zed

heh, heh. now to read.

I was moderately surprised when Kohl voted the right way. Nothing in the “conversation” we’ve had over FISA over the past months has indicated he would vote against Rockefeller’s bill.

Kill Bill!

Oops. My bad. I thought “Kill Bill” was going to refer to Bill Clinton, not the FISA bill. Now I need to go back and check on the gardening thread still running. See ya.

Morning, PW. That pasta sounds yummy.

Don’t be duped/deluded/de-nutted by another Bush-Push, Senators–your voters are watching….

I use my Atlas pasta machine, PW, can I still play *g*

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21013

Surely Clinton and Obama will be in DC for the State of the Union Address anyway.

Gud mornin PW, dat iz nais picshur ov kitteh.

I much prefer to make my pasta by hand. It is so much more satisfying. *sigh* I haven’t done it in many years.

morning pw, thanx for keeping us on our toes, we can’t allow immunity

here’s what I would like the our critters to hear;

“with retroactive immunity, I cannot reclaim any property that might have beens tolen from me

if they somehow aquired a manuscript I’ve written, if they obtained access to a diagram for a better carburateur, if they found out I have new technology for phone transmission, I cannot get my property back”

that’s impportant for them to understand

double entendre, kill the fisa bill and the movie. in that order.

Isn’t that a triple entendre? Or at least my version is.

That is some kitty, PW… looks more like the cougars roaming even to the east edge of ND these days…not your ordinary household tabby cat.

i guess it is if you go there!

I just have that “I’m just a bill” song looping in my head.

So Phoenix Woman:

You’re a Russ Meyers fan…

Please call Bayh’s office – I’ve seen him change a vote before when enough pressure is applied. Might be good to remind him that Hillary’s against immunity (’cause Bayh tends to forget shit like that, even as he’s trying to position himself as her V.P. candidate).

Richard Lugar (R-IN) might be susceptible too. Talked to a nice staffer who was typing up my comments while I talked. He could be a stealth cross-over. 202-224-4814.

It seems to me that the R’s managed, again, to set up a last minute showdown with the Dems. This time, please don’t blink first, Dems! Really. Spines are sexy.

Sure, PS! I just don’t have one because I don’t have the space for it. (Don’t forget to clean it!)

what perfect timing.

I was looking at the coffee maker this morning–a filter machine, wondering why in heck anybody percolated their coffee. Seems like a sure fire way to end up with burnt tasting coffee.

And then I wondered whether anybody uses electic can openers anymore. The vice grip version works better. THAT reminded me of the fact that I use a whisk,rather than the hand mixer for whipping cream or mixing batter. Never had a microwave, which is, I know weird.

But the food processor died, and you can’t make pesto with a pestle (or at least, I’m not patient enough). Gotta replace that. And there’s no substitute for a grapefruit knife.

So what are the essential gadgets?

Whoa, what luck.
My first dip in the Lake for a Long Time and I get gardening, pasta, RonD, photos of firepups AND Biodun!
I must be doing something right.
Or, just very lucky this am.
Good Morning, all.

What’s interesting is that it looks like the Republicans effed themselves. They had Reid cowed with threats of “ooga booga Bush will say bad things about you in his SOTU!” but then when he’d given them everything they wanted, they screwed him one more time. So now the worm’s turned and he’s backing Dodd’s filibuster.

But I really like my rice cooker and that’s a one use only machine!

I called Snowe’s office. stonewalled. But I don’t think we should give up on the gang of 14.

Also, don’t miss Mike Lux’s story (via atrios) at http://www.openleft.com, of sitting in front of Santorum on the train, while he dialed around trying to end McCain’s candidacy.

Hey demi:

Did you get my message yesterday?

A filter cup!

Other than that a good chefs knife and a nice cutting board.

And Haberman captures the essence of the campaign, by writing about tainted tuna.

That is some kitty, PW… looks more like the cougars roaming even to the east edge of ND these days…not your ordinary household tabby cat.

