Christy!

Christy! Almost Zed!

Hi Christy!

Way to go, Ann…

If you’ve emailed John Edwards on this and would like to win a free goody, you can post the text of your email in the comments here and be entered to win a Some of Nothing special item (negotiable). Otherwise, please just email John Edwards!

Hey Christy!

Someone just asked a couple minutes ago about FISA.

Thanks for the marching orders. Let’s get to work folks!

Hear CHS Roar!!!111

Good luck. I’m not optimistic. I see that Steney Hoyer has taken the contempt charges for Meiers and Bolten off the table in the interest of ‘bipartism’ support for the stimulus package. What the f*ck is wrong with these people? Do they live on the same planet as the rest of us?

Everything is still very much up in the air on when and if votes will occur this week or next or when. But in case we start seeing amendment votes or otherwise as early as tomorrow, I thought we should let them know we are paying attention — and that we expect them to stand up for the rule of law.

link?

Glenn has it.

link

It just turns my stomach.

Doesn’t this shitheel remember that Slap Happy Tom Daschle was also a conciliator after 9/11 and he was rewarded by getting targeted. Something that was an unwritten political rule not to target the other parties leadership.

Steny and co. will work with Bush and will then be shocked when they see the knife sticking in their kidney.

Morans!

-G

Way to go, Christy! Incite people to act!

I love Bruce Fein (although I doubt that I would like him so much if we were talking about the economy or economic policy. I don’t really know his record on social or domestic policy, other than that he stand up for the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and that’s enough to gain my respect!)

Sorry - link did not work

Consequences for ignoring congressional subpoenas: None

[modnote: link fixed]

Thanks!

This is sickening. Dodd got a political pass the last time because “he needed a issue for his Pres campaign”..wink..wink..just politics. This time Dodd has really stuck his neck out..he is not going to get a pass. If he objects to all of the unanimous consents, he will pay a heavy price. The Dem leadership is going to throw him to the wolves. The only thing that might give Reid pause is if Clinton and Obama said in no uncertain terms that they don’t the Intel com bill passed. For the Majority leader to piss off the next President would be something for him to think about. The three Dems, wouldn’t even need to show up, a statement about don’t pass the bill and long memories would be sufficient.

BTW, has anyone figured out why Sheldon Whitehouse is supporting this criminal act? It makes no sense to me.

I rarely agree with him on anything — he’s a Reagan kinda guy, through and through. But he’s a stalwart rule of law kinda fella and, on that, we agree. This clip is spot on — I’ve been waiting for a good time to link it up for you guys.

If you are expecting either HRC or Obama to give up their days on the trail to go do what’s right, forget it. Talking the talk is waaaay easier than walking the walk.

fein on impeachment

still good even tho it is tagged with ron paul.

Although he is not on the list of the 14 Senators who signed the letter to Reid, I recall that Senator Nelson, from here in Florida, did support Senator Dodd during the floor battle when the SIC version of the bill was brought forward by Reid. I am sure more encouragement to him would be in order, too.

By the way, the Dodd phone widget is still up and running. Why not make your calls for free?
http://chrisdodd.com/filibuster/call

I’ve already made calls to Reid, Obama and Clinton. Now I will call Nelson and as many of the rest of the 14 as I can.

From moveon. They’re tracking calls. For what it’s worth.

There has been a fight brewing in the Senate for months.
President Bush and his allies in Congress want to pass legislation to let phone companies off the hook for helping the President illegally spy on the calls and emails of innocent Americans.
Progressives won a temporary victory in December when Senators Feingold and Dodd fought hard and delayed the bill’s passage.1 But now the issue has come up again in the Senate, and the critical decisions will be made in the next few days.
Senator Dodd has been a leader in the fight for accountability, and he’s pledged to keep blocking any bill that includes immunity for telecoms that broke the law. But it’s an uphill battle and he needs all the support he can get.
Can you call Senator Dodd? Tell him: “Thank you for your leadership so far in protecting our Constitution. I’m counting on you to keep leading the charge to block immunity for lawbreaking phone companies.”
Here’s where to call:
Senator Christopher Dodd
Phone: 202-224-2823
Then, please report your call by clicking here:

Not to sound too crass but Chris Dodd has a campaign debt: www.chrisdodd.com/contribute. And well it seemed campaign donations helped last time.

Oh jayzus, Cheney is on CSPAN telling us why we need the Protect America Act.

