They adhere to not a single principle. Not one. Everything is fodder for gaining power–and then abusing it.

So often, when books critical of BushCo come out, they are ignored by the MSM. Glad to see this will be on 60 Minutes. I’ll be watching. I’ll also not be surprised if it’s cancelled last minute.

Good morning Scarecrow!

I don’t think people looking at Valerie see what a smart and BRAVE woman she is. Spying is not something glamorous despite what the movie and teevee people want you to think. It’s tedious and dangerous.

Hats off to her and to hell with the reich wing smear machine. They’re just a bunch of chicken hawks anyway. None of them have half the talent or guts that she has.

Caw, Caw! Good morning, Scarecrow.

Of all people on 60 minutes, why was Couric chosen for this interview?!

They miss Ed Bradley.

good morning, y’all.

Selise, (from previous post). The basement is risky for books. I stored mine there and, despite the fact that I have a dehumidifier, they smell musty. Threw many away. But, then again, if I didn’t put them there, I would have had to add a room!

Must prepare for work. See all later.

solai @ 6

Selise, (from previous post). The basement is risky for books. I stored mine there and, despite the fact that I have a dehumidifier, they smell musty. Threw many away. But, then again, if I didn’t put them there, I would have had to add a room!

thanks solai! i will do a small year long experiment with some that it wouldn’t be the end of the world if i lost.

Good morning, everyone.

jay- — yep; no principles. Sums it up.

OT: Speaking of ignoring intelligence, I see the WH science adviser is trying to undermine efforts to deal with global warming. I’m shocked, shocked, to find denial going on in the WH.

selise @ 8

solai @ 6

Selise, (from previous post). The basement is risky for books. I stored mine there and, despite the fact that I have a dehumidifier, they smell musty. Threw many away. But, then again, if I didn’t put them there, I would have had to add a room!

thanks solai! i will do a small year long experiment with some that it wouldn’t be the end of the world if i lost.

Not having been in on the rest of the conversation, if you are going to put books in the basement, can you store them in tight plastic containers?

Scarecrow @ 9

Good morning, everyone.

jay- — yep; no principles. Sums it up.

OT: Speaking of ignoring intelligence, I see the WH science adviser is trying to undermine efforts to deal with global warming. I’m shocked, shocked, to find denial going on in the WH.

Shocked! I have Klein’s book on my pile—that and many more. I can’t keep up with the reading here! Even if I didn’t have a more than full time job I wouldn’t be able to keep up.

RevDeb @ 10

Not having been in on the rest of the conversation, if you are going to put books in the basement, can you store them in tight plastic containers?

BlueStateRedHead suggested spacebags… but all i’m looking for is some additional book shelf space – not long term storage where i can’t see what’s there.

RevDeb @ 11

Scarecrow @ 9

Good morning, everyone.

jay- — yep; no principles. Sums it up.

OT: Speaking of ignoring intelligence, I see the WH science adviser is trying to undermine efforts to deal with global warming. I’m shocked, shocked, to find denial going on in the WH.

Shocked! I have Klein’s book on my pile—that and many more. I can’t keep up with the reading here! Even if I didn’t have a more than full time job I wouldn’t be able to keep up.

It’s all part of the shock culture we live in. You know there are catastrophes happening all over, but you can’t read up on them, so you just accept it. It’s mind numbing.

selise @ 12

RevDeb @ 10

Not having been in on the rest of the conversation, if you are going to put books in the basement, can you store them in tight plastic containers?

BlueStateRedHead suggested spacebags… but all i’m looking for is some additional book shelf space – not long term storage where i can’t see what’s there.

My favorite for dry short term is in plastic bins under the beds – yes you have to haul them out, but your chances of losing them to damp or flood is pretty minimal.

RevDeb @ 11

Scarecrow @ 9

Good morning, everyone.

jay- — yep; no principles. Sums it up.

OT: Speaking of ignoring intelligence, I see the WH science adviser is trying to undermine efforts to deal with global warming. I’m shocked, shocked, to find denial going on in the WH.

Shocked! I have Klein’s book on my pile—that and many more. I can’t keep up with the reading here! Even if I didn’t have a more than full time job I wouldn’t be able to keep up.

This started a while ago with the head of NASA saying that even though we now know that global warming is occurring it is very shortsighted of us to conclude that it is a bad thing. I’m still waiting for them to tell us to stop being so fussy about all the lead paint in toys from China.

Sure we know lead exposure lowers intelligence, but is that a bad thing? Where is your evidence for that?

I wouldn’t put it past them.

selise @ 12

RevDeb @ 10

Not having been in on the rest of the conversation, if you are going to put books in the basement, can you store them in tight plastic containers?

BlueStateRedHead suggested spacebags… but all i’m looking for is some additional book shelf space – not long term storage where i can’t see what’s there.

Clear bins. We bought several for moving. You can still see them but they keep out the damp.

Good morning from rainy California.

Anyone know what the status of Plame’s appeal is? Is she still pursuing?

Scarecrow @ 13

It’s all part of the shock culture we live in. You know there are catastrophes happening all over, but you can’t read up on them, so you just accept it. It’s mind numbing.

i’ve been calling it whiplash OD. but “shock culture” better captures the sense of it.

Scarecrow @ 13

RevDeb @ 11

Shocked! I have Klein’s book on my pile—that and many more. I can’t keep up with the reading here! Even if I didn’t have a more than full time job I wouldn’t be able to keep up.

It’s all part of the shock culture we live in. You know there are catastrophes happening all over, but you can’t read up on them, so you just accept it. It’s mind numbing.

And they want it to be mind numbing. It’s a different kind of soma. My outrage meter has popped the dial so many times I keep thinking things can’t get any more outrageous and sure enough they do.

Scarecrow @ 13

It’s all part of the shock culture we live in. You know there are catastrophes happening all over, but you can’t read up on them, so you just accept it. It’s mind numbing.

i’ve been calling it whiplash OD. but “shock culture” better captures the sense of it.

Iris DeMent talks about it

No Time To Cry

Now I sit down on the sofa and I watch the evening news:
There’s a half a dozen tragedies from which to pick and choose.
The baby that was missing was found in a ditch today.
And there’s bombs a’flying and people dying not so far away.

And I’ll take a beer from the ‘fridgerator,
And go sit out in the yard and with a cold one in my hand,
I’m gonna bite down and swallow hard.
Because I’m older now: I’ve got no time to cry.

OT – on the energy bill:

watch the video
sign the petition

A perfect example of the effects of shock culture: We’ve been numbed so often by reports of torture by CIA, military, Guantanamo, secret prisons, etc, that when we hear a nominee for AG tell us he can’t say whether waterboarding is torture, we just say, “mmm, that’s troubling.”

Troubling? The man should have been booed out of the hearing room and denounced on all the media outlets.

Mornin’ Scarecrow, Mornin’ EG.

