why is it that people in power think that the people NOT in power get ‘teh stupid’ during the summer? At the college, the number of times management has tried some sort of end run around faculty and staff during the summer months is legion. It’s ridiculous. Yes, we all get busy with other stuff in the summer. Yes, people do go away on trips(though perhaps not so many or so far this summer). But we do…not…get…stupid. Or forgetful. I’m up for a little ’sidewalk blogging’ - sounds like fun..maybe I’ll hand out lemonaid, too.

Great ideas Christy. How about something also about “Stop Bush’s 3rd War” before he starts it:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories.....6201.shtml

Feingold up right now on CSpan2 re FISA.

Rats - I’m at work so I can’t listen..what’s Russ saying?

Hoo boy. here i go gettin’ shouted at, so i’ll just get it out of the way.

Frankly, I’ve always hated the “Kiss” float, and I still suspect it helped defeat Ned Lamont.

Shoving that lil’ morsel of confession aside…

I love your ideas for activism during the summer and fall Christy.

Thank you!

He’s saying that this bill will be remembered as the bill that gave the Admin. the power to sweep up all the information they want to without oversight…it won’t remembered because of the grant of immunity.

He says that they “will” be granted immunity, “there’s no question about that”.

what’s Russ saying?

just gettin’ warmed up - explaining the *other* problems with the present FISA bill (i.e. - not just the immunity issue).

EPU’d downstairs, a link to the wonderful “Alex” ad.

http://thepage.time.com/2008/0.....new-tv-ad/

Dear Mods -

Do the same language standards and moderation apply for comments on the other blogs on this site? Because there is something ugly around comment 11 at TBogg’s place.

If the report is accurate, the Israeli government is incredibly tone-deaf to US public opinion.

There isn’t much support for attacking Iran even among the 19% or so Flavor-Aid drinkers who think the Dim Son is just ducky. Of course, the Dim Son doesn’t pay attention to public opinion so maybe they can be tone-deaf.

Do you still think putting impeachment in a lock-box was a great idea, Nancy?

BC

St Pete For Peace and other progressive groups have stuff scheduled all summer long. Actually all year long. At least one event each week - movies, concerts, vigils. We started out in 2002 and haven’t let up yet.

Thanks much for the heads up.

Folks, keep an eye on the C-Span schedule. I presume it should be possible to see a replay of Feingold’s speech later. At least I hope so.

Another hero. ;->

I hope Feingold’s present speech isn’t in lieu of a later filibuster speech…

TBogg monitors his own comments. Did you note it in the thread over there?

Oh! It be! Current thread. Ugly doesn’t do it justice. Whew! *blergh*

There’s no violence but it’s pretty gutter-ish. Don’t think I’d wanna touch anything that person touched.

Update repost- The McBu’ush hole card:

Israel Prodding U.S. To Attack Iran
White House Weighs Striking Iran’s Nuclear Complex, Which Could Trigger 3rd War In Region

(CBS) Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen leaves Tuesday night on an overseas trip that will take him to Israel, reports CBS News national security correspondent David Martin. The trip has been scheduled for some time but U.S. officials say it comes just as the Israelis are mounting a full court press to get the Bush administration to strike Iran’s nuclear complex.

CBS consultant Michael Oren says Israel doesn’t want to wait for a new administration.

“The Israelis have been assured by the Bush administration that the Bush administration will not allow Iran to nuclearize,” Oren said. “Israelis are uncertain about what would be the policies of the next administration vis-à-vis Iran.”

Israel’s message is simple: If you don’t, we will. Israel held a dress rehearsal for a strike earlier this month, but military analysts say Israel can not do it alone.

“Keep in mind that Israel does not have strategic bombers,” Oren said. “The Israeli Air Force is not the American Air Force. Israel can not eliminate Iran’s nuclear program.”

The U.S. with its stealth bombers and cruise missiles has a much greater capability. Vice President Cheney is said to favor a strike, but both Mullen and Defense Secretary Gates are opposed to an attack which could touch off a third war in the region.

U.S. intelligence estimates Iran won’t be able to build a weapon until sometime early in the next decade. But Israel is operating on a much shorter timetable.