Shorter version - 9/11, terrorists, fear, fear, 9/11, fear, fear, defend the Homeland, fear, fear, terrorists, fear, terrorists, 9/11

digg the FISA fight!

While there has been much hoopla over the Retroactive Immunity provision of the bill now on the floor of the Senate, i.e. S. 2248 (the House passed H.R. 3773 on Nov. 15, 2007 which does not provide for Retroactive Immunity for either companies or administration officials who acted illegally) no headliner seems to point out how bad the rest of the bill is, or that even the Senate Judiciary version does not hold the administration accountable in denying retroactive immunity in its version.

Text of S. 2248

S. 2248: FISA Amendments Act of 2007 Dates, Content, Actions

H.R. 3773:Responsible Electronic Surveillance That is Overseen, Reviewed, and Effective Act of 2007

Text of H.R. 3773: Responsible Electronic Surveillance That is Overseen, Reviewed, and Effective Act of 2007

Exception buried in S. 2248 that allows DNI and DOJ Carte Blanche, and they will use it to spell the bill:

`(A) REQUIREMENT- Subject to subparagraph (B), prior to the initiation of an acquisition authorized under subsection (a), the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence shall provide, under oath, a written certification, as described in this subsection.

`(B) EXCEPTION- If the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence determine that immediate action by the Government is required and time does not permit the preparation of a certification under this subsection prior to the initiation of an acquisition, the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence shall prepare such certification, including such determination, as soon as possible but in no event more than 168 hours after such determination is made.

There is also nothing whatsoever in S. 2248 or H. 3373 to stop the monitoring of domestic switches inside the U.S. since targeting the majority of foreign phone calls requires monitoring of switching stations inside the United States. That gives DNI and DOJ carte blance to continue wiretapping you. If you read the extensive interview with DNI Mike McConnell in the 1/21/08 New Yorker it is Mike McConnell’s express intention to legally be able to monitor all domestic U.S. phone calls.

Whatever happens to the Immunity provision, and it’s important to insist as the House Bill has that it does not grant retroactive immunity to two groups: The companies who acted illegally including ISPs who are now tapping your internet communications and the Administration officials who engaged in it.

So far, the Senate has done nothing to hold administration officials accountable for illegal wiretapping in any version of S. 2248. The House has.

And now he’s talking about WHY we need retroactive immunity for the telecons.

So far 9/11 mentioned twice in less than 2 minutes, and a plea for sympathy for the telecons that might get sued for breaking the law.

You know that feeling of utter contempt that overcomes you whenever you see Joe Lieberman? Well, I get that feeling whenever I see Harry Reid.

So please tell me. Which version is the Senate going to try to move on? Th Intel version or the SJC version? The Intel version has immunity for telecoms. The SJC does not.

And why not let it expire!?

Has anybody ever seen Dick and Rudy together? Is Rudy Dick’s ventriloquist dummy?

And why not let it expire!?

I could go with that.

Letter from Dodd (highly unusual) He’s asking us to subscribe to updates at dodd.senate.gov. I guess he can no longer use his campaign email list for FISA and war legislation alerts.

My understanding is that the Intel bill is the base bill, and that the SJC bill is the bill that has been moved forward as a substitute — but a vote on that has not yet occurred. But, as I said, I’m awaiting some clarification to be certain that my understanding is correct. We are back exactly where we were on Dec. 17th when this series of votes was to have occurred, is my understanding. Thought that was clear above?

No, no Holy joe is a one and only. Gag reflexes are different here.

CSPAN3 has Bush talking to anti-choice group re: Roe

It really is complicated though. Or maybe just for me and a few others.

That’s correct — he can’t use his campaign information now that he’s no longer campaigning.

Hugh,

As I understand it, Reid still could choose to switch to the SJC version. It was the SIC version he took to the floor last month, but suspended action on it when Dodd took his stand. The main point of my phone call to Reid’s office today was to thank him for his statements against immunity, and then to point out that he must match action to statement and switch to the SJC version. Many more calls to that effect could? have an impact.

Warning, his office staff seems the least friendly of any I have been calling on this issue.

Thanks! Here is direct link to Dodd page for subscription to updates.

Hi folks…

I used a bit of what you indicated on your post Christy (hope that is okay) when I formulated what I’m going to say to the indicated representatives;

As an ordinary citizen I question the Constitutionality of the “Protect America Act” (FISA/Protect America Act bill S.2248) and the so-called “surveillance gap”. Retroactive immunity and breach of the 4th Amendment is not acceptable and as my representative it is your duty to stand up for the rule of law as a protector of “ordinary citizens” just like me.