Pastakitty replies:

Pastakitty taketh no guff from anyone. She refers to herself in the third person and eats wastrels for breakfast.

OT–apologies, PW:

Bill Clinton: “Hillary is polarizing only to those who don’t know her.” He’s right: Most poeple don’t…

Hi PW, I love the pasta kitteh!

lol! good one :)

Here’s another summary of what exactly happened. Everyone’s just trying to figure it out, though. We may never understand completely.

I’m a little embarrassed asking, but… today we’re going to start up our Blue America endorsements again. Our first one for 2008 is Alan Grayson, a progressive war crimes prosecutor who’s opposing rubber stamp wingnut Ric Keller in Orlando. So that’s at 11am (PT) and I put up a little promo for it at DownWithTyranny. I’d like to see if we can get some diggs on that to perhaps drive some new readers over to FDL for the chat. If anyone wants to give me a hand, here’s the link (and the video is super). Thanks

It’s funny, but my favorite knife for slicing carrots and the like is not my nice chef’s knife (that one I use for cutting pasta lately), but this tiny little joke of a miniature cleaver that came with a cheese gift package many years ago. It’s still the one I instinctively reach for, even though I keep it tucked away in a drawer and the good knives are all sitting right out in their block on the counter!

Yeppers.
Can I say it? You da man!
So, does this make me an official groupie?
Ha!
I have a huge confession to make.
I moved about four years ago and neither the Mr. or me had re-regstered to vote…until this past Tuesday. One day before the last day to be able to vote in Super Tuesday.
Man, am I relieved.
Huge lift of guilt.

Dugg — happy to help!

{{{Demi}}}!!!

Thanks! Wait ’til you meet Alan. He’s an amazing guy. He’s successfully sued Custer-Battles over their war profiteering in Iraq, flipping out the Bush Regime and winning $10,000,000 for his client. He’s in the middle of suits against a whole panoply of Regime pillars from KBR and Halliburton to smaller defense contractors connected to some of our most corrupt congressmen.

Knives are as important to cooks as instruments are to musicians. Sure, BB King could play on any guitar, but he always plays Lucille. (Yes, he named his guitar.)

Completely understandable, PW. And speaking of cooking, there’s plenty of oatmeal in the crockpot if anyone’s hungry. Steel cuts oats with blueberries and bananas. Yum.

Egregious, thanks for your kind words last week about singing. In that vein, I thought you might be interested in this NYT article about the last opera I sang. The article includes four of the songs from the show. Chorus sings the first one, which features one of the greatest first lines in opera. Sharon’s Aria is just lovely. It was written for the opera singer Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson, who was then dating the lyricist, Herschel Garfein.

The show was reprised in at Montclair State in New Jersey this week, and was reviewed yesterday in the NYT. It was a fabulous experience for all of us.

i have to say that Quentin Tarantino is one sick fuck. his idea of humor is totally unfunny and immoral in a deep, fundamental way. and it’s boringly banal and predictable. a pox on all his films.

And Haberman captures the essence of the campaign, by writing about tainted tuna.

I think it was Krugman [from video available on fdl couple weeks ago] who said now we have free trade with China — they send us poison toys and tainted seafood, and we send them fraudulent [financial] securities.

Demi, hanging out at the lake and not being registered to vote would have been a bad thing. Glad to hear the situation’s been corrected. ;)

I’m kinda jealous you get to take part in super Tues. WA state’s caucus is on Feb 9th, but that’s where the delegates are being seated/assigned/whatever.

I’m a little embarrassed asking,

Don’t be embarrassed, Howie. BTW, did you ever get to Myanmar? I’ll be headed to Southeast Asia myself in a couple months… Hong Kong, mainland China, and Indonesia.

I’m sorry to say that I’ve never seen a Russ Meyer film, Biodun, though Tura Satana sounds like my kinda gal.