“The Iranians, according to Israeli security sources, will have an operable nuclear weapon by 2009. That’s not a very long time,” Oren said…

I’m starting to think that Iran will in fact be attacked prior to our Presidential election day. Such will either propel McBu’ush into office or thoroughly hog-tie Obama should he still win. Looks like the Israelis will do it for us if Bu’ush chickens out, but Bu’ush really wants to anyway.

Morning Christy,

Count me in! I’m in California, and am lucky enough to have the wonderfully-progressive Barbara Lee as my Representative so it doesn’t really get better than that for me in the House.

But I have never been able to get anything but a form letter from Dianne Feinstein. I’ll keep trying, but she’s become so insulated from her constituents that I don’t see how to get through to her.

Any suggestions?

Christy,

How is it possible to pass a law allowing wiretaps without a warrant when the 4th amendment specifically prevents it. Would not the constitution have to be amended to allow such an act?

I went and peeked and I’m not sure what it is. I guess it’s a Tagalog to English lexicon for the terms they don’t teach you in language school.

BC

Today is George Orwell’s birthday — is there a way that Hoyer’s doublespeak can be turned against him with a “Big Brother will always be watching you, if Congress is allowed to shred the Constitution” message?

George Orwell, via The Writers Almanac –

In 1937, he traveled to Spain to write about the Spanish Civil War. When he arrived in Barcelona, communists and anarchists were running the city. At first, he saw it as a kind of utopia, where everyone was equal and no one was poor, and he signed up to fight against the Fascists. He later witnessed the Communists suppressing democracy as fervently as the Fascists had done, and he decided that revolutionaries on the left wing were every bit as dangerous as those on the right. He wrote about his experience in the book Homage to Catalonia (1938).

Orwell once said, “Every line of serious work that I have written [since the Spanish Civil War] has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism.” At a time when most British intellectuals still supported Communism, Orwell became one of the first leftist writers to speak out against Stalin. He began to work on a political allegory about the Communist revolution, and that work became the novel Animal Farm (1945). Because England and Russia were still allies at the end of World War II, he had trouble publishing the book, but when Animal Farm finally came out after the war, it made Orwell famous.

By then, he was already dying of tuberculosis. He spent the last years of his life writing 1984 (1949), about a future in which England has become a totalitarian state run by an anonymous presence known only as Big Brother. He knew he didn’t have much time left to write the book, so he wrote constantly, even when his doctors forbade him to work. They took away his typewriter, and when he switched to a ballpoint pen, they put his arm in plaster.

When he finished it, he told his publisher that 1984 was too dark a novel to make much money, but it became an immediate best seller. He died a few months after it was first published, but it has since been translated into 62 languages and has sold more than 10 million copies. With all of his work still in print in so many different languages, critics have estimated that every year 1 million people read George Orwell for the first time.

Orwell said, “The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When there is a gap between one’s real and one’s declared aims, one turns … instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms, like a cuttlefish squirting out ink.”

And he said, “If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.”

Congrats on Barbara Lee. I’m jealous!

Feinstein sounds like our Voinovich. Infuriating. I’d grab a broom, but I’m afraid we need the heavy-duty carpet-sweeper. Deal?

use al-aipac to voice opposition!

Great plan, Christy. Thanks to you and Emptywheel for your work.

(and I love “don’t shred on me”)

It’s one thing to pass it. It’s quite another to have it be upheld as constitutional. We’ve been making that argument for a while now…unfortunately, the drafters of the legislation don’t seem to have paid attention.

In Maryland, you can stick with tried & true “Don’t Tread on Me” with Steny Hoyer as the paper mache snake.

sorry. didn’t pause long enuf to decipher intent other than abusive sludge-heaving. Ick.

No. Will do.

Love Feingold for saying that those who support this bill have not read it … Go Russ Go !

Warrants are not always required by the 4th Amendment. The case law history has always been about the permissible breadth of exceptions. You have the “reasonableness” clause and the “warrants” clause, separated by the conjunctive “and.”

“Don’t Shred On Me” is great! Gunna have to do some graphics later.

Hmmm. If the “free ride” on surveillance is overthrown, IIRC the immunity cannot be reversed.

Sure looks like the long-term goal is to attain the immunity….

Tanks!

Can anyone say “AUMF?”
Morning, Petro.

Don’t have a Cow, man !

I’m going to have tee-shirts made that say, “I’d like my Constitution back, please.”

