I’m flipping back and forth between Bravo and Sundance channels, and I gotta say, it gives me hope.

I started working for change in elementary school (okay, the first changes were for dress codes and such, but still..) My first environmental petition was in the 70’s, while I was in high school, trying to stop clearcutting in Bankhead National Forest in Alabama. And yeah, we won – about 20 years after that first petition, but we won.

And what was once my great grandfather’s land is now part of Sipsey Wilderness area. And it is BEAUTIFUL!

All these years later, I’m still feeling like I can change the world.

Are y’all with me?? Lemme hear a HELL YEAH!!!

In case you’re interested, there is a full video version of the speech still available at:

http://www.acslaw.org/node/2096

It is ludicrous beyond belief that US citizens can KNOW that we are being spied upon, yet, because we do not know who SPECIFICALLY is being spied upon by the government, NO ONE has standing to contest the illegal spying. Talk about your circular logic that reinforces itself with its own speciousness.

Although it seems clearly at odds with common sense, the outcome of the case is not obviously wrong when viewed through the (cracked) lens of contemporary Supreme Court case law on standing. The cases are hopelessly irreconcilable, with the result that a judge can find support in the case law for voting either way on standing on just about any fact pattern you can imagine.

Marty Lederman has a useful analysis up at Balkinization. I also strongly recommend that you click through the link in Marty’s post to what Althouse wrote on the same subject. Notwithstanding that she is an a**, her analysis here is worthy of being taken seriously.

RW, actually, I like Richardson and Edwards, too. But, after that speech at Constitution Hall on MLK day, 2006, I am absolutely convinced that Gore is “the One.” Pretty much all the others also have many negatives attached to their names also, and, although I would love to be able to vote for the first woman President, I will not vote for Hillary because I think she is too calculating and would sell out for a few extra votes or Lord knows how many pieces of silver. Obama so far seems to be mostly an empty suit who may yet fall prey to corporate interests due to naivete. Just not enough experience yet. He peaked too soon, if you ask me. It’s a shame, because I think he has a lot of potential, but was rushed into too early a run. Well, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

that was great speech. i made a list of links to many of gore’s speeches (including his mlk day speech, “Restoring the Rule of Law”) since 2002… down load the mp3s and be inspired.

I’ll never forgive the PMRA attempt to stifle free speech through censoring music. Zappa wasn’t any too happy about that either.

Actually, Tipper was behind that — and she found out to her chagrin that she’d been hornswoggled by the PMRC. In fact, the Gores and the Zappas wound up becoming very good friends!

rwcole @ 95

Gore? I don’t think so:

In fact, Al Gore’s voting record as a senator was surprisingly conservative until he rolled his eye toward the White House.

Yep, that’s the Al Gore I remember. Maybe he’s grown up since then, but there’s still that lingering mistrust that you always feel when someone suddenly changes his deeply-held views on things for no apparent (good) reason.

I’ll never forgive the PMRA attempt to stifle free speech through censoring music. Zappa wasn’t any too happy about that either.

Richardson- but I’ll probably vote for Edwards.