But what about Russ Meyer? ;-)

to be able to vote in Super Tuesday.

I’ll be caucusing for Edwards in MN on so-called tsunami Tuesday…

Was this the lawsuit on behalf of several federal employees, after the Bushies didn’t do anything about Custer Battles?

What? You don’t like the carnage of pop candy? *g

Dugg.

OT: Are any blogs reporting from South Carolina on the voting?

Howie,
Just to let you know (and I don’t know if anyone else is having this problem) but DWT has been locking up on me recently and freezing my machine while it attempts to bring Digg info in. I’m running FireFox on a G4 iBook. It isn’t happening with safari however so I’ll load that in and go do the Digg.

Thanks! That’s a mighty good NYT article on your concert, they are not always sweetness and light in their reviews.

I’m sorry to say that I’ve never seen a Russ Meyer film,

You title plays on a Russ Meyer film: Faster Pussycat, Kill Kill (But you know that, right?) *g*

kiddo January 25th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
214
We’ll vote for Clinton or Obama if either is the nominee. But we don’t have to like it.

well, i have to say that your post i found quite erotic. more than russ meyer it reminded me of the eating scene in “Tom Jones”.

Yes, now I can hold my head up here.
From California, this might be the first time I have a Real say.
I rememember working for McGovern’s campaign and coming out from work and hearing it was all over at 6:00 at night. Sooooo disappointing for so many reasons.
I’m for regional primaries or something different than the system we have so that it’s a bit more fair. Fair is all I ask.

“Digging” is the least I can do to help you out, Howie!

Me too..

Oh, yeah, but that’s part of the collective unconscious now, it’s been referenced so much. Kinda like not needing to see Romeo and Juliet to have a general idea of the plot.

fahrender January 26th, 2008 at 9:14 am
55
kiddo January 25th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
214
We’ll vote for Clinton or Obama if either is the nominee. But we don’t have to like it.

well, i have to say that your post i found quite erotic. more than russ meyer it reminded me of the eating scene in “Tom Jones”.

____________

sorry, PW, i really did copy your comment at #47 but my computer pasted a copy i had copied yesterday!

The pasta was store bought, but other than that this is pretty much what I lived on in grad school. Thanks for the memories!

tw3k January 26th, 2008 at 9:12 am
50
In response to fahrender @ 42
What? You don’t like the carnage of pop candy? *g

__________

i’m not very good at analyzing it but i was always a sam peckenpah fan. not so, V.T.

Niiiiiiice.
And, you’ll tell us all about that experience.
Sounds to be a more interactive deal than voting.

Off on the business of the Queen. See everyone later…

Not a problem!

Ok. Here’s what is so frustrating with the whole FISA mess. ThinkProgress has an article up about how the WH and OMB are trying to restructure the government to functionally eliminate the ability to issue FOIAs. A law passed unanimously still gets willfully disregarded – not even through the use of a signing statement.

Have fun, Ron!

I hope the show has legs. We know that the directors of a number of regional and national houses had people there, so maybe it will enter the repertory.

BTW – with all the talk in the campaign about “bipartisanship” – something that gets Cornyn and Leahy working together, with such strong language by both men, should be an indicator that whatever they are fighting against is terribly wrong.

Now that I read the link, yes, Alan is the same guy who stood up for us as taxpayers and tried to get some of our money back from those sleazy crooks at CB. I’m thrilled he’s running for office!

Yeah! My stepson designs and makes all the cool killing gadgetry for his movies and some of the other gore lovers, like Robert Rodriguez. He loves his job because it lets him be 12 years old again and figure out the most disgusting way to torture, maim and kill people without really doing it. I think it is very therapeutic because he is the sanest person in the family!

demi,
The thing is, it is the Democratic Party (and the individual state affiliates) setting the rules for delegate selection for the National convention in the mid/late summer. Some states have been comfortable having the Open primaries but many other are closed and accept only those registered party members and no Rs or Independents.