G’morning Araq newt ! *g*

I’ve been wondering about this business of passing legislation that appears to be unconstitutional.

thanks for whatever you did. it’s been taken down.

Have a McCow Man!

http://tw3k.net/Political_Art/.....randed.jpg

The MCA plainly unconstitutionally accords the Presidential final cut on treaties (e.g., Geneva), in direct contravention of Article III. Unless/until SCOTUS slaps it down, he will run with it.

There are already strategies to challenge it if it is passed — you lose one battle, you move on to the next front. But I’d prefer to stop or amend the the immunity out altogether before that happens if at all possible because once it’s granted, it cannot be reversed, really.

Feingold holding court in the Senate … ((( Feingold )))

So what is the process for getting unconstitutional legislation before the appropriate court?

So, who else has some brainstorming ideas on this? Let’s hear ‘em…

Has anyone seen any mention of a real number in terms of how many phone calls any senator received yesterday? I think that would be really interesting.

So then it would need to be challenged before it goes for signing?

I grew up with School House Rock…maybe i ought to send this video to our dems in the house and senate.

I’m going to check with our local farmer’s market - perhaps they’ll allow me to set up a table and pass out literature –

this stuff is beyond my pay grade. (I know. Sad, eh?)

may yergawds guide yuz fertile minds, dawgies. i gotta go get somethin’ done around here. we barely have a path through the house at the moment.

mebbe i should take a pic and we could use it to head a thread on crafting legislation… alternative to sausage-making meme…

bring your dog

PETS AGAINST UNLAWFULL SURVEILLANCE

It couldn’t be — you can’t really challenge until it’s a law — the way to do that is through fighting within the legislative process, which is what we are trying to do with all of the actions we’ve been pushing.

Legally, you could file for an injunction, but it wouldn’t stick until after the bill became a law — because you wouldn’t really have standing to challenge it until it was a law that was harming your rights in some way. I know ACLU and EFF, among many others, have been looking at this.

IIRC the immunity cannot be reversed.

I’ve changed my mind about this - since last night. (yeah, I tend to do that)

I was operating under the assumption that if *civil* immunity is granted, subsequent legislation reversing that immunity would once again open the courts to plaintiffs directly suing the telecoms.

I was also operating the assumption that *criminal* immunity would be binding, and that any subsequent attepmt to prosecute the telecoms would be a violation of the ban against ex post facto laws.

Today, however, it occurs to me that the ban against ex post facto laws is worded to the effect (paraphrasing) that there can be no prosecution for actions which were legal at the time they were committed. So even if legislation is passed granting both civil and criminal immunity, a reversal of said immunity would leave *criminal* prosecution as once again being a viable possibility, as the operative question would not change.

The telecoms would still be looked at in terms of whether their actions were legal in the period between the starting of the illegal conduct and the passage of the bill granting immunity, and should, imo, be subject to criminal prosecution for actions taken in that time period.

As always, YMMV.

Oh, and

P. E. A. C. E.

and

((((((Senator Ted Kennedy))))))

((((((Senator Robert Byrd))))))

My strategy is that numbers matter, so I called all of them in various accents - Indian, Oriental, British and Middle Eastern - my Jewish accent needs some work … *g*

Join, or die.
http://tw3k.net/Political_Art/JoinOrDie.jpg

Masters of the Art of Filibuster

What are the chances of the anti war lady-I forget her name- beating Nancy in a primary? If not will “liberals” vote for Nancy’s republican opponent? She has got to be beaten. Same for steny. Republicans elected Lieberman. We should return the favor; teach these people we are not to be trifled with. I didn’t think phone calls and faxes meant much, but they seem to have turned Obama around. Nonetheless, we’ve got to turn it up a notch.

Oh, to be a fly on the phone…heh..heh…oh wait..that’s what we’ve been calling about…flies on the phone…heh.

Why is the “DLC” part at the business end of the snake ? *g*

IIRC, the problem with telecom criminal sanctions would be one of statute of limitations.

oh hee hee. it’s always good to “play” with the system just a tad to drive ‘em at least slightly batty!

Good on Ya!

LOL

You have so much fun with our politics - and make me laugh. :)

Well, I can’t exactly say that I endorse this as a strategy — but it was definitely good for a giggle as a mental image in my mind’s ear. *G*

Oh yes of course

(((Sen Kennedy)))
(((Senator Byrd)))

Cindy Sheehan?

