(An artist’s conception of Presidential Fiat by twolf1. Mwahaha…)
Some selected ideas for FAX action on the FISA mark-up between now and next Thursday from our commenters:
– Praedor Atrebates: I still like simply sending them the text of the pertinent segment of the 4th Amendment with “No Amnesty for Telecoms” (amnesty is a good, charged word given to us by the GOP wrt emigration…so USE it) and “No basket warrants”.
– MayDaze (among several others on this framing): “No amnesty for telecoms!”
– TheraP: The Rule of Law, Not the Divine Right of Kings.
– Cleter: I like the 4th amendment with the relevant parts in bold, with “No Amnesty for Lawbreaking Telecoms”.
– tw3k: No amnesty for telecos! Separation of Corp. & State!
– Praedor Atrebates: The Rule of Law, Not the Rule of Tyrants! Uphold the Constitution and the 4th Amendment!
– SufiLizard: I like Praedor’s shortened version of my original suggestion (I tell you when we Hoosiers put our heads together…). And maybe the famous “Don’t Tread On Me” flag down at the bottom.
– Hugh: A 4th Amendment for our times:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures , shall
notbe violated by telecoms and the Bush Administration,and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
– Prairie Sunshine: Democracy = Rule of Law, not Lawless Rule
– mffarrow: Protect the Constitution. No amnesty for criminals.
– Ann in AZ: You might want to point out to these law-makers that to allow the warrantless wiretapping to go on unfettered is tantamount to treating all of us citizens (and voters) as if guilty until proven innocent!
– Bustedknuckles: Oathbreakers don’t get to make the rules. Guilty is as guilty does.
– TheraP: I didn’t pay for a party line!
– Several from Eureka Springs: Tap dance, not wires.
Only terrorists want to monitor your every word.
USA not NSA.
Liberty Bell not MA Bell.
Private line not party lines.
Innocent until proven guilty.
Nixon tapped too .
– SufiLizard: Telecoms: if they didn’t break the law they don’t need immunity. If they did, they don’t deserve it. Followed by:
…and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
– rosalind: “I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.”
A President, not a King. Stand up for the rule of law, or stand down.
– mffarrow: How about: Do I get immunity, too? With pictures of other criminals.
– MayDaze: Tap your foot, not our phones!
– Professor Foland: Between Blackwater, Libby, the MCA, and the use of State Secrets, we are creating a culture in which criminals expect to be pardoned for carrying out the executive’s orders. This is not patriotism. Patriotism is carrying out the American peoples’ orders. These are known as “laws”.
– Patty Morlan: How about using the scale of justice with the Telecom’s lobbyist & campaign money on one side and the Constitution and the people on the other side?
– NewLou: No amnesty for peeping Coms.
– rosalind: “…with liberty and justice for all.”*
(*under indefinite suspension…keep checking back for updates)
– TexExSpeedy: “Your account is past due and your number has been deactivated.” No Amnesty for Telcoms.
– aye: Don’t coddle Constitutional criminals.
– Pectopah: If terrorists hate us for our freedoms, they why are WE the ones taking them away?
– SteveinNC: Bush Lied. Liberty Died.
– Chris: Don’t put all your checks and balances into one basket [warrant].
– windje: No warrant? No wiretap. No exceptions.
– ralphbon: Probable cause PLUS Specific warrant — Anything less is a high crime.
– Kevin Hayden: I’d like to see a cartoon take-off of the verizon commercial. imagine: a crowd of thousands in the backgrounds holding phones and torches. In front, george washington and ben franklin. George is holding a burning phone bill. Ben’s burning a 1040 form. They’re smiling and looking us in the eyes. The title: Coverup the guilt of the telecoms?
The caption: “Can you hear us NOW?”
– neokneme: Vampires tap with impunity. Should telecoms tap with immunity?
– Carol Anne: Watermark the page you fax with an illustration of a SPINE. It’s time these elected people be reminded they’re expected to exhibit spine and stand up to lawlessness and tyranny.
– anwaya: No Telco Immunity: Serve the people, not the White House. It’s the Constitution, stupid.
– itwasntme: No amnesty for corporate spying on Americans!
– New Lou: They’ve spied on us.
They’ve lied to us.
Now they want to hide it from us.
For once, make Bush and Cheney level with us. Say NO to telecom immunity.
– Socked Salmon: Image of statue of liberty on phone talking with George Washington wth George Bush evesdropping with cone held against wall in next room–caption What a difference a George Makes
Republicans shown tapping their feet, then tapping our phones, then tapdancing on the grave of the constitution
Just. Stop. Spying. On. Us. Now.
– And don’t miss this great comment from KathyinBlacksburg.
Am sure that I missed some, and I omitted a few that were legally inaccurate. Which ones do you like best? Any new ideas? Use this thread as a sounding board…
Related posts:
- OLC: Presidential Power at Root of GOP Opposition to Dawn Johnsen
- Does Obama Plan to Give Up a Little Liberty to Get a Little Safety?
- Dick Cheney’s “Presidential-Level” Torture Decision
- Did Obama’s New GM Chairman Spy on Americans?
- Obama Graduation Speech Punch Line has Glenn Reynolds Clutching Pearls over Presidential Power
Spotlight
Support this site!
