Login HereThe President has said that American lives will be sacrificed if Congress does not change FISA. But he has also said that he will veto any FISA bill that does not grant retroactive immunity. No immunity, no new FISA bill. So if we take the President at his word, he is willing to let Americans die to protect the phone companies.
Bookends nicely with John Conyers:
A lot's been said about what some call 'patriotic phone companies.' Are these the same companies that cut off the FBI FISA wiretaps because the FBI hadn't paid its phone bill? This is breaking news.
The arguments being made in defense of granting retroactive telecom immunity are ludicrous, and yet -- they make them.
(Sign the petition to tell the House to stand strong on FISA here)
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Boo!
2?
isn’t there something that says whomever says “fascist” first, looses the debate?
Hi Jane. Boy was this powerful. Interesting that the Bush administration (and right wing) tend not to say anything about KO - for risk, no doubt, of making him even better known. Speaking truth to power!
I had a great time calling the law critters who stood up to bush, and there staff had a great time taking my calls too
they wouldn’t let me get off the phone, they were giddy and wanted to keep talking about this “immunity’
so in the conversation I did my usual “this is how the democrats need to frame the discussion” and they wanted me to send it to them in email so they could get it off to those that might use the ideas
I had a great time on the phone today, I have to tell youo
This is not a debate. It’s a forgone conclusion.
that would only apply if they weren’t fascists
Jane: is there a way to thank KO and MSNBC for putting this on?
You talked to House staffers? (just curious)
just made some calls and talked to the staff that answers the phone, that was it
Is it just wishful thinking on my part, or could we actually be at a fairly significant tipping point?
It seems to me that the expiration of the PAA is actually getting a reasonable amount of coverage in the MSM. Isn’t there at least a small chance that actual people on the street will realize that since we aren’t being attacked once it expires that Bush and his cronies were just using fear in a completely cynical way? I think that cynicism on the part of politicians is a message that actually gets through to the public in a big way. I think we could be in line to actually defeat retroactive immunity if this goes on for at least another month before Congress agrees on a final compromise bill.
Perris, I didn’t understand your comment. Who exactlywere you calling? Congress people?
And why were the staffers giddy? You mean about their bosses actaully standing up for themsleves for once? Could you clarify just a squoosh?
I have been doing work for clients all day and feel ike I’ve missed some development here
From C&L comment and I don’t think its April 1st:
The Largest Minority: Business Class can shoot to kill in the event of Martial Law.
Re: Business Class can shoot to kill in the event of Martial Law.
Hey… you too can be a member of InfraGard! Of course, they’ll have to do a standard security clearance background check on you, if you already don’t have one. That will take at least six months tho. :-/
Hmmm … Question 1 and 2 on the Infragard security background check-
“Do you think Bush is doing a good job?”
“Have you ever voted for a Democrat?”
Yes yes yes. I sure get that sense. So anything you can do to keep attention on this is a good idea. What’s more, the more that Chimpy defends his nonsense, the stupider he looks and the more people learn about it (it’s below the radar for most people).
The Bushes are fascist and have always been fascist going back to Prescott Bush. They just use other words for it like….ummm…like…The Decider…The War President…ummm…ummmm…and “harsh interrogation techniques” and “companies that allegedly cooperated” with the fascists to spy on their fellow citizens illegally….Oh yeah, and reframed words like Freedom and Democracy and Legality and that goddamn piece of paper…ummmm..the Constitution. Oh, yeah, and The Frikkin’ Homeland.
Spit.
no no no
I made calls to the offices of conyers and others, just the people that answer the phone, I’m sure they are nothing more then secretaries or the like, nothing important I promise
but they said they would get my thoughts to the respective person…giddy because they like positive feedback and they REALLY wanted to talk about telecom immunity, it seems to be a big deal right now over there and they are pretty proud of themselves
Hi Jim, I was thinking the same thing. Alas, they have already messed up the country to such an extent it will be a long process to reclaim it.
I don’t like them.
