I think we’re all just festering inside these days.

I see it locally in our neighborhood and haunts also, even our sweet kids (30-somethings; not really kids).

It’s really hard to keep an even keel while dubya & co. trash the world.

Thanks for all that you do. you’re an incredibly gifted and valued member of this terrific community.

I didn’t mean to ruffle yer feathers. honest! maybe i’m dense, but i don’t think we do disagree over the substance of the matter. i had been concerned earlier DURing liveblog – it was such a frantic scramble during libbylibbylibby trial when servers went down – won’t get over it soon. and i probably carried the subject on way too long…. as i am now, heh. Note to self: Enough!

Glad to see some of the senators are doing better today than the house mbrs did yesterday, sigh.

I wish you and yours well. ;->

thank you selise. no, i didn’t miss the hearing. appreciate the offer. ;->

ok.

even though we disgree, thank you for the good discussion on this issue. appreciate it very much.

this was NOT a liveblog thread.

the request i objected to was specific that only comments on the code pink protests were to stop. as i said, i waited until after the live blog – and was pretty pissed off to find out i wasn’t to discuss it. would it have been better if i had commented in an earlier thread, when it was permitted – even though that was during the live blog? i don’t think so.

this was an instance of attempting to stop ONE conversation that was on topic, and of obvious interest to many commenters… while allowing one liners and other comments to proceed.

i tried to follow the rules, out of respect for those who make this site possible – but i’m still going to object when i think something is wrong. and my strong objection stands.

p.s. if you feel you missed the hearing, i made an audio recording and would be happy to upload if for you, or anyone else, who wants every word and every nuance. let me know.

Jeebus @ 208

did that just say D-American Samoa? I didn’t know non-states (other than D.C.) had reps…

I believe Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands also have non voting reps.

and Washington D.C.??

Adie @ 174

But, don’t you see?
it’s.swamping.the.thread! REALLY.
Can’t it wait till after the hearing’s are over? Pretty please?

no.
i don’t see it.
at all.

i think it’s one of the most interesting parts of the hearing.
please note that, in an effort to respect the live blogging, i didn’t make any comment while the liveblogging was happening. now, we have a thread for discussion and not only am i not allowed to join a pre-existing conversation, worse, i don’t get the chance to read the comments other people aren’t going to make because they’ve been told not to.

the protests are not something separate from the hearing – they are part of the hearing.

Hoo boy! Agree and disagree. Yes, the protests are absolutely part of the story, deserving comment and full coverage.

However, when testimony which has never been heard before in public, is ongoing (when I came upon your comment, hearing had resumed and was still ongoing – till after 6p.m. EDT, as a matter of fact)… Mods and Christy all had pleaded for people to understand and back off the intense discussion on that one topic for the time-being. I just wish, given the very real limits of the servers that bring us same, their cautions could be heeded at such times.

Dang. Why not do what I do? When I see something ongoing is time-sensitive, or when I hear/see something of note elsewhere, I scribble notes & references & break in ASAP at a more opportune time. I sometimes have to override my own ideas of what’s a reasonable time by listening to the mods and directors of the blog.

In my experience, they have NEVER tried to stomp on free speech in any way.
except: please document your sources, and,
please don’t abuse other commenters.

I’m not in favor of squelching dialog or free-speech rights or protesters’rights and impact on news events.

It’s just that, well, I’ve BEEN there when the overloaded servers went “down” during previous important coverage (e.g., Libby trial, when FDL was out alone in front of EVERYONE else). I’ve understood, and stepped aside during important interviews, and especially during coverage of live events of such importance that sending FDL hamsters into a tailspin is just not something any of us wants.

There are ALWAYS other threads open here at FDL. Why insist on using the one and only one covering a live, outside event with live-blogging, to hold an intense, bandwidth-gobbling discussion about something collateral to the main event?

Yes, the protest is very important and deserving of discussion, in all its ramifications.

No, such discussion, hopefully should not get so avid that it swamps the ongoing, breaking-news coverage of the main event.

Maybe this wouldn’t be so important if the MSM provided better coverage of events, and if the govt spokespersons were being forthright & honest in public, but they’re just not.

So, FDL’s special, on-site coverage is really really important – every word, every nuance.
YES, very much including the protests.

Please let’s try to understand each other.

Thank you selise for your ideas and your zeal!
We all need to work together, not always agree necessarily, but not fight over things we all believe in either. When the mods say, “caution…”, I believe them, because they are out to protect free discussion, not to quash it.

[pleez forgive rambling, messy nature of this comment. It’s been bizzy here & i just know that later i will regret the lack of proof-reading. hope folks will read the benign intent correctly ;->]

dang. gettin’ too old for this…
Lordy I hope some’a what i said makes a smidgen of sense…
*takes a deep breath*

mui @ 76

Betrayus: Feels strongly about refugee issue. Courageuous Iraqis etc. Feesl we have obligation to them.
*So what’s the contigency plan, Argh!?*

This obligation business is so much baloney. We invaded their country, destroyed the infrastructure, and are building armed encampments all over their country, and our obligation is…
…to stay and continue colonizing them??? WTF???

Our obligation should be to recognize our mistake, apologize, and leave, perhaps leaving behind a string of non-military IOU’s for the next government of Iraq to cash when and if they want to.

Bob in HI

And extract the refugees. Since there since to be some little bosnia serbia genocide going on there.

F*ck, wall off the mixed sectarian regions… WTF???

They want to turn Bagdad into Belfast with sectarian ghettos, that way they think they can come to some resolution like in N. Ireland – not.