Bottomline is, this is what we get to avoid having the choice mandated from on high by Steny Hoyer, Rahm Emmanuel, Nancy Pelosi, Harry REaid and all the other elected officials/party big shots.

OT..

(CNN) — If Hillary Clinton and John McCain become their party’s presidential nominees, the general election race is likely to be a love-fest.

At least according to Bill Clinton.

Was this a poison pill for the biggest threat for whomever the Dem nominee is? I don’t read wingnut blogs but the idea that John and Hill are best “buds” is causing heads to explode in wingnuttery. If this helps Mittens beat McCain in Florida; well maybe Bill isn’t senile quite yet.

Very cool! Sounds like fun. Not as creative but on the therapeutic side maybe that is partially why I like the FPS video games.

Specter and Whitehouse have proposed to grant Telcos Immunity and allow the government to be sued. This is terribly problematic. In addition to never learning anything about how the Telcos and the Comcos (ISPs) dealt with the government and what quid pro quos happened to seal the deal, the government is going to obviously wave the State Secrets privilege as they have successfuly twice in the D.C. Circuit, and once in the Ninth Circuit already.

Bill Nelson Florida
Sheldon Whitehouse
John D. Rockefeller IV, Chairman West Virginia
Dianne Feinstein California
Evan Bayh Indiana
Barbara Mikulski Maryland

These individiduals are committed to the Bush version of FISA and voted out the SSCI version. They have consistently done whatever they can to pass immunity and several other terrible aspects of S. 2248 that are rarely mentioned at FDL but are at EW–

Front End Judicial Authorization of Surveillance

Will the legislationestablish a process for FISA court “basket orders” authorizing a program of surveillance of targets abroad who may be communicating with people in the U.S., or will the Senate adopt the Administration’s approach, allowing theAttorney General and/or Director of National Intelligence to authorize suchsurveillance on their own? The House legislation requires these basket orders;neither the Intelligence nor the Judiciary Committee version of S. 2448 currently has such a requirement.

Judicial supervision of the implementation of the surveillance program:

The Judiciary Committee bill provides for ongoing judicial supervision; the IntelligenceCommittee bill is not explicit on the issue.

Reverse Targeting: Surveillance of persons abroad includes their conversation with peopl in the U.S. SJC rquires a specific order/ SSCI Bush requires nada.

FISA Exclusivity: Feinstein’s whacky bill that is a coverup for granting immunity since it would place Immunity in the hands of a court that has nearly never turned down warratns i.e. 5/20,000 times and a court that refused to release their opinions on illegal wiretapping last month.

Bulk Collection or wholesale intercepts of large groups of people. The Administration has refused to say how this has worked. Currently nothing clarifies this.

Warrants required for taping Americans abroad–both versions require this.

Time for sunseting the law.

An Audit for Warrantless Surveillance since 911. The SJC requires this; SSCI nada. Warrantless wiretapping has been going on since at least 2000–that we know.

Happy Saturday to you, Dakine01.
I don’t need no freaking mandates.
At my mature stage in life, ha, I’m still idealistic enough to want Fair.

If Clinton and any living Republican are the nominees, you will see Republicans galvinize like they never have before to beat Clinton. They can’t wait for this to happen; they are afraid of Obama.

I called OB and HRC, but what I dont get is what I should say to make these guys care, as I dont live or have ever lived in their states.
do i not worry about that or indicate that I give to Dems in primary fights.

Pardon this OT, but my friend Greg is in LA today…

for any Angelinopups.

http://www.gregpalast.com/youre-invited/
sheesh, I’ve lost my touch…..
sorry folks.

Does feinstein need to get calls on this, too/
I assume Boxer is cool.

I’m hoping nothing gets passed. I do not trust the dems’ ’street smarts’ (for lack of a better term) enough to be sure that some little noticed clause isn’t snuck in. Or the pres will issue a signing statement. Or we’ll be just screwed by some new ploy. The repubs are masters at the game. I guess it helps to be amoral. The dems…not so much. They are out-maneuvered again and again. Let everything expire and go back to the original FISA bill.