Thank you for your time.

How is this?—do I need to add anything else—thanks—-

Wait a minute, I thought that Dodd was not alone on this. Didn’t Biden agree to join him? Isn’t Ted Kennedy and Feingold on his side in this? Aren’t there also others willing to commit. We really may have to work at Whitehouse and Webb and Cardin and others, but Sanders, isn’t he a rule of law kinda guy.

I’ve been on and off the phone this morning so much trying to clarify all of this that I forget what I’ve written into this article and what I just know from the last conversation or two. I’m having that ear/phone pain at the moment…owie.

Katymine’s numbers for us free call affeciantantos?

In our home we choose not to not vote. And we choose not to not be active.

Toll-free numbers for Congress from Katymine:

1 (800) 828 - 0498
1 (800) 459 - 1887
1 (800) 614 - 2803
1 (866) 340 - 9281
1 (866) 338 - 1015
1 (877) 851 - 6437

Available at my site, click on name and look in right hand column for Congressional phone/fax numbers.

We in our house do not think that voting “present” cuts it either.

Won’t there have to be a reconcilliation between the House bill and whatever passes the Senate? I don’t mean distract from today’s effort, just wanted to make sure.

Where is our hearings maven?

((((( Christy )))))

… hope you and yours are well …

I also hope that the Blogosphere will unite to drive this issue … people will pay attention if enough calls/faxes reach them !

This is what Reid said back in December about the ordering of the versions.

“Under regular order, and the rules of the Senate governing sequential referral, I will move to proceed to S. 2248 – the bill reported by each committee. When that motion to proceed is adopted, the work of both committees will be before the Senate. Because of the order in which they considered the bill, the Intelligence Committee version will be the base text, and the Judiciary Committee version will be automatically pending as a substitute amendment.

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2007/12/14/232416/03

The Intel version is the base text. Changes to it, i.e. substituting the SJC version to it would take 60 votes. After Dodd threatened to filibuster the Intel version as it moved forward, Reid stopped consideration of it. That is where we are now. As far as I can tell, Reid is just trying to start up the process now where he left off in December.

I’m watching CSPAN, they’re discussing bringing up the FISA bill on the Senate side on Thursday.

Glad to see we’re back on Rule of Law issues today.

I was stunned to hear our local hipster DJs on KFOG say just this morning that our energy would be better spent elsewhere than on impeachment. Ugh! We won’t have a democracy if we let political/war crimes go unprosecuted!

Yes, there will have to be a reconciliation conference between whatever passes in the Senate — if anything — and the House RESTORE Act. Which is another good reason to call all the leadership folks and every representative regardless of where they stand on this. The members appointed to the conference will be as important in steering the whole through as the individual votes will be over the next few days.

Getting folks like Feingold, Dodd, and such on the Senate side opposed to retroactive immunity and who are committed to upholding rule of law on the Senate side, as well as likeminded folks in the House (Nadler and Co.) is very important as well. The more calls they all get on this, the more they understand that we are serious about the rule of law and we are paying attention.

We are doing what we can where we can, and this is one good way to get that message across among many others.

TYVM

I have been looking this morning at the exodus from Gaza by the Palestinians (because they are being intentionally starved) into Egypt. If one disapproves of what has been done to African Americans, Native Indians and other groups, like the Irish, Jewish people, folks from Mexico and other historically oppressed peoples in America, how then can one approve of the treatment of Palestinians by successive Israeli and American governments?

Glenn has it.

Again, Nancy is saying that she doesn’t have the votes, and doesn’t want to upset the “spirit of bipartisanship” needed to fix the economic crisis.

I would think that, with the possibility, if not likelihood, of a Democratic president in less than a year, she might have more bipartisanship for enforcing subpoenas than she may think.

So please tell me. Which version is the Senate going to try to move on? Th Intel version or the SJC version? The Intel version has immunity for telecoms. The SJC does not.

Hugh as to immunity that’s the important point as far as the Senate goes. Reid intentionally brought the SSCI (Jello Jay and Kit Bond’s agreement with Cheney and Addington)version which includes the immunity provision.

The House Bill that passed I linked above does not allow immunity, and this is important for two groups:

1) The Telco/Comcos (Comcos are your ISPs that retain your searches and monitor your email)

2) The Administration officials who entered into written agreements with these Telco/Comcos.