Naomi Wolf’s book is a step analysis of all the things we have been doing that mimic the early fascism actions. I’m just surprised the word/label has not stuck earlier. Was 9/11 ever enough, is anything, to have justified the actions and secrets of these lying dictators.
Crazy Rush did an interesting thing today about things liberals say about why they hate Bush: it seems to boil down to how he really cannot talk. Then, Rush affirmed that for sure Obama can talk. Must have pained him note the obvious.
Good to hear that. Sounds like the lid is finally starting to come off.
Hey lhp, how’s your life? Busy, it sounds like.
I really have to admit, I have hated having a president that insists on saying “new QUE lar”…haven’t like him since the first time he did it
has he EVER said the word right?
It seems I remember he might have in a speech or two
It seems as though the Dems ran out the clock and then slammed them with the truth.
I hope it sticks.
it put a little giddy-up in their step.
PeterK, if you go to Dailykos you can drop some mojo into KO’s tip jar. His diary on this from yesterday was on the Rec list until just a little while ago.
I watched ABC News last night and it appeared a little biased (toward the Bush line). But I may be a little over-sensitized on the SCLM bias issue.
1,757 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…
Citizen Hamsher and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:
Hey, there’s an echo in here…now that the fascist genes in our great American chromosome string have blossomed into a full blown metastatic pathology, maybe we can start to see politics and political action for what it is: an existential struggle that determines not only life or death but the quality of either.
I have said here so many times before that there may not be any redemption for those of us who must ultimately face the responsibility for our actions or inactions that have contributed to the condition of the body politic today, but our actions today in the face of the threat of the history that we failed to deal with in all the yesterdays may save a future for our children and the children of the other victims of our history.
For those who are “believers”, maybe this can be seen as the one last moment God has given us to justify his/her patience with our presense on this planet…in any case, there is no middle ground, there is no “vital center”, there is no “bi-partisan compromise” with this disease there is only the fight.
KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE AMMUNITION, WE DON’T HAVE THE CHOICE TO QUIT!!
here’s an example of the conversation;
“I called to just tell you that I was really proud of my congress after the fisa bill came to the floor and retroactive imunity”
‘I KNOW!,,it should have NEVER been included in the first place’
“well, I was really disapointed with the senate”
‘WE WERE TOO’
“let me tell you something I think the congressmen miss when they discuss the immunity issue”
‘please do’
“suppose they see an invention of mine for a design to make 100 mpg cars, they take that design, produce it before me and I can prove it’s my design, I will never be able to get that design back”
‘that’s an interesting point of view’
and it went on by that
I agree. But it does give me joy to see inklings that we may not have to wait until next year to get started.
“suppose they see an invention of mine for a design to make 100 mpg cars, they take that design, produce it before me and I can prove it’s my design, I will never be able to get that design back”
the etymology of fascism in Italian and Latin derives from a bundle of rods….and pistons?
Has anyone called the repubs on the steps and thanked them for their great pr work yesterday. Boner was engaging. 4th + boner=bupkes
I’ve found that the folks who answer Senator Dodd’s phone in Washington also are very upbeat and happy to hear from us.
OT: Leftie bloggers are scary: Donna Edwards and the WSJ
http://online.wsj.com/article/.....lenews_wsj
I haven’t called my dickhead gooper congresscritter to congratulate him for his role in FISA. He’s a product of the gooper assembly line- gooper clothes- gooper hair- gooper tone of voice- gooper wife and kids- and votes for every gooper bill now matter how stupid.
Why don’t they just send cookies to congress? They’ve got the cutter.
Sounds like it was written by Monica Goodling…!
We gasped when Keith said That Word. And then again when he said LIAR. In capital letters, too. I did not know you could call the preznit That Word on the teevee.
Although no other word fits the preznit’s actions with regard to his lawbreaking telecom buddies. No other.
I am, however, very worried about a terror attack in America now that the House Democrats have stood up to BushCo. Frankly, I think nothing would stop him and Cheney from allowing something to “slip through.” And this would be the perfect time, from their viewpoint.
Curriculum vita of my ditto head congresscritter. Notice that he attended but didn’t graduate from community college- cause THAT’S hard WORK!