At least according to Bill Clinton.

Did the Big Dawg really say that? If yes, he’s off the rails…

Call everyone, Twice!.. Even that third cousin who tossed sand on you in a sandbox fight 45 years ago. I have called several Senators just to thank them for voting correctly last week.

Game On!

I live in NYS. It doesn’t help give me clout. Hillary is too safe. I send email all the time. I immediately get a ‘thank you’ so I know no one is reading it. I’ve never received a real reply. Not from Schumer, either.

not gonna happen solai. They’ll just keep extending the current PAA.

in fact, now that you mention it, that may be the plan. They’re fine with the PAA. So they’re gonna beat on the terrorist-loving democrats on Monday, and then extend the PAA and keep on spying illegally. I don’t know the status of the telco lawsuits, but it could well be that a judge would slow proceedings waiting for a legislative outcome.

I’m sure this has been mentioned frequently before, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind. While the race may be decided by Super Tuesday on February 5th, it’s a good idea to take a look at who the superdelegates are and who they will nominate.

Superdelegates will have a lot to say about who is the nominee. There are 765 Superdelegates out of 2025–that’s 37.77% of the delegates.

Superdelegates include the 235 Democratic House members and nonvoting representatives, 49 senators, the District of Columbia’s two “shadow senators” and 28 governors. They total 314 — about 14 percent of the 2,182 delegates a candidate will need to secure the party’s presidential nomination at next year’s national convention in Denver.

Obviously this makes endorsement by members of Congress and the Senate of paramount importance.

that was in reference to your earlier post Solai.

yes, it is very difficult for a constituent to see even Schumer or Clinton staffers. Ambushing with a video camera only worked once.

I copied this comment from BoomanTribune. Is he right?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again! (4.00 / 2)
I don’t why telco immunity is even being discussed.
US Constitution, Article I, Section 9; Clause 3 is:
No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.
Any passage of an after the fact immunity is clearly a violation of the aforementioned article.

Don’t tread on me
by BobX on Fri Jan 25th, 2008 at 08:55:33 AM EST

FISA talking point:

When you contact your senators to ask them to vote against cloture at 4:30 on Monday, point out to them that the claims of urgency are totally bogus. The current law, which sunsets February 2, allows the Attorney General to authorize programs for up to a year, so he can now authorize the current surveillance programs to continue for the duration of the Bush administration.

Don’t let the bastards stampede Congress like they have so often in the past.

waaah. too late for me…

I don’t think Sheldon Whitehouse needs any incentive to vote against cloture. He made it quite clear yesterday that he was *pissed* about the Repub’s not even allowing his (and Specter’s) amendment to come to a vote. Sheldon doesn’t strike me as a guy who’s going to let getting screwed go unnoticed or unpunished.

I just saw the notice a little bit ago. Sorry for the late notice, but there’s still …
“- and join a distinguished panel at 3:30pm.”

That didn’t stop those assholes from according the president, in the Military Commissions Act, the ostensible final authority to interpret and Deciderize as to the extent and applicability of the Geneva Conventions, notwithstanding clear constitutional language reserving final cut on treaties to the Judiciary.

Us Great Unwasheds just don’t get it.

No. We can’t make something illegal retroactively, but we can make legal retroactively. I can’t explain the legal minutia, but this question has come up several times before.

Yeah, I think you have that correct. You can’t pass a law criminalizing something and then charge people post-hoc for doing what was at the time legal.

CNN is reporting record turnout in the primary today, just like the previous states.
Is this the HateBush Bump?

There are over 4000 delegates for the Democratic Convention, 2025 is the number I see referenced to win, i.e. half of the total plus one. That is not to say the super delegates are not important, because they are. Check out Democratic Convention Watch , they have lists of superdelegates that have endorsed (or not) candidates. Also don’t be suprised when Febuary 5 doesn’t settle the issue.