Goodmorning firepups. I got coffee if anyone’s interested.

raven @ 20

Scarecrow @ 13

It’s all part of the shock culture we live in. You know there are catastrophes happening all over, but you can’t read up on them, so you just accept it. It’s mind numbing.

i’ve been calling it whiplash OD. but “shock culture” better captures the sense of it.

Iris DeMent talks about it

a href=”http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/dement-iris/no-time-to-cry-11291.html”>No Time To Cry

Now I sit down on the sofa and I watch the evening news:
There’s a half a dozen tragedies from which to pick and choose.
The baby that was missing was found in a ditch today.
And there’s bombs a’flying and people dying not so far away.

And I’ll take a beer from the ‘fridgerator,
And go sit out in the yard and with a cold one in my hand,
I’m gonna bite down and swallow hard.
Because I’m older now: I’ve got no time to cry.

Sorry for the misfire

No Time To Cry

Scarecrow @ 22

A perfect example of the effects of shock culture: We’ve been numbed so often by reports of torture by CIA, military, Guantanamo, secret prisons, etc, that when we hear a nominee for AG tell us he can’t say whether waterboarding is torture, we just say, “mmm, that’s troubling.”

Troubling? The man should have been booed out of the hearing room and denounced on all the media outlets.

amen!

wtf has happened to leahy, whitehouse and feingold?

Scarecrow @ 22

A perfect example of the effects of shock culture: We’ve been numbed so often by reports of torture by CIA, military, Guantanamo, secret prisons, etc, that when we hear a nominee for AG tell us he can’t say whether waterboarding is torture, we just say, “mmm, that’s troubling.”

Troubling? The man should have been booed out of the hearing room and denounced on all the media outlets.

“Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency? “

I guess not.

I always welcome articles on Traitor Libby. The little cockroach must not be forgotten.

Also, bear in mind that the damage spread beyond Valerie. Brewster Jennings took a hit as well.

Ghostman

This morning is not a happy morning, Pups. It’s hard to gird up the loins (especially at my age) when so much is out there to need girding…
So I decided we need a smile.
Please read the following (it is work safe, trust me). It is a blog from Chicago – it’s usually about knitting and yarn and fiber and very nice cuddly stuff and is done by a very talented guy named Franklyn, who seems to live with a fictional sheep named Dolores.
Dolores is sort of like Aunty Mame in a sheep suit, with a bit of Gypsy Rose Lee and Elvira Queen of the Night thrown in for good measure.
Dolores is not happy this morning either – she has this problem, you see, with Ann Coulter…
http://the-panopticon.blogspot…..-help.html

selise @ 25

Scarecrow @ 22

A perfect example of the effects of shock culture: We’ve been numbed so often by reports of torture by CIA, military, Guantanamo, secret prisons, etc, that when we hear a nominee for AG tell us he can’t say whether waterboarding is torture, we just say, “mmm, that’s troubling.”

Troubling? The man should have been booed out of the hearing room and denounced on all the media outlets.

amen!

wtf has happened to leahy, whitehouse and feingold?

The tragedy is that this is likely the best we’ll get from the Administration. The rationalization is that maybe his “integrity” and “independence” they keep hyping will prevent even worse things from happening, and the acting AG can’t be trusted, so the man will be confirmed based on blackmail. But lhp may have a different view.

If we’re being blackmailed, so be it, but let’s say we are so everyone knows.

whooof, ten minutes before post time for me (work) and scarecrow comes through just in time for me to get my firedog fix

from the very beginning I have told everyone the that though valery was an important asset, the real damage was done to brewster&jennings

this was a brass plate operation, listed in dunn and braad street!!!, the investment in THAT asset has GOT to be STUNNING, and the assets assoiated with THAT asset is where the majority of the harm was done to our ability to aquire information vital to our survival

now look at Iran, we are currently wondering IF Iran is producing nuclear weaponry and technology

WELL THAT WAS VALERY’S JOB, THAT WAS BREWSTER AND JENNINGS JON

how many BILLIIONS of dollars will be invested in dealing with Iran BECAUSE of the uncovering of valery and her network?

how many BILLIONS of dollars were lost in brewster and jennings?

WHO MANY OF OUR PATRIOTS LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST OR WILL BE LOST

these are criminals in office and I am starting to think pelosi needs to be recalled, she is NOT capable of fulfilling her oath and performing the duties she is bound by our law and her oath to perform

she should be replaced and we need to get on with the work of our constitution, lest our constitution fall forever

Scarecrow @ 29

If we’re being blackmailed, so be it, but let’s say we are so everyone knows.

sometimes i think that what they fear most are citizens who see our government officials as illegitimate. and so they don’t tell us the truth – instead we get verbal soma.

selise @ 25

Scarecrow @ 22

A perfect example of the effects of shock culture: We’ve been numbed so often by reports of torture by CIA, military, Guantanamo, secret prisons, etc, that when we hear a nominee for AG tell us he can’t say whether waterboarding is torture, we just say, “mmm, that’s troubling.”

Troubling? The man should have been booed out of the hearing room and denounced on all the media outlets.

amen!

wtf has happened to leahy, whitehouse and feingold?

Trying to cobble together some semblance of a govt that isn’t “acting” and acting? Head scratching here.

Dodd = Conscience of the Senate Congress.

And an OT viewer alert: L&O:CI is terrific television on USA network. Just saw an episode re FDA official’s coverup of tainted mouthwash that killed kids. Ripped from the headlines, and no longer smothered by the PC spin networks.

What does integrity and independence mean if the AG nominee holds these views?

He suggested that both the administration’s program of eavesdropping without warrants and its use of “enhanced” interrogation techniques for terrorism suspects, including waterboarding, might be acceptable under the Constitution even if they went beyond what the law technically allowed. Mr. Mukasey said the president’s authority as commander in chief might allow him to supersede laws written by Congress.

In a country based on the constitution and rule of law, these views would be regarded as lunatic fringe.

perris @ 30

whooof, ten minutes before post time for me (work) and scarecrow comes through just in time for me to get my firedog fix

from the very beginning I have told everyone the that though valery was an important asset, the real damage was done to brewster&jennings

this was a brass plate operation, listed in dunn and braad street, the investment in THAT asset and the assets assoiated with THAT is where the majority of the harm was done

now look at Iran, we are currently wondering IF Iran is producing nuclear weaponry and technology

WELL THAT WAS VALERY’S JOB, THAT WAS BREWSTER AND JENNINGS JON

how many BILLIIONS of dollars will be invested in dealing with Iran BECAUSE of the uncovering of valery and her network?

how many BILLIONS of dollars were lost in brewster and jennings?

WHO MANY OF OUR PATRIOTS LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST OR WILL BE LOST

these are criminals in office and I am starting to think pelosi needs to be recalled, she is NOT capable of fulfilling her oath and performing the duties she is bound by our law and her oath to perform

she should be replaced and we need to get on with the work of our constitution, lest our constitution fall forever

Darth got a twofer on this one. He needed to put BJ out of business because they could testify to the truth of what was going on with the Iranians and nukes. Can’t have that! Darth needs to manufacture his own intel on this. I’d find it hard to believe that this wasn’t a big part of the plan all along.