Subscribe to the newsletter
Advertise on Firedoglake
Send
us your tips
Make us your homepage
About Firedoglake
Advanced search
zed for me?
Love the little FIAT w/ the presidential seal.
Fix. It. Again. Tony!
Great roundup Christy – the pups have been busy today. Maybe our message has resonated with Di Fi.
OMG!
I read the post and missed my own!
Thank you NyQuil……
Hi Christy. I got one of Hugh’s and Patty Morlan’s both into graphic form. Will work on a few others as well.
Wow, so many great ones…it’s hard to choose…
I love:
USA not NSA
Great roundup. I’m puzzled over the fiat (or is that an allusion to presidential fiat a la unitary executive, signing statements, deciderer self-appointement, etc?). I would have thought a big ol’ hummer with the bike still attached on the rear would give the oil part its due…
Busted — I knew you’d get a kick out of the fiat. *g* And everyone, you really outdid yourselves on these today. Great work!
Tough to pick a favorite out of this bunch, there are a lot of really good ones!
A spot OT, but with the first ever veto override today a question occurred to me: what does a veto override do to the legal theory (that Antonin Scalia seems so eager to take up) behind presidential signing statements?
No signature, no statement. If signing statements are considered valid, does that make an act that becomes law via override different than one that becomes law because the president signs it into law?
LS @ 6
Yeah, that’s a good one — short and sweet.
We’re having an open house @ our clinic tonight, hiding away in my office, I would rather be here.
Peanutbutter — the car is a “fiat” — it’s a double entendre.
FIAT X/19 I believe.
Pronounced X one – nine.
“Only Dictators want to wiretap without a warrant.”
(…and if the Little Boot fits, put it on, Commander Flightsuit!)
Hey Firepups! Good to see you all again! It’s been a while, but I always get back here just as soon as I can. Been missin’ y’all.
Presidential Fiat by twolf 1
707!
I still like this one even though it shows my age. Thats probably why I like it, I remember party line protocol.
Bustednuckles @ 13
Ding !
’twas the first car I gave my heart to … until Porsche built the 928 …
Redd! Did you catch Scottish Haggis’ attempt to substitute the Government in place of the Telcoms…
From Raw Story:
“Specter also has raised concerns about granting immunity to the telephone and internet companies that are alleged to have let the government tap into their networks. On Wednesday, he proposed a compromise in which the government would become the defendant in lawsuits aimed at the telecoms.”
Bustednuckles @ 2
Sorry, Busted.
Tony is no longer working at the garage. Had to earn more money and spend more time with his family, remember? Unfortunately, Ms. Perino is unlikely to get her hands dirty or muss her perfect coif!
FunnyD
That Presidential Fiat had me ROTF 707!
Too bad the Democratic Party couldn’t just go on TV and accuse Bush of bypassing FISA without warrants so he could spy on political opponents. Could you imagine how many people would be outraged if that were even remotely true? Yeah, it’d be kind of manipulative, but the Republicans do it too.
Maybe I should make it even briefer, changing this:
“Only Dictators want to wiretap without a warrant.”
to this:
“Only Dictators wiretap without a warrant!“
Because Little Boots hasn’t just “wanted” to — he’s been guilty of doing so, for a very long time now.
One for Senator Spector:
Good citizens don’t help Presidents break laws.
Bustednuckles @ 17
How about: I didn’t pay for a Republican party line.
Those are some okay one sentence zingers.
lahoma.
festiva @ 23
I like that. But maybe we could “hit him where he lives,” so to speak — and say it this way:
Good Senators don’t help Presidents break laws.
‘Cause you know Arlen thinks he’s much more important than “just” a regular citizen.
The Nixon Tapped Too is hilarious. Did he do that with a wide stance?
I see the preznit as more of an AMC Gremlin
The picture that accompanies: I didn’t pay for a Republican party line
is all of your favorite Repubicriminals listening in.
Boston1775 @ 29
Yep!
Dear founding Fathers who art in heaven, Please forgive us our Govt’s trespasses against our precious Constitution and deliver us from the evil Tel coms and their the Un-American fisa bill. Amen!
Boston1775 @ 29
Hate to say it but I didn’t understand that one till now. But I could very well be atypical.
peanutbutter @ 27
Bush took “tap lessons” from Nixon.
[OK, now I’m REALLY giving away my age — anybody else remember when parents sent their little kids to get tap dance lessons? Sigh. Well, I really WAS kinda cute…]
CTuttle @ 19
While you were sleeping, Christy had a post on Specter’s comments earlier. Leahy’s response was Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) seemed skeptical when asked about Specter’s plan on Wednesday. “So we would have the taxpayers pay the cost of the Bush administration breaking the law? Interesting concept, I’ll look at it,” Leahy said.
Why do Republicans say that large corporations should just police themselves but then scream that immigrants need to be policed like criminals?
Why do Republicans say that Government should stay out of our lives and then say that they should be wiretapping our phones?
DeafByPills @ 21
Nixon’s Watergate, is mere peanuts compared to this Maladministration’s Malice…
peanutbutter @ 27
And a reel to reel swagger
JPL @ 34
Leahy, is my hero! Mahalo…! *g*
Eureka Springs @ 37
I can hardly wait until the jig is up for GWB.
Here’s the one with the criminals asking if they get amnesty too. May add some congress critters or a shot of the senate or something. Any suggestions?