Dems should call Bush’s bluff and let him grant a pardon to these corporations, which have are persons under our legal structure.

Did the Big Dawg really say that? If yes, he’s off the rails…

That is the question isn’t it? That kind of talk seems to be uniting the anti-McCain wingnuts. I wonder if the stories that were floated a while ago about John and Hill having a great time together on a foreign trip…trading Vodka shots..blah..blah was is part of the same strategy. I think McCain takes it as a threat..”Hillary will surrender the US to the terrists” seems to be push back.

At last some reasonably good MSM attention. NYT editorial this morning.

Forgot to mention, the NYT didn’t bring up the cloture vote. Too bad.

I think the Dems needs a better frameshop than feldman’s frameshop.

Lets get a way from identity politics by talking more about identity politics! Feldman seems just as eager as any of the beltway pundits to obscure issues by focusing attention else where.

Good news!
New Rasmussen polls over several days show Obama (and Edwards)surging nationally and Clinton tanking. Almost up to what polls were post Iowa (Edwards and Obama both up). This before SC results known.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/…..865/443558

Glenn Greenwald is up with a stirring new piece on this topic over at Salon:

More disruptions to the Cheney/Rockefeller plan

Don’t miss this one. Mentions the NYT lead editorial on it too.

I wonder if the stories that were floated a while ago about John and Hill having a great time together on a foreign trip…trading Vodka

I think this one has been confirmed. Hillary supposedly drank McCain under the table…in Moscow.

When I saw the title ”Kill Bad Bill” I thought you meant kill Bad Bill Clinton who is attacking Obama.

We must elect Obama!

[RBG Note; just for clarification, no one is advocating physical harm to any other person.]

Yep. Race is tightening nationally–especially between Hillary and Obama…

Hi Biodun! I didn’t think so over the week’s events. Seems as if all the reports that Bill was effective in SC in turning this into a race race and the attacks of Billary more generally hasn’t been as effective as pundits have suggested.

Why isn’t my despiciable Senator, Diane Feinstein on this list?…after all she was the reason the bill with the Telecom Immunity got out of committee. And I’m sure she isn’t voting to kill the bill or take out the Telecom Immunity.

And why is Rockerfellar not on this list either. Am I missing something?

Off topic:

Is anyone watching CNN’s, Ali (can’t think of his last nmae) who is reporting from Monahans. TX today? He looks like Elmer Fudd! He’s got a baseball cap pulled down so tightly the tops of his ears are bent over and he’s wearing a blaze orange down hunting vest. Hysterical!

CNN has become the laughing stock of the nation just in the last couple of weeks.

Do we really believe Hillary & Obama are going to come back to DC to go on record that they’re against the White House’s illegal wiretapping FISA bill? Of course they won’t and they certainly will not back Dodd in his filibuster either. Why? Because if they become president, they’d want to be able to spy on the republics without a warrant, just as the republics have done to the Democrats all these years. It’s called blackmail, people. :-)

Thanks, Bilbo. Glenn’s piece is right on the mark, and clearly he’s done a lot of spadework to be able to cut through the Senatorial procedural fog to see what is actually happening.

I’m not a beltway pundit. And the Dems don’t ‘have’ me.

Do we really believe Hillary & Obama are going to come back to DC to go on record that they’re against the White House’s illegal wiretapping FISA bill? Of course they won’t and they certainly will not back Dodd in his filibuster either. Why? Because if they become president, they’d want to be able to spy on the republics without a warrant, just as the republics have done to the Democrats all these years. It’s called blackmail, people. :-)

They will be in DC in any case for the SOTU, apparently. The real question is whether they will vote against cloture or speak against immunity (or even help Dodd with his filibuster).

And less we forget wagonjack – our other Senator – Babs Boxer – against staff and constituent uproar flew straight to the arms of Joe Lieberman in the 2006 election against Ned Lamont. aghhhhhhhhhh!