Scarecrow @ 22

A perfect example of the effects of shock culture: We’ve been numbed so often by reports of torture by CIA, military, Guantanamo, secret prisons, etc, that when we hear a nominee for AG tell us he can’t say whether waterboarding is torture, we just say, “mmm, that’s troubling.”

Troubling? The man should have been booed out of the hearing room and denounced on all the media outlets.

you know what needs to be asked this nominee then?

“if we subjected you to water boarding, do you think we might extract an answer yes or no?

and just what do you THINK that answer might be?”

that should do the trick right there

Anyone in the Bush administration involved with outing Valerie Plame/Wilson should be Impeached, plain and simple.
They are obviously not interested in US National Security, they undermined US National Security. Robert Novak should be in jail for outing Plame.

The CIA has stated that it will take 10 years to recover from the outing.

Thank you Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame for your service to our country.

Will the public ever have access to the Damage assessment?

post time for me, off to the gate, see all later

selise @ 25

Scarecrow @ 22

A perfect example of the effects of shock culture: We’ve been numbed so often by reports of torture by CIA, military, Guantanamo, secret prisons, etc, that when we hear a nominee for AG tell us he can’t say whether waterboarding is torture, we just say, “mmm, that’s troubling.”

Troubling? The man should have been booed out of the hearing room and denounced on all the media outlets.

amen!

wtf has happened to leahy, whitehouse and feingold?

How could they even wonder why only 11% of the American people have any confidence in Congress?

Perris @ 30

these are criminals in office and I am starting to think pelosi needs to be recalled, she is NOT capable of fulfilling her oath and performing the duties she is bound by our law and her oath to perform

she should be replaced and we need to get on with the work of our constitution, lest our constitution fall forever

I don’t usually defend Pelosi, but the real rpoblemhere is Rahm and Steny and I’ll tell you why.

Campaign cash. The controll of the DCCC means the vulnerable and freshman Congressmen are totally in thier thrall. That’s why Pelosi could not get Murtha. Hoyer publicly humilated her with that.

Further, Rahm calls WAYYYY too many shots down at the DNC that really ougt to be called by Dean.

ANybody rember Howard Dean? until we have a nominee, Dean is SUPPOSED to be the spokeman for hte party, but he’s been pretty well muzzled.

Scarecrow @ 33

What does integrity and independence mean if the AG nominee holds these views?

He suggested that both the administration’s program of eavesdropping without warrants and its use of “enhanced” interrogation techniques for terrorism suspects, including waterboarding, might be acceptable under the Constitution even if they went beyond what the law technically allowed. Mr. Mukasey said the president’s authority as commander in chief might allow him to supersede laws written by Congress.

In a country based on the constitution and rule of law, these views would be regarded as lunatic fringe.

And war crimes—at least the torture parts of it. I still keep going back to a post Scott Horton did on Balkinization a year ago. When Lawyers are War Criminals. It hit me upside the head a year ago and keeps on coming up with this band of scoundrels who are running things (into the ground).

Micheal Ledeen was on Washington Journal this morning. I missed it but will be listening to it later. You can be sure he was repeating more lies lies lies about Iran.

Why does C-span allow proven liars on their program?

RevDeb @ 26

Scarecrow @ 22

A perfect example of the effects of shock culture: We’ve been numbed so often by reports of torture by CIA, military, Guantanamo, secret prisons, etc, that when we hear a nominee for AG tell us he can’t say whether waterboarding is torture, we just say, “mmm, that’s troubling.”

Troubling? The man should have been booed out of the hearing room and denounced on all the media outlets.

“Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency? “

I guess not.

I question I wished Whitehouse had asked as a follow up was:
“Exactly what information do you need to decide if waterboarding is torture?” That could have put an end to the bullshit.

Public hearings on the damage caused by the Plame leak should be high on the agenda of a new Administration.

Civil RICO for Cheney, Scooter, Bush and the Republican Party should be up there too.

This administration has never been about security. From day one it has been a race to exploit every aspect of this country for money. This bunch of Bushies are completely amoral. Everything and everyone is viewed as something to be exploited. The intelligence services, the military, national parks and anything else you can think of is merely viewed as something to use to steal wealth. Anyone who does not think as they do is viewed as weak and something to be derided and despised, hence the attacks on Plame-Wilson, Schip children, soldiers protesting the war, and it goes on and on. The illegal spying started immediately and was for business purposes for things like finances, legal staffs, and probably blackmail. They do not see anything wrong with this and thought they could do it with impunity and have a permanent majority based upon this activity. The public are something to be exploited. It really boils down to this. You cannot shame them, because they do not have any.

just started listening to kenney’s weekly podcast (he posts it on friday mornings) – this week he interviews larry johnson.

in the intro are the words “shameless pitch for valerie” (kenney is helping johnson with his interview with plame – which they will both post as podcasts)….so thought i should share this potentially on topic podcast:

The Art of Counter-Terrorism

As Larry Johnson says, we can’t afford to pretend that terrorism doesn’t exist, but neither can we win a war against it or contain it through superior technology. Terrorism, essentially, is an international police problem that should be managed through traditional law enforcement tools together with a bit of shoe-leather espionage and greater sensitivity to its cultural and political context. If we think we can stomp on the Islamic world until we’ve eradicated terrorism, we’ve got another think coming. In the long run, Larry and people like him are the ones who do the most to solve the problem; in the short run I guess we should be grateful that some U.S. government officials still listen to him. Larry’s got a fascinating perspective on terrorism and the middle east situation, and he’s a most capable and thoughtful guy — it was a real pleasure to talk with him and I hope we can do it again. Total runtime here of an hour and four minutes. Enjoy!

hwmnbn @ 5

Of all people on 60 minutes, why was Couric chosen for this interview?!

They miss Ed Bradley.

good morning, y’all.

Would like to see Dan Rather, Bill Moyers or Diane Rehm interview Valerie Plame.

Good question and good morning.

Prairie Sunshine @ 32

Dodd = Conscience of the Senate Congress.

hey – don’t forget holt!

just think how frustrated you are about how dodd’s hold and reid’s apparent undermining of dodd is not being covered in the corporate press.,,, i guess that’s how i feel about how holt’s work (and the house leadership’s fucking him over) is not being covered even in progressive blogs.

Kathleen @ 46

hwmnbn @ 5

Of all people on 60 minutes, why was Couric chosen for this interview?!

They miss Ed Bradley.

good morning, y’all.

Would like to see Dan Rather, Bill Moyers or Diane Rehm interview Valerie Plame.

The right wing would explode if Dan Rather did the interview. There’s a certain logic to Couric choice, or illogic, as a reflection of the times we live in. Moyers would be perfect, but only the twelve of us would see it.

Tell me again why we can’t impeach/indict this assministraton??? Oh the books that will be written a decade from now!