Bilbray was born in Coronado, California, and grew up in Imperial Beach, California. He graduated from Mar Vista High School and attended Southwestern College, a community college in Chula Vista, California. He worked as a tax consultant before entering politics.
He and his wife, the former Karen Walker, have five children. He is a cousin of former Nevada Democratic Representative James Bilbray.
I wouldn’t mind calling the goopers and asking them why they wanted to allow the telecoms to steal, I would get a kick out of it
I also pointed out that if a depraved worker heard my daughter, became enamored, stalked, raped, killed her, and I could prove it was somebody in the telecoms, he would be immune from prosecution
a gooper would not be able to argue for immunity if you make these points
District Office - 450 Golden Gate Ave. - 14th Floor - San Francisco, CA 94102 - (415) 556-4862
They were very happy to hear my hearty congratulations for standing up against telcom amnesty and contempt proceedings against arrogant WH officials.
”I will forward that to the Speaker for you.”
they were unconcerned that I dont live in the district.
I particularly liked KO’s response to Shrub’s fear mongering speech; “That is Crap!” ;-)
Lahoma and I desire to indicate we are strengthened by Mr. Olbermann.
L. and okk.
I hadn’t realized that Donna actually received a million dollars more than Wynn. That’s incredible for a challenger.
My congresscritter is the new George Wallace- vowing never to be out illegal immigranted. He’s a one trick pony blaring and blathering 24/7 about how illegal aliens are stealing away your money, your children, your future- your daughter’s honor, and your table silver…
Fuckin ignorant dick.
I find it more than a little interesting that a former sportscaster is mine, and my lady’s favorite political truth teller.
And we are impressed with Ted Kennedy.
Looks like “yes we can” is catching on. Clinton today said we should instead be saying “yes we will.” Now we have a clear choice.
Keith said ‘fascist’, this I know
Heard the word straight from KO.
Bush tried lying like a rug,
KO squashed him like a bug.
Yes, he said ‘fascist’!
Yes, he said ‘fascist’!
Yes, he said ‘fascist’!
I heard it from KO.
Maria Shriver is one of our faves too. She got guts. We love Caroline Kennedy too.
McCain said he’s “Fired Up — Ready To Go,” but maybe he was talking about the success of his latest bran muffin.
To answer my own question: you can email MSNBC at letters@msnbc.com. Here’s what I sent:
Thanks to Keith Olbermann and MSNBC for his Special Comment on the FISA legislation yesterday: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23173388/. I couldn’t agree more with what he had to say. Keep up the good work, Keith!
I hope this doesn’t sound trite, but things go along in an epoch like they will never change until, one day comes,
and the bottom of a 40 year pyramid of lies just falls apart. Since 1968 the repukes have run on this fear of
everything theme, war war war, free enterprise system malarky… well, they ran it into the ground finally, and
there will be hell to pay. But the change comes whetehr they embrace it or not. All kinds of people are saying
enough, basta! KO can say it now, the teflon coating has burned off this American brand of fascism at last, but
they won’t go easy, that is the reason for the police state they have fashioned to protect us terra… my ass. KO
picked up where Murrow left off, the rest of MSM journo;s abandoned that buisness with the corporate model
adopted by media corporations. He backs it up with solid grounding in what he talks about and gives focus to
our disgust at what passes for journalism from the MSM. God Damned Fascists!!
f’kin’ brilliant, Phoenix Woman.
I like how the MSM keeps showing that clip of Romney standing next to McCain at the endorsement presser. McCain looks like the tiniest little pygmy next to Romney. There is nothing that makes McCain look older and weaker than that shot and McCain acted like he was fully aware of this.
excellent point!
who said fascist?
Slip through or send through?
Keith did. He said and called bush a liar too.
Isn’t it interesting how he moved from sports to “infotainment” to hard hitting political critique. Does he still do the dumb britney stuff?
H/T Talk Left for
Rocky Mountain News: Editorial No Immunity Salazar and Blue Dog Wussies
Reyes to Chickenhawk Shurub: I ain’t Backin’ Down–Shove It
Valerie Plame is better looking than Nicole Kidman. Valerie Plame should play Valerie Plame.