Just read Glenn and the NY Times piece. One thing I wonder about. We keep assuming that Reid is spineless and only capitulating so that dems don’t get accused of being soft on terror (hate that phrase). As if his heart is in the right place, he’s just misguided. I’m not sure about that. Perhaps, he is using that as an excuse to do the repub bidding for reasons that only he knows.

I think this one has been confirmed. Hillary supposedly drank McCain under the table…in Moscow.

That ought to go over well with the “knuckle dragger” …a “girl” out drinks their “boy”

Didn’t mean to imply ownership. I just find you frames conventional.

It will be very interesting what they do for sure. ;-)

CNN is CNN with all it’s foibles, but Ali Velshi their senior biz correspondent to me is one of the crisper, better people they have on TV.

He was born in Kenya but grew up in Toronto.

Hillary in the role of Karen Allen in Indiana Jones. I love it.

-G

I stopped watching when I found out he went to a madrassa when he was 3.

-G

;)

I like Elmer Fudd.
:)

Hillary and Barak had all the time in the world to get back to DC to cast a vote last week and they refused. It wasn’t that they couldn’t. They refused. If I understand this correctly, it is a NO vote against the filibuster and a NO vote against retroactive immunity. So, I’ve put them in the NO column. However, I will still call them so they can never say they didn’t know.

It will be very interesting what they [HRC and BO] do for sure. ;-)

Right. All the more reason to put some pressure on them, especially now that JE has made some good statements re FISA. If they start to take it up, things could really change, given the media attention that they get.

I still can’t understand why folks aren’t wondering more about the probable causes of the Dems collapse of courage. There MUST be a reason, a logical one. My guess is that Bush and his fellow felons have used the illegal eavesdropping to spy on not only suspected terrorists, but also on the political opposition. What better way to neutralize political enemies than by being able to dig up dirt on them without judicial oversight? THAT’S why they don’t want anyone to know what they’ve been up to.

And it certainly explains why Harry Reid and the rest of the gutless wonders fold at the slightest breeze–they know what’ll leak out if they don’t toe the line.

Polls? Bush doesn’t need no stinkin’ polls–he’s got his opponents by the balls, so he can continue his kingly ways.

That is worse than voting “present”. Are we the only geeks that pay attention to this sort of stuff? Being on the campaign trail must be much more glamorous to both H and O and MSM.

Rasmussen polls stink—Scotty is a bigtime gooper and his “reads” are suspect both for bias and for poor methodology

Phoenix Woman, I don’t know if YOU can singlehandedly kill the FISA bill… but I wouldn’t put it pasta!!
HahahAhahAhAHAhahahah…. Oh, I crack me up.

I still can’t understand why folks aren’t wondering more about the probable causes of the Dems collapse of courage.
I believe there have been quite a few posts here regarding Dems and Spine, iirc.
And, I imagine there will be quite a few more.

I think that the Bushies have spied not just on the dem’s but their families. For people like Pelosi and Feinstein, I’m sure there’s plenty to look at just in regard to their spouses. If Larry Flynt has more secrets, I wish he would reveal them and get it over with. Blackmail is the only explanation for the dems repeated cavings.

This has been EPUd, but I’m going to post it anyway. Found among the commenters over at Glenn’s Place:

FISA Debate: Telecom Immunity Arguments

This is a Wiki version of arguments in support of telecom immunity, each followed by powerful counterarguments. This looks like an excellent resource.

He gets compensated by the RNC for piecework.

-G

Anyone, including the Dems in Congress, ever imagine how the Telcos would change their attitudes towards the Dems if immunity is *not* granted? considering the possibility of a Dem President appointing Justice Dept. staff. Plus, a signing statement is irrelevant once W is gone.

PW, Pasta Kitty is pretty cutie!!

Hi, all!