Novak’s tombstone:

LYING SCUMBAG TRAITOR RESIDES HERE!!!
(FEEL FREE TO “RELIEVE” YOURSELF)

BeBe @44

This bunch of Bushies are completely amoral. Everything and everyone is viewed as something to be exploited

Ding ding ding ding ding!

BeBe hits it square on the head

Selise where would one find a list that would show us which Republicans and Democrats are against retroactive immunity.

Do you think that congress is terrified to really dig into this issue? Are they terrified that any confidence that the 11% still have in congress will turn into negatives?

Kathleen @ 41

Micheal Ledeen was on Washington Journal this morning. I missed it but will be listening to it later. You can be sure he was repeating more lies lies lies about Iran.

Why does C-span allow proven liars on their program?

Someone called in and asked why such a hatemonger is given a forum. Most of the calls were against him but I didnt hear the whole thing.

Scarecrow @ 49

Kathleen @ 46

Would like to see Dan Rather, Bill Moyers or Diane Rehm interview Valerie Plame.

The right wing would explode if Dan Rather did the interview. There’s a certain logic to Couric choice, or illogic, as a reflection of the times we live in. Moyers would be perfect, but only the twelve of us would see it.

What about Diane Rehm? While Diane allows “some” unsubstantiated claims to be repeated on her program, she is one of the most balanced interviewers going. I hope Diane has Valerie on her program.

A vote on Attorney General nominee Mike Mukasey “could be delayed until he provides written answers to questions raised Thursday,” Senate Judiciary Chairman Pat Leahy (D-VT) said. In yesterday’s hearingses, Mukasey refused to denounce torture and expressed support for expanded executive authority.

from Think Progress

Kathleen @ 52

Selise where would one find a list that would show us which Republicans and Democrats are against retroactive immunity.

Do you think that congress is terrified to really dig into this issue? Are they terrified that any confidence that the 11% still have in congress will turn into negatives?

hard to tell. lots of kabuki, smoke and mirrors.

in the house, the leadership fucked over holt (and tierney, schakowsky, watson, nadler and their supporters) and blocked their pretty good fisa bill while rushing their fucked up bill (the “restore act”) through. only to have the Rs successfuly torpedo it… at least temporarily.

in the senate, it looks like the leadership are fucking over dodd, feingold and probably others – wyden?

holt et al are trying to stand up against no basket warrants and no prospective immunity. dodd, feingold and wyden are standing up against retroactive immunity.

the leaders in both houses appear to be undermining every good thing that’s coming from their members who are standing up for our rights and for the consitution.

as for your question “why?” – i do not know… only speculation.

Ledeen is pushing the theory that Iran is so weak that the nation will collapse and turn into Sweden once the US drops a bomb on an aspirin factory.

The man is another in a long line of warmongering lunatics that is given free air time to push their endless war for endless power.

-GSD

Talking about Iraqi refugees on Washington Journal. Finally someone talking about this issue in the MSM. Hardball, Olbermann, Fox, Diane Rehm, Talk of the Nation not touching this issue.

BTW, on Dodd, I was emailing Matt Browner-Hamlin yesterday, and Matt said that one way we can help the Dodd campaign is when you get an email asking you to tell family and friends about Dodd, that you do so. Doesn’t cost anything, and it’s a way of spreading the word about his candidacy.

Frankly, whether you are a supporter or not, I think we need to raise his profile, because he is the only one speaking out clearly and forcefully on the issues of the occupation and the Constitution.

looseheadprop @ 39

I don’t usually defend Pelosi, but the real rpoblemhere is Rahm and Steny and I’ll tell you why.

Campaign cash. The controll of the DCCC means the vulnerable and freshman Congressmen are totally in thier thrall. That’s why Pelosi could not get Murtha. Hoyer publicly humilated her with that.

Further, Rahm calls WAYYYY too many shots down at the DNC that really ougt to be called by Dean.

ANybody rember Howard Dean? until we have a nominee, Dean is SUPPOSED to be the spokeman for hte party, but he’s been pretty well muzzled.

could very well be… but that doesn’t explain why pelosi lying to us – for example about the restore act…. pretending it’s good legislation when the good bill is blocked in committee.

albert fall @ 42

Public hearings on the damage caused by the Plame leak should be high on the agenda of a new Administration.

Civil RICO for Cheney, Scooter, Bush and the Republican Party should be up there too.

Hillary gets elected and it won’t happen. I’m not a betting person, but I’d put money on that.

amen to the point that plame was involved in the very operation in charge of compiling intelligence on iran’s nuclear intentions. she and her outing and its collateral damage are more relevant today than ever.

yes we can pretty much bet the house that she’ll be once more flayed by the right wingers. but that as digby said is what they do. it actually IS a principle, the principle of character assassination, which is the response of the bully/arrested development case who has been shown to have no true argument.
that our government is run by these types is almost roman in its debauchery and debasement.

no none of them have any shame. that’s what rove taught them all. shame is for losers. do what you’re going to do, and throw crap on the windows. anyone who cares will be forced to clean it up, and you’ll get away scot free.

Here is the article about Mulkasey and Leahy

looseheadprop,
You get it! If you view everything they have done through this context it makes sense and you can start to see what they have done and why. It is so horrific its hard to look at, and I think a lot of people just do not want to see it.

Sure, why not confirm an AG who claims publicly that the US Constitution is a worthless piece of paper that the President can ignore at a whim.

Someone should ask Mucousy what he thinks about reinstating “the divine rights of kings’.

At least until Bush leaves office.

Sick, sick, sick.

-GSD

snowbird42 @ 63

Here is the article about Mulkasey and Leahy

quoting from that article

Among the Democrats, Mr. Leahy was especially critical of Mr. Mukasey, wondering aloud whether he had been pressured overnight by the White House to defend the administration’s view of its expanded powers in dealing with terrorist threats.

“In your answers yesterday, there was a very bright line on questions of torture and the ability of an executive, or inability of an executive, to ignore the law,” Mr. Leahy said. “That seems nowhere near as bright a line today, and maybe I just don’t understand.”

“I don’t know whether you received some criticism from anybody in the administration last night after your testimony,” he said, “but I sensed a difference, and a number of people here, Republican and Democratic alike, have sensed a difference.”

Mr. Mukasey insisted there had been no pressure from the White House on Wednesday, saying, “I received no criticism.”

He sure seemed like a different person on day two to me!

You can store things like books in vacuum packing like a food saver. No degradation.

I am of two minds about the CIA.

Every one knows they do things like assassination of foreign leaders including democratically elected ones. VERY BAD

They train rebels/ insurgents like the Contras and the Mujahdeem which became AQ.

The kidnap and render people to torture with no trial or habeus corpus as they did with Mahar Arrar.

The CIA does nasty things.

But the CIA is also gathering intelligence and supposedly that becomes information which is used to inform policy decisions in the interest of “national security”.

Even that is underscored by the belief of a very hostile world. If you are a hammer everything looks like a nail.

While I don’t condone what was done to Ms Plame. I do believe we need to get rid of the CIA as we know it and have a do over and one which is more lawful and less prone to nasty black ops.