DeafByPills @ 21
And, while I RARELY suggest lowering ourselves to Republican standards, in this case I think it appropriate.
As far as I am concerned, we can assume that political opponents HAVE been eavesdropped upon — and it is up to this Administration to prove otherwise. It is that simple. It also perhaps explains why their is such hesitancy in the current Democratic leadership to do their Constitutional jobs (blackmail?).
As far as the brainstorming — I love it! I haven’t noodled much on it, but perhaps a certain segment of the population, like Libertarians, would like the respond to the apparent fact where there was a telecom who played by the rules, used their lawyers and insisted on court-ordered warrants (Qwest.) For those who believe in an unfettered market, why should Qwest not be rewarded by playing by the rules — or, another way, why should Qwest’s competitors be rewarded for NOT playing by the rules in a free market?
CTuttle @ 38
I wish Leahy would unleash Whitehouse on Arlen …
Mrs. K8 @ 39
OMG, you guys crack me the heck UP!!! Punaise is gettin’ a run for his money today, folks!
FunnyDiva
Nixon Tapped Too is the Piece de Resistance to the
I didn’t pay for a Republican party line.
Mrs. K8 @ 39
He’s no Archbishop Tutu.
So, is this for something like a catchy-catch-phrase like a headline that grabs your attention?
I like them all, but most people have short attention spans (what was I just saying?) ;-) The ones that stood out for me were/are so far …
and
And the pic is perfect twolf1 ;-)
Boston1775 @ 44
Excellent. Perhaps we should plan to have a Smorgasbord of these faxable zingers!
FunnyDiva
FunnyDiva –
Do you sing any dance tunes? There are some people I’d like to see forced to dance to a different tune for a change…
:-)
O/T but does anyone realize that the economy is tanking?
George Simian @ 49
Well, all those people who complained about the manufacturing jobs going overseas can look forward to a resurgence. The only advantage I see in a weak dollar is that it makes our US exports overseas cheaper.
George Simian @ 49
Yup. Yet another run of headlines making me oh-so-cheery. It’s hard to keep up with all the disasters-in-the-making.
I like
Don’t tread on me
No amnesty for telecos! Separation of Corp. & State!
Democracy = Rule of Law, not Lawless Rule
No amnesty for peeping Coms.
Mrs. K8 @ 48
Well…I could transpose that baritone aria from Marriage of Figaro: Se vuol ballare…
“If you want to dance, little Count, I’ll play you a tune on MY guitar!”
FunnyD
DeafByPills @ 50
What exports? Our subsidized farmed food? We don’t make anything here anymore.
I think I’m going to take the best of these and make bumper stickers. I’ll post a link later on, and if you want one, you can grab it and print your own to use, hand out, whatever.
George Simian @ 54
That’s exactly my point. But this meme is being parroted anyway
Lindy @ 55
You go, Grrrrrl! We can be a new breed of Freeway Blogger!
FunnyD
The economy, world peace and Mother Earth are going down the drain. Do I blame only George W. Bush? Hardly.
George Simian @ 54
Heh, ya beat me to the punch, but, ya missed our subsidized cotton, of which we have to re-import to clothe ourselves… Hmmm…
DeafByPills @ 50
Related to this O/T, I just spotted this: Bankruptcy Law Backfires as Foreclosures Offset Gains
I am very angry with the Republicans. I’m extremely disappointed with my party.
FunnyD –
Ooooh, I like the sound of that! (His Majesty King George would probably want to have the word “Count” changed to “Emperor of the Whole Universe, Amen” though.)
Eureka Springs @ 52
Missed that one; like that too
Oh, and with apologies to our KY readers…ahem…
GO MOUNTAINEERS!
That is all.
CTuttle et al.
Thanks for bringing me up to speed on Pakistani’s long-range nuclear missiles capabilities.
(Somehow 1998 didn’t seem that long ago. . . How time vanishes watching the country destroyed before your eyes.)
How about we just boycott AT&T and Verizon instead?
Funnydiva2002 @ 57
Hmmm. Placards (legally sized) in the back windows that can be changed out as desired…now there’s food for thought!
Oklahoma kiddo @ 58
Has he been the catalyst for the failures of the last 7 years ? Abso.f*cking.lutely !
Mrs. K8 @ 62
Well, sucks boo to him! I mangle Mozart(DaPonte) for no man(iac)!
FunnyD
Oklahoma kiddo @ 61
Hey, no cutting in front of me…! ;-)
I have a good one I think;
“this is a government for PEOPLE, by people, NOT for corporations by corporations.
you could look it up if you don’t believe me, it’s the very reason this country even exists”
first part without the second part if you want to be quick about it
peanutbutter @ 32
peanutbutter,
I think that it’s the explaining of the “party line” that makes this valuable.
Lindy @ 55
These are the wrong shape, but let me know if any of these are helpful.
maybe forget the grand words and stay with simple truths to fax : “They tap you, too.”
peanutbutter @ 66
Or those printable magnetic sheets? Bumper-sticker size should be plenty strong and equally repositionable!
x174 @ 65
Heh, I’m a VOIP’er myself…
USA not NSA is short and sweet
The verizon commercial spoof would make for a great youTube. I imagine a spoof every time I see a telco commercial.
