free-wheeling fun. It’ll pop up any time, a little or a lot. HARD for a newbie to tell what’s okay & what’s not, as well as determining what the bloomin’ heck is going on.

*snark*, & OT (going off topic, almost always with a warning at the beginning of a post to warn readers of that fact, and often written “with apologies” of some sort), are extremely valuable,IMHO, as safety-valves - a quick way to let a little of the steam off the top, so the discussion can continue in a serious vein, with a minimum of coronaries among the participants.

apologies, guys, for going on & on, but EPU territory sure is better than active topic, for this sorta stuff, [at least I got that impression. let me know if I’m wrong, some time ;->].

Grandma J

In case you check the EPU zone

The Suozzi Spitzer debate was full of fireworks. i don’t think either side scored a decisive win. It was lots of thrown elbows. Fn to watch, but it didn’t resolve any problems for either campaign

I thought he already was taking our calls.

why does someone always post the word “Fitz” at the beginning of a blog post? he turned out to be a dud and its all over anyway. Shouldn’t we move on to something else?

Hope springs eternal in the human breast;
Man never Is, but always To be blest:
The soul, uneasy and confin’d from home,
Rests and expatiates in a life to come.

-Alexander Pope,
An Essay on Man, Epistle I, 1733