We are creating a dangerous world with agencies like the CIA. It becomes a self fulfilling prophesy… like so many bureaucracies.

selise @ 55

Kathleen @ 52

Selise where would one find a list that would show us which Republicans and Democrats are against retroactive immunity.

Do you think that congress is terrified to really dig into this issue? Are they terrified that any confidence that the 11% still have in congress will turn into negatives?

hard to tell. lots of kabuki, smoke and mirrors.

in the house, the leadership fucked over holt (and tierney, schakowsky, watson, nadler and their supporters) and blocked their pretty good fisa bill while rushing their fucked up bill (the “restore act”) through. only to have the Rs successfuly torpedo it… at least temporarily.

in the senate, it looks like the leadership are fucking over dodd, feingold and probably others – wyden?

holt et al are trying to stand up against no basket warrants and no prospective immunity. dodd, feingold and wyden are standing up against retroactive immunity.

the leaders in both houses appear to be undermining every good thing that’s coming from their members who are standing up for our rights and for the consitution.

as for your question “why?” – i do not know… only speculation.

Dodd is now being given the Ned Lamont treatment. Remember Harry and the rest of them? When a popular dem beat out JoeLie for the dem nomination, they all hid—all except Maxine, Dodd, Russ (sort of) Edwards, and I can’t think of who else. You don’t buck the “club.” You don’t do anything without clearing it first.

Chris is getting paid back for his support of Ned.

GSD @ 64

Sure, why not confirm an AG who claims publicly that the US Constitution is a worthless piece of paper that the President can ignore at a whim.

Someone should ask Mucousy what he thinks about reinstating “the divine rights of kings’.

At least until Bush leaves office.

Sick, sick, sick.

-GSD

That presumes that he will leave office.

RevDeb @ 68

Dodd is now being given the Ned Lamont treatment. Remember Harry and the rest of them? When a popular dem beat out JoeLie for the dem nomination, they all hid—all except Maxine, Dodd, Russ (sort of) Edwards, and I can’t think of who else. You don’t buck the “club.” You don’t do anything without clearing it first.

Chris is getting paid back for his support of Ned.

i could buy that… but what explains holt?

Democratic Lawmaker Pushing Immunity Is Newly Flush With Telco Cash

Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-West Virginia) is reportedly steering the secretive Senate Intelligence Committee to give retroactive immunity to telecoms that helped the government secretly spy on Americans.

He has also recently benefited from some interesting political contributions.
…
In fact, prior to 2007, contributions to Rockefeller from company executives at AT&T and Verizon were mostly non-existent.

But that changed around the same time that the companies began lobbying Congress to grant them retroactive immunity from lawsuits seeking billions for their alleged participation in secret, warrantless surveillance programs that targeted Americans.

eye bugging graph.

And, one more tangential thing.

I did an interview with John Dean in my Second Life persona ( Virtually Speaking). When we were going over details of the appearance beforehand, Dean mentioned that the crowds he has been seeing on his book tour are larger than ever. 350 at a library at Rancho Mirage. 550 somewhere else.

He thinks this (along with the 11% favorability for Congress) is an expression of pent up citizen anger. A candidate who can tap this may do very well.

selise @ 60

looseheadprop @ 39

I don’t usually defend Pelosi, but the real rpoblemhere is Rahm and Steny and I’ll tell you why.

Campaign cash. The controll of the DCCC means the vulnerable and freshman Congressmen are totally in thier thrall. That’s why Pelosi could not get Murtha. Hoyer publicly humilated her with that.

Further, Rahm calls WAYYYY too many shots down at the DNC that really ougt to be called by Dean.

ANybody rember Howard Dean? until we have a nominee, Dean is SUPPOSED to be the spokeman for hte party, but he’s been pretty well muzzled.

could very well be… but that doesn’t explain why pelosi lying to us – for example about the restore act…. pretending it’s good legislation when the good bill is blocked in committee.

LHP that makes sense..The Democratic party in a lockdown with Rahm Emmanuel and Hoyer in control positions. Is there any way to push these guys to the side?

looseheadprop @ 39

ANybody rember Howard Dean? until we have a nominee, Dean is SUPPOSED to be the spokeman for hte party, but he’s been pretty well muzzled.

then dean needs to know that WE know he’s been muzzled

that will force him back into action

Progressive thinking and solutions are thwarted at every turn. Whether it’s the corrupting influence of money to run election campaigns, or the biased MSM which spews spin and lies, or a party which is intent on thwaring the will and interests of the people for their own selfish needs and that of their corporate paymasters.

No logic or rationale behavior seems to attend the process. No ethics or real morals. Hypocrisy is the norm and no one seems to care. None of these people have a sense of shame about their ill deeds.

It seems futile to play by the rules, since no one else is.

It’s a mad mad mad mad world.

No, it’s worse.

selise @ 69

RevDeb @ 68

Dodd is now being given the Ned Lamont treatment. Remember Harry and the rest of them? When a popular dem beat out JoeLie for the dem nomination, they all hid—all except Maxine, Dodd, Russ (sort of) Edwards, and I can’t think of who else. You don’t buck the “club.” You don’t do anything without clearing it first.

Chris is getting paid back for his support of Ned.

i could buy that… but what explains holt?

Stenny. He’s for sale to the highest bidder. My guess is that if we follow the money . . . .

RevDeb @ 68

selise @ 55

hard to tell. lots of kabuki, smoke and mirrors.

in the house, the leadership fucked over holt (and tierney, schakowsky, watson, nadler and their supporters) and blocked their pretty good fisa bill while rushing their fucked up bill (the “restore act”) through. only to have the Rs successfuly torpedo it… at least temporarily.

in the senate, it looks like the leadership are fucking over dodd, feingold and probably others – wyden?

holt et al are trying to stand up against no basket warrants and no prospective immunity. dodd, feingold and wyden are standing up against retroactive immunity.

the leaders in both houses appear to be undermining every good thing that’s coming from their members who are standing up for our rights and for the consitution.

as for your question “why?” – i do not know… only speculation.

Dodd is now being given the Ned Lamont treatment. Remember Harry and the rest of them? When a popular dem beat out JoeLie for the dem nomination, they all hid—all except Maxine, Dodd, Russ (sort of) Edwards, and I can’t think of who else. You don’t buck the “club.” You don’t do anything without clearing it first.

Chris is getting paid back for his support of Ned.

Phone calls, emails etc in support of Dodd. Even though our Reps do not seem to be listening..keep calling.

How many voters are registered as Independents? I think it is close to 35%. I would still like to see more Independent candidates emerge shake them up a bit more.

RevDeb @ 76

selise @ 69

i could buy that… but what explains holt?

Stenny. He’s for sale to the highest bidder. My guess is that if we follow the money . . . .

sorry – i meant what explains what conyers, reyes and apparently pelosi did to holt. does hoyer pull all their strings?