Of course they do the dumb Britney stuff–you’re livin in Dumb Britney Baby Daddy OJ America where almost every kid has been left far behind.
thank you!
guess i better go watch that one… after the party.
Selise you gonna love that one. Better be sitting down. it will knock you to the floor. He was steamin.
What they aren’t telling you is that actually they’re showing the new wax models of McShrub and Mittsey and Botox has been used on the wax to make a suitable amalgam.
excellent. it has not been a happy week and i’d like some good news (that i don’t have to worry is only kabuki). thank you.
You are not kidding!
Thanks! Coming from you that means alot!
Oh great…really frikkin’ great…Russia is all pissed off about the satellite turkey shoot…I guess they figure Cheney’s the shooter:
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/....._0215.html
KO has carved a zone of protection for himself kinda… a bit like Obama. You cant turn them off now, people want more.
If Keith got the shaft their would be a fire storm of protest.
And notice how they are using him to ramp up their ratings.
He is dumping on Fox and O’Reilly and the jerks on the WORST person of the world every night. Precious and accurate too. I love his smackdowns.
I second that one!!
BoBo brooks is on PBS. What a blowhard. How can anyone take this jerk seriously?
Put Jane on PBS!
Big news … Did John Lewis bail on Hill or not? O my! The sky is falling!
Too late! The tip jar topped out at 1400, tips are closed, and “The period of time to recommend this diary has expired.”
Bob in HI
Where are you seeing this?
They are denying it.
http://www.ajc.com/master/cont....._0215.html
AP - Hundreds of U.S. Marines have been killed or injured by roadside bombs in Iraq because Marine Corps bureaucrats refused an urgent request in 2005 from battlefield commanders for blast-resistant vehicles, an internal military study concludes.
They said it on PBS News Hour. I am half listening.
Horrible.
In this home we are not seeking another “two for one” Clinton Administration. We are looking forward to a Democratic fresh face to move into the White House next January. And we are certainly not asking for more of the same PR “experience” baloney from Mark Penn.
“Russian military experts say the satellite could have an on board nuclear power source.” This thing is probably way more dangerous than the US government is letting on. This could be why they want to shoot it down to prevent a nuclear disaster if it hits a populated land area.
Mark Penn is a really evil dude. He needs to be re trained and get out of trying to sell “ideas” … I mean brain wash people.
I would be that it DOES have a nuke power plant. What sort of power do you think they could use to last years on end?
Yes perris, I made some thank you calls today too, and also talked to very pleased staffers, bubbling over with the positive reinforcement, and “I’ll be sure to pass you message along!” responses.
Consider: HRC voted to attack Iraq. HRC picked Mark Penn. HRC has run a not so good campaign. Sen. Clinton recently and apparently briefly, turned ‘rather large dog’ loose. HRC is a Team Leader for the DLC. Do these actions inspire confidence?
Pretty creepy.
I’m kind ticked off that she stole Obama’s slogan Yes We Can and changed it to Yes We Will…
Originality? What is up with that?
solar?
I don’t think Mark Penn is her “friend”.
Maybe that is why Rove said she is “fatally flawed”. Maybe she got set up.
Another reason being talked about for US shooting down the satellite is because China did it last year so we want to show we can do it, too.
Got some thoughts at my homeblog tonight on another area where hopefully we won’t be playing catch-up to China.
Prairie Today: Lotsa “F” Words
I have to say I am not all that fond of candidates who “loan” millions to their campaign. I am here thinking of Mitt Romney and another candidate.
Heh, heh, heh. Lawyers group taking Scalia to task on torture. Yes.:
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/.....ure-cases/
Interesting post!
You’re correct! I would be quite surprised to learn otherwise.
ty for link.
Woo-Hoo, Rachel just said she’ll be on KO tonite!
I’ve been led to believe it is the rule, rather than the exception among military satellites.
Oh dear. Don’t see KO on TV, and usually don’t watch the posted vids because of a slow connection, but just did watch it. Oh dear.