Lindy @ 55
You know, I’ve been thinking about this lately. On my job I’ve become aware of an interesting company which makes slim-line LED signs which use only 1.5 watts and glow in lovely colors even nicer than neon. They make some signs where the text message can be changed by the user as frequently as desired.
Wouldn’t it be NEAT-O to have a sign like that across your back bumper? You could change they saying at will. [And turn off the sign entirely when you drive through “hostile territory.”]
Petroceli @ 67
This little man had a group of non-Republican enablers.
Boston1775 @ 71
Yeah put it out with that picture and I htink it says it all.
Spiritcatcher @ 73
or
“NSA: they tap you, too.”?
FunnyD
CHS – Which of the selections do you like?
Mrs. K8 @ 77
YOu got a source or linky for that? I would have loved it the other day when I had someone behind me absolutely pissed that I was driving 25mph. It didn’t seem to register on him that it was an active school zone! Wouldn’t that be something if the sign suddnely lit up and said “Dude! School Zone! STFU!”
Well maybe more diplomatic than that ;-)
Still, that sounds interesting…?! Know where those are available?
“Nixon tapped too”
So did Larry Craig. =:)
The GOP. For all your tapping needs.
If even a *telecom* lawyer won’t say it’s legal, you *know* you’re in deep shit.
(probably resonates more if you’ve ever had crappy phone service… which is to say, potentially with *everyone*)
tw3k @ 76
NSA is fine — WITH a warrant.
How about this: “Private Telephone Conversation and Internet: Outlawed Since 2001″
Many great ideas. I liked the idea of faxing a (copy of?) the shredded Constitution; like mmfarrow’s idea of “Do I get immunity too?” with pictures of criminals. Also the takeoff on the Verizon add, burning telephone bills and tax forms with the caption “Can you here us now?”
Screw this. How about, National Don’t Pay Your Phone Bill Month
As I said to Leahy’s staffer today, they don’t want us to know what they’re doing, it’s all top secret, but they want us to say it’s okay.
And riffing on the “Nixon tapped, too” line above:
Nixon tapped.
Larry Craig says he stopped tapping.
Dubya says he won’t stop tapping.
(and I’ll admit it can definitely be refined a bit… well, anything might be more “refined” than some of *my* ideas…)
ATT – American Tel Tappers
Beyond the Verizon .. SOund of Bob Dylans song – Beyond The Horizon (dubbed) with an image of a spook listening in and writing down your mothers recipes while you discuss the war on Christmas.
Spiritcatcher @ 73
I REALLY like that
I would make it even more ominous by changing it a smidge;
“you DO know they are listening to you too, don’t you?”
Who needs immunity when you follow the law.
to the tune of the Who’s Tommy album:
“See Me. Steal Me. Touch me. Squeal me.”
Christy Hardin Smith @ 64
Ah, hey Christy, your Kentucky readers won’t be bothered by that at all. Your Louisville readers on the other hand…
As for the Presidential Fiat, I’m supposing the illo is perception, against reality.
peanutbutter @ 82
The company I was looking at is a very cool Canadian company called Carmanah Technologies Corporation. They have a bunch of different divisions focused on creating applications for energy sustainability. Most of them have to do with LED lighting applications, many of them run by solar power.
Their signage division (found here:
http://www.edgelit.com )
intrigued me.
They don’t actually offer signage for the back or side of a vehicle. It’s just that’s where my devious political mind went. How cool would THAT be? All their many cool applications can be found by poking around at http://www.carmanah.com.
Millineryman @ 91
That’s good. Kind of like the argument why worry about being wiretapped if you’re not doing anything wrong?
How about: Why do they need immunity if they haven’t been breaking the law?
I love “I didn’t pay for a party line.” and “No amnesty for peeping Coms”
I’m sorry I missed that thread this morning — some really good ones!
How about, Tap your lines first. You show me yours and I’ll show you mine.
carolyn urban @ 96
That what I meant, thanks for fleshing it out.
So many great suggestions, so little time. One of my favorites is from Prairie Sunshine: Democracy = Rule of Law, not Lawless Rule
Here’s one from a fax I received last year supposedly representing bumper stickers:
Blind faith in bad leadership is not patriotism!
Boy, this sure became a lot easier once I entered the whole committee into my address book as a group and sent the fax to the group!
Chris @ 88
Maybe the final line could go something like this:
“Let’s make sure the long arm of the law TAPS these lawbreakers on the shoulder and sets them straight.”
democracy now is reporting that the bill to impeach cheney is still alive.
Statue of Liberty
They’re taping her phones too.
The truth is not negotiable.
Only criminals need immunity.
Warrantless spying on Americans; illegal then, illegal now. No immunity.
TexBetsy @ 72
I like them all, especially the bottom one
And love these ;-)
smapdi @ 103
SNAP!
TexBetsy @ 85
The other error with the slogan being the individual that thinks USA is synonymous with corporate citizen.
Or, how about this: Who Gave the Telco’s the Authority to Destroy Our Privacy Rights?”
“How much do you think your conversations will bring on eBay?”
Boxturtle(Is userid PEEPINGCOM taken?)
TexBetsy @ 102
Ooo..ooo…Betsy!!! You’ve done some really good ones!!!
Leave the tapping to Larry Craig, not the telecoms.
“play Taps for our civil liberties”
I suppose I should feel blessed. I think that 100 percent of Republicans are useless. While I view only ninety % of my party as such.