LHP at 39

Brooks had a piece in the NYT this week about a Republican Congresswoman bemoaning the negative campaign she had to run, because the consultants made her do it.

The column generated letters like this one today:

Which is more flabbergasting: Representative Deborah Pryce’s assertion that she is helpless to control attack ads run in her name, or Mr. Brooks’s assertion that she’s some kind of hero because she runs a nasty campaign but feels bad about it?

Ms. Pryce, an Ohio Republican, says, “I was appalled by what I had to do.” But she had a choice: she could have run a clean, honest campaign and then have let the voters decide. Mr. Brooks blames it all on those nasty consultants and party professionals, as if Ms. Pryce was helpless to resist. This is his idea of political bravery?

Yes, without the attack ads, Deborah Pryce might have lost the election. But she would have made a far greater contribution to democracy and the public good by running a straight campaign and losing than by running a nasty campaign and winning.

Ryan Holznagel
Cincinnati, Oct. 16, 2007

What Brooks didn’t point out, and the letter writers don’t get is the reason she ran those ads was that the money was conditional on her running that campaign.

Dem Freshmen need to be willing to lose the seat, rather than their souls. If they can’t run the risk in this cycle, then they really need to examine their motives for being in office.

Even when confronted with wronging or unethical behavior they don’t back down. Look at arrogant Bush.

He is unpopular, his SCHIP position was unpopular and he just did what HE wanted. Same way with everything.

Short of putting these people on trial they just march on with their mad behavior.

Look at the remarks of Coulter. There is nothing which she, or Rush can say which bans them from the soap box that the MSM is so willing to give them to cash in on the attention they garner. Any executive with a sense of decency or ethics would not let them on the air. But the reverse seems to be true. This proves that you can do whatever you want because SOMEONE is getting more powerful and making money off it and they are in control.

The system is completely broken.

The system is completely broken.

Our society is a mess.

And we are heading for a train wreck anyway.

i can’t imagine anyone anywhere on the political spectrum who finds brooks anything more than a tool.

And you wonder why congress gets such a low approval rating?

They’re fucking lying stupid selfish self absorbed whores… most of them.

Anyone who like being on top, likes stepping on others, using others to get there, doesn’t care about how they got there. That’s merikan rules.

Bernanke may have his ‘Black Friday’ moment today. 10 minutes, Over 100 points down at the DOW.

-GSD

RevDeb @ 10

selise @ 8

thanks solai! i will do a small year long experiment with some that it wouldn’t be the end of the world if i lost.

Not having been in on the rest of the conversation, if you are going to put books in the basement, can you store them in tight plastic containers?

see my post on previous thread about spacebags. protect against mold mildew and said to have survived in flooded Katrina basements. Also good vs. moths, as per my very last post.

Sander-O,

Bush is the conductor we call Locomotive Breath.

-GSD

Bobo is no tool, he is considered a reason rational voice of and for the right.

He represents them on PBS and does a column in the NYTimes.

If he was discredited I don’t see any evidence of that. Sure he is wrong and he gets shot down all the time, but they keep him there spewing his garbage… and he has the imprimatur and gravitas.. don’t he?

SanderO @ 82

And you wonder why congress gets such a low approval rating?

They’re fucking lying stupid selfish self absorbed whores… most of them.

Anyone who like being on top, likes stepping on others, using others to get there, doesn’t care about how they got there. That’s merikan rules.

Hey, they are doing important shit:

Clinton blasted over ‘hippie museum’ WASHINGTON (AP) — Hippies used to say if you remember Woodstock, you weren’t really there. Republicans say presidential contender Hillary Clinton can forget about getting $1 million in taxpayer funds for a Woodstock museum.

Clinton and Charles Schumer, Democratic senators from New York, want to earmark the federal money for a museum that would commemorate the 1969 music festival in their state.

RevDeb @ 11

Scarecrow @ 9

Good morning, everyone.

jay- — yep; no principles. Sums it up.

OT: Speaking of ignoring intelligence, I see the WH science adviser is trying to undermine efforts to deal with global warming. I’m shocked, shocked, to find denial going on in the WH.

Shocked! I have Klein’s book on my pile—that and many more. I can’t keep up with the reading here! Even if I didn’t have a more than full time job I wouldn’t be able to keep up.

I keep thinking how many of us are reading books about the Bush administration fiascos and the Iraqi people are experiencing the direct and very violent results of the Bush administrations radical agenda.

The guy (did not get his name) on Washington Journal discussing the Iraqi refugee issue was dull and boring. He made the Iraqi refugee crisis sound like it was not important and just par for the course. Frightening to think that this guy is in charge of dealing with this crisis.

dmg @ 80

i can’t imagine anyone anywhere on the political spectrum who finds brooks anything more than a tool.

But he’s a useful tool. He pontificates on the NewsHour on PBS, something which “thinking people” watch and he often seems reasonable. Even though we know he’s full of it, most of the newspaper reading minions don’t. A vast majority of the folks in the congregations that I have served listen to NPR and watch PBS. Hardly any of them read blogs. More and more of them are coming to realize that those outlets are becoming a mere shell of what they were, but not the majority by a long shot.

The rest of the country watches Matt Lauer and Katie Couric and the other know nothings.

It’s just swell, isn’t it?

Elliott @ 71

Democratic Lawmaker Pushing Immunity Is Newly Flush With Telco Cash

Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-West Virginia) is reportedly steering the secretive Senate Intelligence Committee to give retroactive immunity to telecoms that helped the government secretly spy on Americans.

He has also recently benefited from some interesting political contributions.
…
In fact, prior to 2007, contributions to Rockefeller from company executives at AT&T and Verizon were mostly non-existent.

But that changed around the same time that the companies began lobbying Congress to grant them retroactive immunity from lawsuits seeking billions for their alleged participation in secret, warrantless surveillance programs that targeted Americans.

eye bugging graph.

Was there a Link? Greenwald stomped on Rockefeller and others for this yesterday.

Kathleen @ 88

[znip]

The guy (did not get his name) on Washington Journal discussing the Iraqi refugee issue was dull and boring. He made the Iraqi refugee crisis sound like it was not important and just par for the course. Frightening to think that this guy is in charge of dealing with this crisis.

that was the head of the Iraqi Red Crescent

SanderO @ 86

Bobo is no tool, he is considered a reason rational voice of and for the right.

He represents them on PBS and does a column in the NYTimes.

If he was discredited I don’t see any evidence of that. Sure he is wrong and he gets shot down all the time, but they keep him there spewing his garbage… and he has the imprimatur and gravitas.. don’t he?

who on the right truly buys what pablum he peddles? who actually says, yeah, he’s speaking for me, or quotes him with admiration?

that’s what i meant about him being a tool. no one believes his twaddle. in a better world he wouldn’t be employed, but in his own way all he does is provide amusement for those who like their coulter refined.

There will be a very huge economic crash.

Peak oil will mean that the world simply cannot get enough out of the ground to meet the rising demand.

We will do wars to grab ours, but the rest of the world will tumble and we will follow.