I am told that the ostensibly unconstitutional aspects of the MCA are in fact winding their way toward SCOTUS via legal challenge.

I’ve already started my pushback: I’ve been targeting the PA reps who voted for this atrocity in the Drinking Liberally bulletins. And I know RevDeb is meeting with Sleazy Joe Sestak when she gets back from traveling (Deb if you’re reading this I think everyone will want to hear an account of that meeting with Joe).

I love the idea of the floats, and I also like the idea of having someone shadow the wayward reps and senators everywhere they go. Maybe someone dressed up as a Constitution or a tape recorder passing out literature about the targeted reps anti-freedom votes.

Personally, I don’t think Pat Murphy’s going to be attending any more Drinking Liberally events after Monday’s broadside, but if he does, he’s going to wish he hadn’t.

Yep, they are. Again, the ACLU is on this as well as the CCR, among others.

Well, it does tend to be following behind :)

OT - Anyone interested in trashy souvenirs from GITMO? They are actually available to military and contractors and families. It is America’s way of promoting freedom (that is, in the marketplace).

Here is the link to the article. Of course, no American paper would break this story.

You thinkin’ patty cake? Nah. Been done.

On a couple of occasions, the same attendant answered and didn’t seem to have a clue … of course my references to Krushchev and Stalin might have gotten their attention.

I wanted to do a Scottish accent, but feared that I might start blabbing ’bout DiLithium Krrrystals …

How about bumper sticker,

“Tired of Picking Up After the Elephants?”

how about some thanks to the 29 representatives who did stand up for our rights? (list, explanation)

I’m so with you. I feel blessed to be represented by Barbara Lee, yet cursed by DiFi.

The DLC and it’s followers may have the WH but we have the ability to put people in Congress, particularly in the House, to counteract their agenda. That’s been my focus since 04. The sad part is, as bad as Obama may be, McShitForBrains would be unbelievably worse. Wasn’t it Molly Ivins who said something like, “The lesser of two evils is less evil?” Put your money and energy where they will do the most good. And if your local party apparatus isn’t promoting a forward looking vision, get involved, throw the old guard out and start anew. A spectator sport it ain’t.

There are anti-war groups still holding vigils on a regular basis. Get involved with them. If they’re a little too far to the left for your taste it makes for great dialogue. Nothing like talking politics with an intelligent anarchist.

IIRC, the problem with telecom criminal sanctions would be one of statute of limitations

which can be “tolled”, or pushed back, in cases where the discovery of the crime was delayed as the result of conduct by the defendant to actively conceal the illegal acts.

I’d say that that would apply here.

I sure like your view: may it prevail.

WRT the statute of limitations, is it true that any FISA amnesty amendment woul have to have 60 votes behind it (enough to overcome a filibuster)?

I’m asking ’cause I’d love to see a FISA amendment extending the SOL for criminal prosecution/civil action amended to five years from the time of discovery by affected parties.

(and I’d like a pony)

gee…living in the Bay Area, I’thought tolls were a pain. Now I love tolling.

Sadlyyes has a brief glimpse of two gorgeous Shetlands in the intro to her vids. shaggydogfarms.com I’d love to have one of those guys. Talk about cute overload for pony lovers.

I’m betting on the pony. heh.

Tolling of the limitations period is a judicial matter - doesn’t really require legislative action (although it wouldn’t hurt).

“Feeling Dumped On?

Stop Following the Elephants”

arrrgh. should-a quit while i was ahead.

equally cursed (DiFi and Rohrbach)

Christy,
A downloadable flier asking people to call their legislators(with FDL or Blue Amrica or Strange BEdfellows somewhere on it) that is customizable so that Pups can type in the contact info for their own senators and congress critters.

Then we all commit to speniding at least one hour leafleting on July 4th (what more patriotic way to spend that day!)Either do lit drop door to door inthe neighborhood or leafleting at a Parade or other public event or simply at the supermarket.

we should start our own watch list, a project sunshine database keeping tabs of the career whereabouts of the key bad actors who swore fealty to the unitary executive over the constitution.

note: i am not advocating stalking or harassing private citizens, but having a resource gained from public sources to act as a rapid response tool. should any of these goodlings desire future government employ, we the people can present our argument why this would not be such a good idea.

may need prior permission from stores or town fathers, as it were.