Oh, I should have mentioned upstream when I said good things about Carmanah –
I have no connection to this company, other than that my job requires that I try to stay up-to-date on new technologies. So I have to read about Carmanah and other similar companies.
FBI’s Ten Most Warrantless List..
Quest
ATT
Verizon
etc..
Thanks LS & John in Sac.
punaise @ 113
That’s good, punaise!
Another alternative would be ‘Play Taps for the Constitution.’
Eureka Springs @ 116
I thought Qwest was one of the few that said no?
illegal wiretapping is a crime.
TexBetsy @ 85
Yes, and not a Blanket one either…
Mrs. K8 @ 118
“Play (wire)Taps for Liberty”?
Ann in AZ @ 119
whoops
George W. Bush is arguably the most sought after man in the world. Way to go big guy. You finally made it.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 114
bruce fein?
On Cspan 2 Mukasey gets an upperdown vote. No filibuster.
I’ve been out. Do you all know this? From DKos:
Breaking: Mukasey Filibuster no longer possibleby andgarden [Subscribe]
Thu Nov 08, 2007 at 03:53:56 PM PST
This will be a short diary: Harry Reid just read out a unanimous consent agreement for the consideration of the nomination. It was agreed to without objection. There is a 5 hour time limit for debate and then there will be a vote. There was no discussion of a 60 vote requirement.
Turn on C-SPAN 2 to to watch the “debate.”
Update [2007-11-8 18:58:48 by andgarden]: Durbin has the audacity to speak against Mukasey now, as if a speech matters.
Update [2007-11-8 19:8:32 by andgarden]: to clarify, this means that Mukasey will get an “upperdown” vote.
x174 @ 120
How about warrentless wiretapping is a crime.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 124
He always wanted to get attention.
Warrantless spying on Americans – illegal since 1787.
How does the president walk, with those huge balls between his legs?
musicsleuth @ 126
Oh Jesus. Excuse me. I have to step away from the computer and weep.
LS @ 130
Simple. I like it.
TexBetsy @ 72
Thanks, Betsy!
Schumer’s my senator. Between the Mukasey vote and the hedge funds, he needs to be replaced.
musicsleuth @ 126
Edited for clarity.
solai @ 127
Sheer Fuckery… Snarlin Arlen, saying no need for a Midnite vote…
musicsleuth @ 133
me too.
musicsleuth @ 126
Oklahoma kiddo @ 114
in the senate it’s 0%
not one of them would even object to the uc.
CTuttle @ 137
I had to turn it off in disgust.
I like NO AMNESTY FOR PEEPING CONS!
Newest one might be the best.
They are going to vote to confirm Mukasey, because they don’t want W to recess appoint someone much worse.
Ooh, i like this one;
Private line not party lines
Immunity shortage with a picture of Scoots?
picture of undocumented workers
I got it
undocumented workers
pic of AT&T workers on the phone lines. bwahahaha
LS @ 143
Get a fucking spine, senators!
No immunity – apply directly to the forehead.
No immunity – apply directly to the forehead.
No immunity – apply directly to the forehead.
carolyn urban @ 138
The best so far IMO.
Boxturtle (I spent a month studying the Constitution in 8th grade. Been a waste of time for the last 6 years.)
LS @ 143
i don’t know if they legally qualify, but i think every single one of them is probably a war criminal.
musicsleuth @ 126
I know My Senator says no to MuKasey.
Patty Murray sent out an email today saying she won’t vote to confirm.
And as a teensy tiny consolation for us at this dark moment, CNN announces:
Kerik indicted on tax evasion and corruption charges.
Mrs. K8 @ 150
BWAAAAAHAAAAHAAAAA.
sing the blues dude.
smapdi @ 103
Puts the neocons on the defensive for a change, having to explain (probably using that nuance-thingy) grey areas — I Like It!
LS @ 143
We are getting nothing in return for this vote. Inexcusable. At least threaten to throw Rove in the capitol slammer until he talks. Geesh.
LS @ 143
Bush has already named an Acting AG Peter Keisler.
Gah! I meant Peeping COMS
Democratic spines? Remember the almost cult flick, “The Tingler”?
my comment to senator kerry’s dkos diary yesterday:
selise @ 157
I guess we know the answer to that question.
Are they tapping your kid?
this would get the parents concerned about wire-tapping and child abuse?
So Reid has engineered another cosmetic vote. A “no” vote by any Democrat won’t mean a thing. I suppose the only point of interest will be how many Democrats vote for torture.
Please vote other than HRC in the primaries.
lahoma
Specter — Is there some truism that the more he quotes international law the more he rolls over to the Bushies?
Toby Wollin @ 128
Just thought that the word “illegal” should be in there somewhere. Though i’m easy
How ’bout:
“AT&T needs to be prosecuted for violating federal statutes.”
(i like the sound of it.)
great. now specter is justifying mukasey’s unwillingness to say waterboarding is torture because it might be americans at risk of arrest in other countries like rumsfeld, sharon and pinochet.
solai @ 127
What did Will Rodgers say about people he didn’t like, “if you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all”
Here’s what I think about Harry Reid right now
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
(crickets chirping, watch ticking)
Oklahoma kiddo @ 161
You have my word.