Glenn Greenwald is up with a stirring new piece on this topic over at Salon:

I just posed over at glens place;

Here’s a point I think even Glen is missing when we discuss or write about “retro active immunity”

If allowed, this “retro active immunity” those companies and officers of the company and even the lowest of laborers would have access to our property, the would have been allowed to take information they are not entitled, they will be given the cover of this law to keep the property they took and claim it as theirs.

And the courts will be forced to decide on their behalf!

Those stolen from will not be allowed redress when our property is discovered as stolen, nor will we be allowed discovery to find the extent of the theft, the level of damage.

for instance;

When we find our manuscript plagiarized, though we can prove such with no doubt, the telecom will be allowed to profit from that manuscript regardless that it was stolen.

If I have a new design that will give an auto 100 mpg and the telecoms has acquired that design through their wiretapping, they can sell my design and I will not be allowed redress.

If there is someone depraved enough to use the information they have to follow my daughter where she will be, I will not be able to find out who committed the crime and how they found the information they used to do whatever they did to my daughter

This is far more important then simply protecting constitutional freedom, there are real tangible issues.

We must be allowed redress when we find we have been harmed, when we find crimes have been committed against us, those criminals cannot have refuge under cover of making believe it was for national security

we missed you in manhatten physioprof!

Sorry I missed it. I got stuck out of town.

There are many many interesting comments in the past couple days of Senate Record, not the least of being the text of amendments published in Jan 25 Record. Most of those amendments won’t see the Senate floor or be debated, but their range and content is indicative of legislative sentiment.

But this is a quick and important utterance:

SPECTER:
The Specter-Whitehouse substitution amendment will place the Government in the shoes of the telephone companies to have the same defenses–no more and no less. For example, the
doctrine of governmental immunity would not be available to the Government. There have been those who have criticized the Specter-Whitehouse amendment, who have ignored the very basic proposition that the suits cannot be dismissed because of governmental immunity.

On the other hand, by the same token, the state secrets defense will be available. In the lawsuits that are being prosecuted now against the telephone companies, the government has intervened to assert the state secrets doctrine. In fact, the Government has precluded the telephone companies from saying very much under that doctrine. When the Government is substituted for the telephone companies, the Government will retain the defense of the state secrets doctrine.

That’s about as clear an admission of “smoke and mirrors” as one will ever see.

Well the lines have been drawn..will the Dems chicken out? (Hope vs History)

The White House told Democratic congressional leaders Saturday that President Bush opposes a 30-day extension of an expiring eavesdropping law and instead wants an expanded version to be passed by Friday.

“The president would veto a 30-day extension,” a senior administration official said. “They’re just kicking the can down the road. They need the heat of the current law lapsing to get this done.”

link

I can imagine President Bush allowing the PAA to expire, while he had an extension sitting on his desk. But I don’t think he would let the PAA expire in that circumstance.

The “will veto an extension” is attributed to an anonymous source. It’s bluster, IMO.

Still, on the telecom amnesty issue in general, I think there are easily 60 Senators who are willing to pass it. There will be drawing of straws to see who gets to take the high road.

That’s the reason why we have to get a FISA law that protects us. They almost named him Osama Madrassa Obama–and may have done just that.

Never mind silly nuances like minimization, reverse targeting, basket warrants, etc.

When you get these terrrrisssts comin’ over here in droves, goin’ to Harvard law, and then tryin’ to spread slums like a pandemic, we need the strong forceful arm of imbeciles like Bush, Corynyn, Chambliss, and Hatch to ram through a FISA bill with no votes on amendments.

I also like the quote from the Britney midrift set of “secular midrassas.” *g* No oxymoron there.

In the three appellate cases State Secrets was invoked by the government, it’s won–2 D.C.Circuit, and one 9th Circuit although the 9th is still narrowly alive. There may be more.

Specter and Whiteside’s amendment is ridiculous as is Feinstein’s. The only surprise to me is that Whiteside started out like a ball of fire and has fizzled into a Bush mascot.