I guess I’m not all that shocked. Guantanamo has been a U.S. Naval Base since shortly after the Spanish-American War. The majority of personnel assigned there have nothing to do with the blight on American honor and justice which has been there for the last five years or so. Almost every post or base exchange, in the states and overseas, carries souvenir stuff, much of which has tongue-in-cheek references to the “resort” nature of the assignement. I’m sure you could find items mocking the fun of the joys of assignment to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

I think when there is talk of closing Guantanamo, it does not refer to the entire naval base. That would be an even bigger issue.

As long as both the US and Israel are trying to get the other to attack Iran, you can take this an indication that neither is currently ready to do so. I put up some attack dates for April, May, and June. These were based mainly on surge troops still in Iraq. The June dates were something of a stretch. The truth is we are in summer in the Northern Hemisphere and regardless of phases of the moon and when it rises and sets nights are short. When you take into account that Israel would have to overfly other countries as well as refuel fighters over them, an Israeli attack would be a logistical nightmare, and likely ineffective. So that’s why they mount a big, showy exercise over the Mediterranean and then push us to do what they can’t. Our capabilities are different and we could attack Iran at any time. Still we would probably try to make use of stealth capabilities and that would mean late September as a marginal date and late October (around the 28th) as the first good date. A good time for an October surprise if ever there was one. In any case a strike on our part would have a high probability of leading to major escalation, destabilizing the region, and throwing the world economy into deep recession.

Christy, I keep saying [sorry if I bore you] that we should include the DCCC, DSCC and DNC in our efforts.

The funds we raised, and how quickly we raised them, should make them take note. And we only have to gently say that while those $$$ will be going to fund Democrats — good Democrats — they won’t be coming DCCC’s, DSCC’s or DNC’s way, for them to do with as they wish [read: Barrow, Carney, McNerney, Schuler, Salazar]

Hey Fern, here is a suggestion! Do not read it!! Pretty simple premise….you think! Censorship “sucks” period. It is even worse when “used” on “progressive” websites………..you think???

We deal all day the “manipulation of facts” and outright lies and your concerned is with moderators and censorship of people’s thoughts and ideas, no matter how repugnant or with merit? Go figure………….

Since the 4th amendment is being eviscerated lets shred the 1st Amendment on these websites, by internet moderators who under the guise of civility, censor expression!

this was actually the school house rock video i want to send to congress. If kids can get it maybe congress can too.

i like it. it’s been a while since i’ve done serious leafletting. great way to reach people and summer time is the best.

How about a paper mache snake [Steny] and “tread the hell out of me; kick my a@@ [if a`snake can have an a@@]”

I don’t think that comment on TBogg’s blog is a shining example of free speech, in fact it was laced with sexist diatribe …

as SPENCER TRACY said in one of his great movies,hard to be unhappy when one is being of great service

Your strategy is correct. Now fire up your e-mail list and get friends, neighbors, co-workers to make calls.

The young generation in Canada are quite involved in this already

Perhaps you could design a clever T-Shirt for Cafe Press and we could wear it to 4th of July events?

i’ve done it mostly at a big downtown intersection (with conveniently located stop lights). it helps to have a few people with signs at the side of the road so folks know:

1) the issue and
2) you are part of an organization and not a lone wacko

before you approach their car.

have also done a bit at a supermarket, but there wasn’t nearly the number of people as at the multilane intersection.

never got a permit, but always followed instructions from the cops if they should stop by.

We do it all the time for candidates. Free speech honey bun

Ok…How about a “Stand Up” action instead of a “Sit down”….

Hey congrescritter me and my 150 closest friends are standing up for the Constitution ( you, know what Your oath of Office says you are supposed to do) against the abysmal FISA revision featuring unequal application of the rule of law, immunity for telecom, violation of the 4th Amendment of the Bill of Rights. Are you gonna sit aside or Stand with us?

Add one or two of the 12 foot stick puppets that you see in parades and you have something for the plebians to latch on to.

Christy,

Love it!

We make it an annual tradition to create July 4th t-shirts as a family. The winning design from my oldest this year…It’s a picture of the Constitution. Underneath the signers names it says, “I sign on to the rule of law, the foundation of liberty.”