Capitalism needs constant expansion. If it is not expanding it can’t deal with the debt which drives it and then there are cascading failures. We just print more money and make more credit available. But the house of cards will crash.

And when it crashes it will be majorly nasty. People are gonna be dying and killing and going mad. The fabric of society will rip. This IS our inevitable future and we are fast approaching it. Not armageddon in the ME, but complete financial collapse. We’re almost there.

It’s like the world trade center. There one minute.. tall and powerful and then in an instant a pile of rubble.

There is no other possible future. Prepare yourself.

Scarecrow @ 90

Elliott @ 71

Democratic Lawmaker Pushing Immunity Is Newly Flush With Telco Cash
eye bugging graph.

Was there a Link? Greenwald stomped on Rockefeller and others for this yesterday.

details!

I mean OOPS
Rockefeller and the telecoms

“big fat no” on permanent military bases in Iraq

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/…..s-in-iraq/

Elliott @ 94

Scarecrow @ 90

Was there a Link? Greenwald stomped on Rockefeller and others for this yesterday.

details!

I mean OOPS
Rockefeller and the telecoms

so the cost of a new law making their crimes legal in this case is 20,000 dollars.

sick stuff here

dmg,

Wrong, he is believed and the successor to the vial William Safire. Don’t kid yourself that he is a tool.

All the lawmakers call in for chats. He’s a respected insider and used to frame the message for the right. In that sense he’s a tool. But a useful one to them.

Do you have faith in “America”?

I don’t. Not any more.

Thanks for the much-needed reminder. Great post Scarecrow.

BTW, Toby,
Thanks for that link above. I love Dolores. I especially like the first drawing. On the floor with her laptop and wine. Yep! She’s adorable.

Elliott @ 94

Scarecrow @ 90

Was there a Link? Greenwald stomped on Rockefeller and others for this yesterday.

details!

I mean OOPS
Rockefeller and the telecoms

Leahy stomps back “they know it was illegal conduct, that is why they are applying so much pressure”

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/…..fisa-cave/

I guess what John Dean said the other day is spot on about Rockefeller. Dean said that Rockefeller is not much better than Senator Pat Roberts as head of the Intel Committee. Wonder why I thought differently
about Rockefeller? I guess just hanging onto threads of hope.

Book examines the Clintons’ love — for power
Sally Bedell Smith studied Bill and Hillary’s marriage, shared desire

They say politics makes strange bedfellows, and for Bill and Hillary Clinton that could not be more true. In Sally Bedell Smith’s new book, “For Love of Politics: Bill and Hillary Clinton: The White House Years,” she examines the Clinton marriage, revealing that their unique relationship is held together by a love of political power.

John Kennedy said that after he was elected, he began to think in terms of who it was he had to have in the room when he made the really big decisions. For him, that was Robert Kennedy. Who is it for you?”
BILL CLINTON: “Hillary.”

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21367616

SanderO @ 98

Do you have faith in “America”?

I don’t. Not any more.

More than ever before in my life I have been seriously considering turning into an ex-pat. How long can we keep banging our heads against a brick wall?

Scarecrow @ 89

Elliott @ 71

Democratic Lawmaker Pushing Immunity Is Newly Flush With Telco Cash
eye bugging graph.

Was there a Link? Greenwald stomped on Rockefeller and others for this yesterday.

Ian’s got it over at the Agonist

perris @ 96

Elliott @ 94

details!

I mean OOPS
Rockefeller and the telecoms

so the cost of a new law making their crimes legal in this case is 20,000 dollars.

sick stuff here

Thanks for the link. Jesus Mary and Joseph they have Rockefeller by the balls.

Keep supporting Dodd on this, he is going to need to hear from us by the thousands.

Caw, caw, Scarecrow! Haven’t had time yet to finish reading all the comments, but I was wondering if Valerie has been invited to participate in the Book Salon? I also have wondered if anyone has contacted Al Gore about the book salon, but Valerie is a natural, since she knows where and who we are. If not, Joe could tell her, since we know he visits here. I’d love her to be in our Book Salon.

perris @ 95

Elliott @ 94

details!

I mean OOPS
Rockefeller and the telecoms

so the cost of a new law making their crimes legal in this case is 20,000 dollars.

sick stuff here

Some would call it chump change.

looseheadprop has a new thread ready, but if you’re hoping for the zed, fugetaboutit.

Ann in AZ @ 106

Caw, caw, Scarecrow! Haven’t had time yet to finish reading all the comments, but I was wondering if Valerie has been invited to participate in the Book Salon? I also have wondered if anyone has contacted Al Gore about the book salon, but Valerie is a natural, since she knows where and who we are. If not, Joe could tell her, since we know he visits here. I’d love her to be in our Book Salon.

if valery were to do a book salon here it would be the bussiest this site has ever been

all other authors would show up to ask her questions, her husband would be here to add support, the trolls would show up to try to make their points

it’s a winner and the site would gain about 50 percent additional permanent traffic because of it

demi @ 100

BTW, Toby,
Thanks for that link above. I love Dolores. I especially like the first drawing. On the floor with her laptop and wine. Yep! She’s adorable.

And politically, she’s on board with all of us – I think there are a couple of guys in her ball band who might be a little bit on the right side (right twist that is), but otherwise, Delores is hand-in-hoof with us over here. Maybe we can get her to do a fundraiser for Dodd – though she might like Edwards’ hair better.
She would not have any truck with Hillary – of that I am sure.

Perris, Kathleen, and others who refer to the grave danger imposed by outing Valerie Plame. We have thrown the word “treason” around alot. But for the life of me, it’s seem that what Bush/Cheney did absolutely fits the bill.

Bush/Cheney/Corporate america = TREASON.

And they get away with it the same way a rapist gets away with rape.

THEY BLAME THE VICTIM…they blame the American people.

And the truth is that blaming the victim works really well. Batterers do it. Rapists do it. It often buys just enough time for the next offense.

But eventually the truth comes out…when it does let’s just hope that the perpetrators of treason are not holding all the power cards.

At this point…they may just have the reigns.

SanderO @ 97

dmg,

Wrong, he is believed and the successor to the vial William Safire. Don’t kid yourself that he is a tool.

All the lawmakers call in for chats. He’s a respected insider and used to frame the message for the right. In that sense he’s a tool. But a useful one to them.

useful or not, a tool is a tool. so i think we’re in agreement.
as far as his personal influence, you give him way too much credit, imo. he is a joke. i often think the times uses him because his columns so often rest on false premises that are easily called out. look at how greenwald does it. or sommersby.
i’ll say this: brooks isn’t the worst of them; he’s sufficiently lightweight that you’re left thinking, is that all you got? it’s quite hard to find any conservative worth reading, because if they weren’t already dishonest in advancing their agendas, they have been forced into it these past dozen years. in one way or another, their so-called contributions to political dialogue have been vastly overrated for a generation, and now they’re a totally spent intellectual force, just jabbering away in a circle.