There is a whole other dimension of this that is being discussed here and on EW from time to time–the element of quid pro quos from the Administration to the Telco/Comcos for their cooperation (and the possibility that Qwest officials may have been prosecuted because they did not bend to the will of BushCo).

Remember three things also:

1) that after the Senate does whatever it is going to do, since there are differences between the House Bill and the Senate Bill, there will be a Conference Committee to hammer out the final law. Remember that the House Version denies Immunity to either Administration officials or the companies, that SJC denies immunity to the companies but not administration officials, and that S.S.I.C. version that Reid intentionlally brough to the floor grants immunity to companies and administration officials because it does not address the latter.

The practical implication of this is:

The rule on votes that are crucial to it is 3/5 of the members or 60 votes.

It takes 60 votes to amend the bill on the floor to exclued immunity (they don’t have them because of Bush Ditto Head Democrats and Bush Ditto Head Republicans.

It takes 60 votes to invoke cloture on the Dodd lead fillibuster–(they have them because of Bush Ditto Head Democrats and Bush Ditto Head Republicans.

The unexpected can happen, as Christy makes clear, and if it does, we all want it to go the way that holds companies and administration officials accountable, addresses the switching stations in the U.S. that haven’t been mentioned a great deal, and also addresses the vague provisions of S. 2248 that would allow DNI and DOJ to capitalize on emergency provisions by bypassing any court monitoring.

I have to add, that just as with applications for criminal warrants in general by an A.U.S.A., that the F.I.S.A. court turned down about 5 applications for wiretapping out of 20,000 during its entire history. It is indeed rare, according to people who have applied for criminal wiretaps, ever to have them denied by a judge. The defense bar is not present for these applications, just as the defense bar is not present for one side grand jury procedings.

2) Bush will veto any version that denies immunity, so in order to defeat immunity it will be necessary to have the votes to overcome Bush’s veto. This then requires that If the Congress overrides the veto by a two-thirds majority in each house, it becomes law without the President’s signature. Otherwise, the bill fails to become law unless it is presented to the President again and he chooses to sign it.

3) A number of people who work in the areas where IT and Telcos intersect have pointed out as have a number of articles in NYT and elsewhere, that targetting foreign calls for surveillance always requires monitoring switching stations in the US and monitoring civilians in the U.S. who have elicited no suspicion that they are engaged in terrorist or anti U.S. activity.

Fein loves impeachment for its own sake and was one of the leaders in the impeachment of Bill Clinton. (Yes, Bill Clinton was impeached, and he missed conviction by just a few votes.)

AP - Tens of thousands of Palestinians on foot and donkey carts poured into Egypt from Gaza Wednesday after masked gunmen used land mines to blast down a seven-mile barrier dividing the border town of Rafah.

The border breach was a dramatic protest against the closure of the impoverished Palestinian territory imposed last week by Israel.

I Still Know What You Did Last December, Sen. Reid

Watching Sen. Reid and the current Democratic leadership play the Kill FISA, Long Live Immunity game is like watching a nightmare movie. It’s addictive, the plot is predictable, the talent mediocre and the outcome unsatisfying. Everyone is relieved when the damn thing is over and everyone has a line from it they’ll remember for years.

If the Democrats try to build over the remains of the GOP’s handiwork, which the Dems themselves have reburied, if they try to pacify their family with the calming deception that, “It’ll be better this way,” then come some election eve, they’ll wake to their wee sons and daughters whispering, “They’re heeeeerrrre.”

IIRC, before Christmas recess Reid put forward the Intelligence Committee version.

Bravo for them!!!

FUCK BIPARTISANSHIP!

Just another name for capitulate!!!111

why is everybody yelling at me today? (not here)

Oh - and I AGREE!!

damn, now I’m a little hoarse…

I have been looking this morning at the exodus from Gaza by the Palestinians (because they are being intentionally starved) into Egypt. If one disapproves of what has been done to African Americans, Native Indians and other groups, like the Irish, Jewish people, folks from Mexico and other historically oppressed peoples in America, how then can one approve of the treatment of Palestinians by successive Israeli and American governments?

It is called collective punishment. It is a common Israeili tactic and it is against international law.

The 4th Geneva Convention (Protection of Civilians in war)
Part III. Status and Treatment of Protected Persons
Section I. Provisions common to the territories of the parties to the conflict and to occupied territories
Article 33:

No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited.

