This is really frightening. First, America's workers lose their homes. Or the equity in their homes, or their ability to take out second mortgages to pay for unexpected expenses like health care crisis. So they turn to credit cards. Now, those cards increasingly are maxed out. What's left? Retirement funds. Remember back when 401(k) plans were introduced as the promised land of personal control over our retirement destiny?

Contrary to what the WSJ suggested, the language here puts no restrictions on whether the directives were authorized by anyone but the President--all it takes to get off scot free, in this bill, is for the President to have said the program was legal, regardless of whether it was or the whether the telecoms should have questioned whether the directives were legal.

When I allowed myself to be talked into supporting Barack Obama for president-- I had been an early enthusiast when he was a longshot state Senator in Chicago running in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate-- I warned the young man urging me to abandon my post-Edwards neutrality and forget that Hillary Clinton had a more progressive voting record, that he should steel himself for disappointment.

CQ and WSJ are finally giving more details about what Steny and Jello Jay have concocted with their Republican buddies and telecom lobbyists. CQ confirms what we've been hearing--that the immunity would basically consist of a District Court reviewing the authorization, with almost no way to rule against the telecoms.

Things are moving quickly. We've now taken in over $100,000 in less than two days (and a grand total of $195,000) to fight the FISA battle. Glenn has a post up outlining some of the stuff we're doing, but suffice to say that there is much going on and you'll be hearing more soon. The other day people had great suggestions about what to name the new PAC we're forming

FISA vote could come as early as this evening. Rumor has it that no one outside Hoyer, Bond, Rockefeller, WH negotiators and a select few staffers and lobbyist pals have seen the bill. That includes exclusion of the House and Senate Judiciary Committee, including Leahy and Conyers, who have been rendered utterly impotent on this issue by their own lack of pushback. The folks who do want to work on this can't get their hands on whatever WH/lobbyist-crafted monstrosity is being held close to the vest. I've been on the phone and IM-ing with a number of staffers this morning -- people who work for legislators who have been working their butts off to protect civil liberties and to ensure that anything crafted abides by the law and protects American national security as well. None of them -- not one -- have been given any opportunity to even view a summary of this proposed bill. Worse, there is a rumor that the FISA mess may be folded into the Iraq funding bill in the House due to machinations by Steny. Just great. Please get on the phone and tell your members of Congress (Senate and House) that voting for a bill that is being railroaded through without them being given an opportunity to review it for constitutional and civil liberties concerns is unconscionable. No telecom immunity, no violation of fourth amendment rights with blanket warrants -- no vote unless and until the bill is fully vetted by people who respect the rule of law. If you'd like to help with our campaign on this, you can do so here....

Three things your cable news overlords...possessors of 24 hours of programming a day...are too tired and overwhelmed with celebrity gossip and talking points to tell you about.

Well, just when you think you may have just ONE day in life where your snark can outdo reality, you find out how absurd the world has been made. And not in a good way. Blackwater's sense of tastelessness knows no bounds.