Giuliani say Kerik support was a mistake (AP)
from Yahoo! News
Former commissioner of the New York City Police Dept. Bernard Kerik speaks to reporters outside the Bronx Supreme Court with his attorney Joseph Tacopina, right, June 30, 2006, in New York. A federal investigation of Kerik, the former law enforcement heavyweight and protege of presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani, appears to be drawing to a close with a possible indictment. A grand jury that has been hearing evidence in the case for several months was expected to vote on whether to indict Kerik on Thursday, a federal law enforcement official said Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2007.
)AP – Republican Rudy Giuliani said Thursday he’d made a mistake in recommending his New York City police commissioner for a Cabinet job but asserted his good decisions far outweigh his bad.
Mrs. K8 @ 33
My granddaughters take tap dance lessons. Not so “old fashioned” as we thought…
this one’s scary:
Bush rates poorly in survey while Putin gains status
from Amer – Herald Trib
President George W. Bush is widely unpopular, President Vladimir Putin is gaining admirers, and Iran should be penalized if it does not cease its uranium enrichment programs, according to an international survey.
musicsleuth @ 162
Actually Specter rolls over for Bush no matter what. How much he huffs and puffs before doing so is variable.
and good news:
Former Navy interrogator tells Congress waterboarding should be banned
from Amer – Herald Trib
A former interrogation instructor for the U.S. Navy said the words Thursday that congressional Democrats wanted to hear from Attorney General-designate Michael Mukasey: “Waterboarding is torture, period.”
Mrs. K8 @ 77
last election year i bought a LED message badge from x-tremegeek dot com, inputed a few messages (”a president, not a king. had enough? firedoglake dot com”) and clipped it onto my backpack. it proved to be a good conversation starter in line at the grocery, bank, etc.
There’s 5 hours of debate before the vote. What should the drinking game be?
x174 @ 163
I’d go for something a little punchier: Prosecute AT&T For Violating Federal Statutes
Hugh @ 170
Snarlin’ Arlen is more of a tummy-rub kind of creature. watch his hind leg start flapping reflexively.
john in sacramento @ 165
And I think it was Alice Roosevelt (or was it Dorothy Parker?) who said “If you can’t say anything anything nice about someone…come sit by me.”
I’m more in the Alice/Dorothy mood right now.
Can’t help but wonder if Kerik was intentionally thrown under the bus in order to kill the connection now.
Eureka Springs @ 177
You can bet on it – the next one to go will be the pedophile priest that’s “in the woodpile” there.
punaise @ 175
Bad, bad image. Think of bunnies, think of bunnies.
For some reason, none of my attempts to send Arlen Spector a fax has gone through. I’m not sure if it’s the number I’m using (when it’s not busy, it doesn’t answer at all) or if everyone has had that problem with faxes to him. Anybody?
specter – we don’t even know what waterboarding is.
me – you could have watched the hjc hearing today… or better yet, had your own fucking hearing and ask levin what he thinks.
Let me get this staight. Kerik has mob connections. Kerik’s mentor and protector is Giuliani. And Rudy is law and order and makes great decisions.
The NewsHour has a good segment up on waterboarding. A case of bolting the barndoor a few weeks after the horse has gotten away.
Here’s our buddy DiFi on FISA:
Thank you for writing to me about domestic electronic surveillance and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA). I appreciate you taking the time to write and I welcome the opportunity to respond.
The Senate has been working this fall to write legislation amending FISA after the passage of the Protect America Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-55) on August 5, 2007. The Senate Intelligence Committee passed a bill on October 18, by a vote of 13-2, that substantially strengthens the role of the FISA Court in approving the procedures governing surveillance. This legislation also required, for the first time ever, that there be court review any time a U.S. citizen is targeted for surveillance anywhere in the world. I believe these two measures significantly strengthen the privacy protections in FISA.
I have worked very hard to ensure that this bill will contain strong language on exclusivity – making explicit that this and all future Administrations are required by law to obey FISA any time the government is acquiring the communications of U.S. citizens for foreign intelligence purposes. I described the importance of this provision in the additional views I wrote on the Intelligence Committee bill, which are attached to this letter.
Again, thank you for writing. I hope you will continue to write on matters of importance to you. If you have additional comments or question, please feel free to contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3841. Best regards.
TexBetsy @ 171
from this morning’s hearing. here’s the audio i ripped.
musicsleuth @ 173
“patriotic duty” can me no more than a sip. don’t want any one hospitalized in the first half hour
Of course there is another kind of mob. I think it’s called the DLC.
And Rudy is responsible for bring down the mob in NYC using enhanced interrogation techniques.
selise @ 181
Anyone who can say ‘we don’t know what the meaning of waterbording is is’ is not credible.
Is it true than any one Senator could have stopped this? Or at least made it necessary for 60 votes? Because if that’s true, we really have to re-think everything.
rosalind –
Oh, how cool is THAT? X-tremegeek, eh? Gotta check it out.
Now, I should mention this caveat — I have no idea what the legal status is of lighted signs on an automotive vehicle.
But for now, I surely enjoy thinking about it, if nothing else. And sometimes little thoughts like that are enough to get me through a dark day.
selise @ 181
Selise – I’ve seen time and again that Levin was forced out of his job at DOJ – what is he doing NOW? I have not seen that in any article.
~ PW with new goods upstairs ~
solai @ 190
yes.
yes.