What wigwam said.

Steny wants a thirty day extension, per discussions with the GOPer from Missouri on the House floor now.

If the Pukes weren’t heartless, war-mongering, stingy, corrupt, lying mofos…I’d vote for ‘em because of the rollover, pearl-twisting, impotent, conceding Dems.

Spit!

If I were Nancy, I would think that I had the repubs by the short hairs regarding this stimulus package. Why do they always act like they are in a weakened position?

I caught the tail end of the conversation mentioned in my last comment, but Steny made it sound like they only had one day remaining (due to the schedule) to deal with this or pass an extension.

May I assume that dealing with the plight of the Palestinian people is “off the table”?

Seems to me Reid/Pelosi invoke bipartisanship whenever they want to cover their, ummm, sit-upons and defend against (legitimate) charges of cowardice. I continue to believe failure to impeach is malfeasance.

The FISA/telecom thing is a classic example of constitutional abuse. Why isn’t Congress saying that, loudly, clearly, frequently. A-B-U-S-E. Of the Constitution, of power, of American citizens.

Harrumph!!

Yes, exactly!!

Hey, jayt, I was not yelling at you. I was yelling at the asymmetry between the notion of virtue for democrats vs republicans. In Republicans it is a virtue and a sign of strength to “stay the course,” “stick to your guns,” “hold the line,” etc. In Democrats, its “partisanship,” and capitulation is a sign of strength.

Could be the yellow stripe on the back of her clothes.

Well, we don’t want to take any corrective action about the Adminstration punks flicking off the Congress because it might effect our ability to arrange for lower deck passengers to have access to an additional deck chair on the Titanic.

I don’t get it either. I made all the excuses I could, but it’s downright embarrassing.

The Constitution? Oh yes. I sorta remember that. Isn’t that a piece of paper.

It was never really on the table. What’s off the table now is the charade of negotiations. It’s apartheid, and we are now openly accepting it.

I agree. If they want a stimulus package, make sure they give us a FISA renewal without immunity AND that they respond to all outstanding subpoenas.

(I almost made it without yelling.)

It is not going to go away either. I think Fein is already laying the groundwork to impeach the next unitary executive.

Thank you. The last part of your comment raise two other issues in addition to telecom immunity and basket warrants. These are minimization (What you do with information incidentally or accidentally collected on US citizens) and reverse targeting (Saying you are surveiling a foreign national but using that surveillance really to monitor contacts of a US citizen). These are trust us provisions and I think they occur in both versions of the bill. There should be clear auditing and destruction of material subject to minimization. At the moment there is a kind of toothless auditing that the FISA court is supposed to do but can’t actually do anything about. Similarly, there should be similar monitoring of the process by the courts to ensure that reverse targeting is not taking place.

Respective of the destruction of the Constitution, we ain’t seen nothin’ yet. If the Republicans get back in next November.

Hey, jayt, I was not yelling at you.

I know - just a weak attempt at humor.

I simply find it boggling, perhaps because of my legal background, that The Congress and Senate of the United States of America, filled most likely in the majority, on both sides, with former attorneys and judges, are so blithely just shrugging off this blatant contempt.

Doesn’t Steny have urgent business on the Rafah crossing?

Palestine has broken Israel’s cage - surely he wants to resume his violations of the Geneva Conventions.

There are war crimes calling out for his continued support.

Oh - wait - he can support Israel’s war crimes just by voting in the House.

While he builds a better cage for us.

(If anyone sees the TPM crowd, do pass on my thanks for their Stenny campaign.

So long as you say “thanks” by spitting, that is)

Tax cuts. Tax cuts. Tax cuts! I am so sick of hearing that crap. The Bush stimulus package is baloney. And perhaps I will miss my guess (I hope so) I think my party ‘leadership’ will fall for it, hook, line and I do mean sinker. Or do I mean stinker?

Unfortunately, I think Jack Lemon’s character in The Out of Towners has come to remind me most of this Congress. I think they have taken some names.

Per TPM:

Capitulation

The handwriting has been on the wall for some time, but it now seems certain that Senate Democrats will pass a new FISA bill that contains retroactive immunity for telecoms, shielding them from lawsuits over their cooperation with the Bush Administration in its far-reaching warrantless wiretapping program.

Meanwhile, House Democrats have decided to postpone any vote on holding Josh Bolten and Harriet Miers in contempt for their refusal to testify to Congress about the White House role in the U.S. attorney purge.