RevDeb @ 107

perris @ 95

so the cost of a new law making their crimes legal in this case is 20,000 dollars.

sick stuff here

Some would call it chump change.

lol!

I did a post on this awhile back on my blog. In 2003 when Plame’s cover was blown and the company she worked for, Brewster Jennings, was revealed, there was one highly classified death at the CIA that year (there’s a star on the CIA Memorial on their premises that indicates a highly classified agent died that year, but this person’s identity cannot be revealed even after death).

I wonder if this highly classified individual worked for Brewster Jennings? I think so. I have no proof, but it seems logical to me.

America is THE battleground. If IT can’t be ’saved’ here, then there will be no safe place ANYWHERE! The question really is, ‘How much ‘faith’ do we have in ourselves?’

Our fate lies with the people. The ‘people’ of the entire world. But whatever hope there might be, for our collective, humane and just survival, must start HERE.

Sorry to be so pessimistic, but if we cannot or will not develop a ‘vision’ built upon the principles we claim to cherish and the premise of decent lives for all peoples and effectively share that vision, first here, at home, and then around the world, then SanderO’s scenario @ 93 is our fate.

Kathleen @ 101

Elliott @ 94

details!

I mean OOPS
Rockefeller and the telecoms

Leahy stomps back “they know it was illegal conduct, that is why they are applying so much pressure”

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/…..fisa-cave/

I guess what John Dean said the other day is spot on about Rockefeller. Dean said that Rockefeller is not much better than Senator Pat Roberts as head of the Intel Committee. Wonder why I thought differently
about Rockefeller? I guess just hanging onto threads of hope.

These bastards are selling out the “Constitution.” Congress is enabling the Executive to eviscerate the restrictions and limits placed on government by America’s founders. Corpogovernemnt, and the protection of America.

“The act of war is the last option of a democracy, taken when there is a grave threat to our national security. More than 200 American soldiers have lost their lives in Iraq already. We have a duty to ensure that their sacrifice came for the right reasons?” None want to answer that ?

Joe Wilson’s OPED, “What I Did Not Find In Africa,” http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0706-02.htm

Then the Plame Case!!!

Well knowing what we know now about “the intentional fabrication of intelligence,” can inaction be justified? Taking a hard look at all the “facts” and an undistorted view of history!! Now, using national security and executive privilege to obstruct judicial review and constitutional accountability is over the top and a threat to liberty everywhere, for where the rule of law ends, tyranny begins. Now immunity for telecoms who aided potential illegal “gathering” by the Excutive. Ignorance of the law is no excuse TELCOMS…. It is kind of like a German soldier, who follows an “illegal” order by a superior. Telecom…. “we claim ignorance od the constitution.” It did not work for germans it should not work for the telecoms.
“CORPOGOVERNMENT” Jefferson’s worst fears……..

David W. Bartoo @ 115

America is THE battleground. If IT can’t be ’saved’ here, then there will be no safe place ANYWHERE! The question really is, ‘How much ‘faith’ do we have in ourselves?’

Our fate lies with the people. The ‘people’ of the entire world. But whatever hope there might be, for our collective, humane and just survival, must start HERE.

Sorry to be so pessimistic, but if we cannot or will not develop a ‘vision’ built upon the principles we claim to cherish and the premise of decent lives for all peoples and effectively share that vision, first here, at home, and then around the world, then SanderO’s scenario @ 93 is our fate.

I agree wholeheartedly, David. If democracy doesn’t survive here, it won’t last long anywhere.

After all, as Americans we’ve been raised and nurtured on democratic principles for generations now. Given our heritage, if we still can’t manage to hold on to our Constitution, I don’t hold out much hope of democracy surviving in any other country for any great length of time. Indeed, I fear a domino effect in which democracy perishes from the Earth for decades–possibly for as long as it did following its failure in Ancient Greece. That’s why we must win the battle here.

and it was unchecked capitalism that killed democracy. Folks we need to remember this. Remember how we were all spoon fed the notion that socialism is bad. Evil. The same as communism. Nope. Unchecked capitalism is no different than emperialism.

Perhaps Lenin had a point or two…at least in theory.

We have past the moment for a revolution, we’re we rise up and take back out government.

But look at what we are trying to do?

Make calls and donate to candidates? Give them money?

This is insane.

We need to strike and then demand serious changes or no work gets done.

This revolution does not have to kill people, but stomp out wrong headed ideas.

We won’t do it though. We’re as good as toast.

Don’t forget that Novak also outed the company she worked for, which was a shell company used by the CIA for other operatives…

So in addition to Plame, there was any other operative using the company as cover and the same investigation went on for all of those people to.

Mulkasey, our putative AG and stranger to waterboarding, was the presiding judge in the Larry Silverstein insurance collection trial after the powderization of the WTC. Lucky Larry got something north of 4 billion. Connect the dots, folks. It’s all about keeping things in the family. Go to http://www.ae911truth.org. It will set you free.

Back in March I read what I consider to be the best column on this subject. The author is a conservative who understands what national security is all about. I highly suggest that you read it. Here is the link:
http://joeleonardi.wordpress.com/2007/03/17/libby’s-guilty-big-deal/

selise @ 48

Prairie Sunshine @ 32

Dodd = Conscience of the Senate Congress.

hey – don’t forget holt!

just think how frustrated you are about how dodd’s hold and reid’s apparent undermining of dodd is not being covered in the corporate press.,,, i guess that’s how i feel about how holt’s work (and the house leadership’s fucking him over) is not being covered even in progressive blogs.

Rush Holt’s bill on Electronic Voting Machines started good and then was corrupted. If he could get that straightened-out and passed then I would be very impressed. But, at the moment I only know mostly of his handling of that (imperfect work).

However, he has been on my radar and if he keeps up the good work it wouldn’t be out of the question for us Progressives to be considering him as a good replacement for either Emanuel or Hoyer. It just takes time and a good record.

GSD @ 57

Ledeen is pushing the theory that Iran is so weak that the nation will collapse and turn into Sweden once the US drops a bomb on an aspirin factory.
…

What, we don’t get flowers this time? Last time we were supposed to get flowers for freeing Iraqis from Saddam. Least they could do is sell us 5 rugs for 5 dollars. Ungrateful Iranians. Why wouldn’t they give us something for bombing them to Hell?

Dick Cheney will not like this.

David W. Bartoo @ 115

America is THE battleground. If IT can’t be ’saved’ here, then there will be no safe place ANYWHERE! The question really is, ‘How much ‘faith’ do we have in ourselves?’

Our fate lies with the people. The ‘people’ of the entire world. But whatever hope there might be, for our collective, humane and just survival, must start HERE.

Sorry to be so pessimistic, but if we cannot or will not develop a ‘vision’ built upon the principles we claim to cherish and the premise of decent lives for all peoples and effectively share that vision, first here, at home, and then around the world, then SanderO’s scenario @ 93 is our fate.

I agree and that’s why I believe this particular Democratic primary is so important. The ramifications go far beyond who the individual is that will become our next president.