Dennis Miller is upstairs /s
Eureka Springs @ 177
I thought the timing was due to statute of limitations issues.
Sorry OT Kramer was just on Tweety trying to sell Nuclear power as green energy which does not produce waste. Actualy Kramer radioactive waste from nuclear plants lasts for thousands of years.
We have no place to store it so its stored on site making nuclear power plants all over the country even bigger terroist targets.
General Electric which owns Tweety and Kramer makes nuclear plants neither of these ‘cough ” journalist mentioned that fact.
LOL!
That is, of course, the escape clause since the bills gutting FISA allow surveillance of Americans as long as they are not the “target”. So if the NSA says they are targeting a foreign national, then they can go ahead and listen in on any communications involving Americans because they are not the “targets”.
Toby Wollin @ 192
i do not know.
solai @ 190
Short answer: Yes, one Senator could have stopped the unanimous consent decree and necessitated the 60 vote limit to cut off debate.
specter now thanking reid for calling the vote for tonight, so mukasey can be at work at the doj tomorrow morning 8 am.
leahy up.
i can’t watch, knowing that he didn’t object to the unanimous consent agreement.
Of course, with Mukasey it is not just torture. He buys into the whole Bush program of the unilateral Executive.
Was it a Gang of 14 manuver? Leahy’s doing an admirable job on the Senate floor, as I’m watching on my split screen…
http://www.cspan.org/watch/cs_…..p;Code=CS2
Hugh @ 204
and apparently, so does our senate.
CTuttle @ 205
kabuki
although, to be fair… i must always cut leahy a bit of slack – after all it was his office that suffered a serious anthrax attack before the patriot act vote.
CTuttle @ 205
An objection by a single Senator is enough to stop a unanimous consent agreement. Just one. Some of the Gang may well back Mukasey but this isn’t about them. It’s about Leahy, Dodd, Kerry, Kennedy, Obama, Durbin, Feingold, and Hillary.
Hugh @ 209
reid always agrees to a 60 vote requirement when it is the Rs who object.
solai @ 127
What about Dodd???
some days i can really see why most people turn away from the crap that goes on in deecee.
… well, tomorrow is another day… but for tonight, i’ve had enough.
It’s up to the people of Kansas to find a Robin Hood to retire this Lapdog of the rich.
Carolyn Urban @ 87
Screw this. How about, National Don’t Pay Your Phone Bill Month
Love it Carolyn ;-) Ya want attention:
“Support our Constitution, don’t pay your phone bill!”
Toby Wollin @ 174
Thanks for the tightening.
Latest:
“Prosecute AT&T.
They’re breaking the law as we speak.”
When you’ve got a cornucopia, I guess you can just pick a treat. I do like the point Praedor Atrebates made about using “amnesty” instead of “immunity.” But now I’m going to have to think about the psychoto-linguistics of the bioterrorism threats the Wurlitzer blasts out every now and then.
Oh, and that bankruptcy law article is cherce! as is the lawsuit against WaMu’s appraiser in NYState Court.
I have been suggesting this idea since July.
I think the right image faxed over and over again might get noticed.
Note – if you follow the link above it is to the original post that contains the image I proposed to use. Also the PDF link on the page no longer works and the system does not allow me to fix it. I can make a new PDF if needed.
Or you can see just the image here.
well, mine didn’t make chs’s list — [in-
sert forced, plaintive, fainting sigh] — but
it was prepared using praedor atrebates’ fine
suggestions of this morning. . . it is
an image that can be emailed, or printed
and mailed, with your letters. . .
p e a c e
nb: it was developed independently
from hugh’s very similar thinking. . .
his is great, too!
My feeling-brainstorm or my case brain fart.
I will say this probably at the risk of heat. I just had to get my 25 cents in, inflation you know, A penny is bupkes, but first this Everyone You((((((((((((((ROCK)))))))))))))))))
Might I suggest a gentle reminder..Maybe not so gentle, that our founding fathers risked their lives to pen these words;
Insert 4th amendment and ask;
do you stand against this constitution in the favor of corporations or do you stand with the words, penned at great risk, that represent that precious ideal of freedom and democracy put forth in the Constitution of the United States of America.
Add whatever (favorite) phrase you choose in closing
Fozetti @ 155
COMcons?
Eureka Springs @ 166
Ditto. I suspect she’d be hard pressed to find many primary votes here. Just a hunch ;->
selise @ 181
gee mr spectoron. c’mon over here & i’ll show ya. just ya lie right down on that there teeter-totter. attaboy! when yer done, just signal by blowin’ a bubble. i’ll be back in @ 5 hrs or so… bye.
shame on me.
i gotta go get some zzzzs fore i tip over.
had a wonderful time zippin’ & zappin’ in the 1st brainstorm with you guys.
missed the 2nd bstorm to go hear Cleveland O do Mozart 34 & Brahms 1. with your kind indulgence, i shall leave the telly turned off tonight, but i greatly enjoyed your whole comment thread here just now. ;->
(((((peace)))))
Welcome to the reign of Mooooooooooo Kasey at the Bat! which has taken it’s place in the barn besides Moooooooooo Feinstein–the cow who burned Caleyforney and the rest of this country by knocking a lot of pails over in the barn.
A question: Does anyone not realize that there has never been a situation where a U.S. Attorney has gone for a warrant and not gotten one?