Can he say that? D**N RIGHT HE CAN SAY THAT!! And I am glad that he did.
How wise is it to build nuclear powered satellites the size of buses and launch them into space? Orbits decay. Don’t they? And wouldn’t you know it. A spy satellite.
Interesting that the very next day after KO’s comment out comes PapaBush to endorse McCain.
Poppy Bush is another in a long line of Bush family fuckheads.
George Bush Jr. and Sr. (on their own) just scare me to death. They’re such bad asses.
We’re watching Olbermann and then we’re leaving for dinner and dancing.
Biiiiiig hug, Jane, for putting that up.
And Olberman named it for exactly what it is. Fascism.
God, he’s pissed. Love it. :o) It IS crap, Keith, and thanks for calling it that.
I don’t think it can power it without huge solar arrays and I don’t think it has them.
The Keyhole spy satellites are huge. The KH-11 is 10 feet in diameter with an estimated length of over 43 feet! There is now a KH-13 speculated to weigh 20 tons, whereas the KH-11 weighed in at a svelte 15.
WOW that a lotta gear. Must have an immense lens and one that is very heavy.
It also carries tons of fuel to move it around for a good view.
btw, Boeing was the prime for those platforms and they had a dedicated facility to construct nuclear power supplies for satellites.
Did you hear the piece with Hoyers on FISA? It will be on the website later. He was great; got the last word; fought with Hofstra. Well done.
Hoyer is a very eloquent individual, I have always considered him to be a gifted orator.
Republican = Fascist.
This isn’t new, folks. I’ve thought that since I was first old enough to vote in 1972.
OT (or sub-thread — shooting down a satellite)
Something does not compute, here.
We have a 10-ton satellite which has not responded to human control since it arrived in orbit. We have a suggestion that the Navy shoot it down. But …
Did we know that the Navy was capable of shooting down satellites? armscontrol.org seems to have been of the opinion that such capabilities were not to be acquired and tested for several more election cycles:
Ship-board ABM capabilities were forbidden under the ABM treaty that Bush backed out of. One supposes that some other nations are not very happy to see this new capability, so what better way to introduce it than to use it “in the service of mankind”, rescuing some region from the danger of hydrazine (since when has that been a concern?).
I am lapsing far too easily into suspicion these days, but what if they just launched a big, inert target into orbit, waited a while, and then “saved” us from its falling on our heads by using a new ability that would not have been available if we had stayed observant of the ABM Treaty? The U.S. gets a free test of the system along with a PR coup?
Incidentally, when the Chinese blew up their target in orbit, the debris cloud posed at least a short-term hazard to everything at that altitude; for all that I know, the cloud is still there and remains dangerous. Does the chosen mode of destroying this satellite avoid a repeat of that problem?
The timing of this shooting down of the satellite to me is suspicious. End of February, beginning of March, when the media focus will be on the Hillary/Obama debates and their views being expressed on national TV about war and national security issues. The republicans could spin this event toward their favor that they are stronger on security for being “right” about not observing the ABM treaty. They are currently using the excuse that they have to wait for the Challenger spacecraft to land before they can go ahead with the shoot-down of the satellite (further proof this satellite is far more dangerous than they are publicly acknowledging). Since we will be saved from harm by the republican administration and have a grand show of our superior technological military strength, it bodes well for McCain.
I didn’t think he did well at all on the NewsHour tonight. He was mainly arguing with the rethug and not making his points very clearly, esp for people who aren’t already familiar with the issues. It made the whole thing look like nothing more than a partisan fight. And later, Lehrer Sheilds and Bobo dismissed it as exactly that. Not very scintillating news coverage given what’s at stake. But what can you expect from PBS (sigh).
Q: Is blowing up the spy satellite something like shredding documents you don’t want to see the light of day?
Q: Is blowing up a satellite with ‘new’ technology a warning or sabre rattling for the
SovietsRussians?Jonah Goldberg repealed Godwin’s Law…
Amazing that Ron Paul is never mentioned from the lips of Keith..
Thank doG someone did, all the PC that goes on, sure gets the art of communicating meaning befouled. ;-)