–David Kurtz

I want to emphasize that win or lose it’s important that we fight and draw blood (figuratively speaking). The point is that the American people should see the Republicans and the Capitulators in action. They should know the names of the Democrats who force this through. “Harry Reid” is a name that should go down in infamy.

Tired of capitulation?

You have options:

http://www.cindyforcongress.org/

Although I suppose Ms. Sheehan can just be dismissed as another crazy “Hillary-hater.”

http://salsa.wiredforchange.co.....71&t=

Want an economic stimulus package? Stop spending $15,000,000,000 per month on wars. And plow that money into creating jobs in environmental protection, repairing our infra structure, and education and health care training.

I want to emphasize that win or lose it’s important that we fight and draw blood (figuratively speaking). The point is that the American people should see the Republicans and the Capitulators in action. They should know the names of the Democrats who force this through. “Harry Reid” is a name that should go down in infamy.

Ding!

Sample Letter Opposing FISA Immunity for Telecoms:

Granting the administration or its corporate supporters immunity for FISA-related crimes is wrong. Those crimes were knowing and voluntary, things of great value were exchanged for them, and we have no idea whether our security was enhanced because of them. We certainly know that our liberty has been lessened - as has the barrier for taking more of it away.

The Senate’s job is to defend the Constitution, to see to it that the administration and the courts apply it fairly in our daily lives. Its job is to enact pragmatic laws that apply to all, not to carve out exceptions to them for the highest bidder.

I applaud your earlier opposition to FISA immunity. We will need much more of it. Thank you.

You got it. ;0)

As an ordinary citizen I question the Constitutionality of the “Protect America Act” (FISA/Protect America Act bill S.2248) and the so-called “surveillance gap”. Retroactive immunity and breach of the 4th Amendment is not acceptable and as my representative it is your duty to stand up for the rule of law as a protector of “ordinary citizens” just like me.

I’m stealing that, hope you don’t mind! :)

I’ll just change up the “as my representative” to something along the lines of “as a representative of our Constitution”.

At the risk of being EPU’d, I still want to ask the question whether we have any indication of how many emails we have sent to Edwards so far and if there is any indication of taking a “cotton” to the idea?

I sent one 10 minutes ago.

Appears to be. Also appears that driving them out of the territory was part of the purpose of this latest Israeli escapade.

No idea on the number of e-mails at this point. But they have definitely gotten attention — not just from the Edwards folks, but from the Clinton, Obama, and Reid folks as well. Just so you know…every contact helps push this a little further down the road. Wigwam is right that there should be no action taken — one way or the other on this — without them knowing that we are paying attention to how they vote, and how they lead — or don’t lead — with regard to upholding the Constitution and the rule of law.

Thanks everyone for all the calls and e-mails and FAXes thus far. Much appreciated…

You know who’s going to roll back the ”unitary executive” and the illegal wiretaps?

It’s going to be the Republicans, and here’s how it will work.

We are almost certainly going to have a Democrat in the White House in 2008. At the same time, due to corrupt and lazy senators like Reid, Feinstein, and Rockefeller, the wiretapping will not have stopped, and the unitary executive theory will still be in effect (the democrats would like to use that power themselves). We may or may not have a filibuster proof majority in the Senate, but who cares? The GOP, thanks to a combination of their own aggression and the weakness, corruption, and cowardice of Pelosi/Reid/Hoyer/etc, has been a remarkably effective minority.

The minute the new president issues a signing statement or wiretaps someone, the recriminations and accusations from the GOP will begin. The right-wing talkers from Beck to hannity to Limbaugh will begin bloviating about Democrat abuse of power and the people’s Fourth Amendment rights against undue search. It’ll be black helicopters all over again.

The Republicans, never oned to shy from a fight, will push for investigations into Clinton/Obama/Edwards/whoever’s abuse of power. The newspapers and pundits will run with it in a way they never do against republicans: as Digby points out, ”The villagers love to get out the pitchforks —- against Democrats. They aren’t scared of them. It’s good fun.” That’s because the Democrat Party doesn’t fight: not for their base and not for their own perogatives. And yes, i’m calling them the Democrat party on purpose: there’s nothing remotely democratic about Reid’s Senate or Pelosi’s House.

Thus eventually, the Democrat President will be impeached and those powers explicitly taken away until the Republics win office again.

You can see it coming a mile, no TEN MILES, away.