They are ex parte proceedings of the US attorney, and da judge who used to be a US attorney unless da judge is one of the 15% who never spent a nanosecond in a federal courtroom litigating anything like the Ken and Barbies who disappoint Christy when they don’t understand the Intel laws. The um defense bar is not present at such a colloquy. So if there were a rare refusal of a federal judge to give an AUSA a warrant you would never know. This is not to mention that as we all know a FISA court warrant is never turned down unless you want to cling to 4-5 times since the existence of the FISA court.
So warrants mean damn little in this system which long ago abandoned the rule of law.
As to lack of understanding of media people not legally trained as to what is contained in case law written by the law clerks of mostly former DOJ employees who have moved to the Bench, approximately 85% of the current federal judiciary, I would not be shocked at this in the least. It’s business as usual. This isn’t on the public’s radar, nor is Telco Immunity or the eggregious markup of the Senate Intel bill and the one hatching that is a mirror image of it from Senate Judiciary.
Of course it is astonishingly bad preparation, laziness, and incomprehension. These Ken and Barbies didn’t all go to Harvard law with Linda Greenspan and spend time researchign constitutional questions did they?
They are also continually on the Britney OJ patrol with the poorly educated pudding heads who are your fellow Americans.
A large majority of lawyers are trained to cover their bank accounts, cop the plea, and forego the ordeal of quality trial preparation. Welcome to America. The system is rigged so that the penalty for copping said plea is infinitely less than the penalty for trying a case, and winning the case 4-5% of the time because the system is heavily stacked against the defense bar–FRE, FRCrP, and the judiciary who is 85% from the ranks of former US Attorneys.
What a magic Friday. The US financing the rush feng shui of Senor Alberto Moooookasey’s new digs at DOJ ironically bordered by of course Constitution [burp] Avenue as well as the house arrest of Bennie Bhutto.
As a bonus Iraqi “Security” forces plan to get down with Blackwater Thugs which should provide some needed entertainment.
The minister, Jawad al-Bolani, said of the planned raids. “They are called security companies. They are not called violate-the-law companies.” Why of course not Jawad. Whatever gave you the idea that the Blackwater Badasses though they could violate the law? Was it the spray and pray slayings of your women and babies or the lampshade on mah head drunken murder of your VP’s body guard in the greenzone during Xmas merriment?
Iraq and Blackwater Get Down in Da Hood over caps popped in heads
Legal Loopholes in Iraq aka “Congressmen in the Godfather’s pocket.”
As to ole § 1802, it’s not worth the paper it’s written on with people like Moooookasey in the sadle. He has showcased disdain for the Rule of Law explicitly on the bench of the S.D.N.Y. regarding a material witness roundup reminiscent of the Japanese interment and the roundup of Jews in Germany and Poland.
I would compare and contrase ole 1802 with the current markups of the Surveillance Bill about to be hatched by your Congress in which the AG has the ability to craft the law on the fly in the spirit of Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville.
By the way, let’s not forget the stalwart chairman of the Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security ’cause she Fine!(stein).
SJC marked up the bill today, and will rubber stamp the Bush administration on retro immunity and AJ crafting like Maragariteville about this time next week and then you will have back to back Moooookasey and Mooove on you ain’t never finding out nothin’ about how the Telcos are currently sponging your pohone calls, emails, bank accounts and submitting them for NSA and DOJ matrixing to use against you in any way they want to manufacture. The year is 1984 and you is in it.
How the Bush Rubberstamping aka your 4th Amendment Rights execution has been is Scheduled (there are no stays granted by the Justice for your area):
Erica Chabot, a spokeswoman for Sen. Pat Leahy (D-VT), the committee chairman, says that the committee is going to consider the bill in two installments. Today it’ll mark up and vote on Title I, which deals with warrant issues, the role of the FISA Court in authorizing surveillance, sunsetting provisions and more. But Titles II and III will be deferred until next week — and that’s the section of the bill that concerns retroactive legal immunity for telecommunications companies. No matter what happens today, the full bill won’t be voted out of the committee; that’ll be next week, assuming the committee passes the measure.
The Warrant for Execution of your 4th Amendment Rights aka the Surveillence Bill
Sorry Linda Greenhouse not Greenspan –pasted the uncorrected Fredian slip or teddy, although lately does it make much of a difference?
AT&T–YOUR WORLD DELIVERED…STRAIGHT TO THE NSA.
(CONSTITUTION BE DAMNED??)
Support our Troops. Suspend the Constitution.
and/or
Hate our Freedoms? Suspend the Constitution.
and/or
Islamofacists under your bed? Suspend the Constitution.
and/or
Hate our Freedoms? Rubberstamp for Immunity.
and/or
Islamofacists under your bed? Rubberstamp for Corporate Immunity.
and/or
God Bless America, land of the Unregulated Corporate Immune.
Just some thoughts. Thanks to all in the Lake.
“It would be a lot easier if this was a dictatorship; As long as I am the dictator.” – George W. Bush
“When we are talking about a wiretap … We have a warrant” – George W. Bush
Don’t Let GW Pardon another criminal.
None of the suggestions so far have really grabbed me (including my own).
I want to see something that immediately captures the idea that if Congress gives retroactive immunity to the telecoms that they are protecting corporations & Bush instead of the Constitution.
Do we have any more ideas?