When they called we’d say Nope, we are donating directly to candidates. Why? Because we have been uniformly disappointed in the Democrats in Congress, from top to bottom, as a group.

Sputter, but we want to get more Dems elected… Yes, so do we, and we have no confidence in your organization, so we can cut out the middleman (your committee) and donate directly. You don’t represent us much and you have failed for eight years. Buh-bye.

And man, did we send money this time. I kept thinking, oh gee that’s really quite enough. And then I’d think of McCain, or in my state, Gordon Smith, and I’d haul out the credit card again. I used to be horrified at how much elections have to do with money; that was when I was naive and had no money.

I love donating money to things I care about. It feels like I can go beyond what a regular votes-every-time person does, and I no longer think of it as paying for a candidate or cause. I consider it sharing my extra with all the other people who believe as I do and don’t have any extra.

(No plan needed for Citigroup.)

Nor a request that Citigroup send back the $400 million it’s currently using to fluff its image:

Citi’s paying the Mets $400 million over the course of 20 years just to have their name plastered on [the Mets’ new stadium].

I’m more pessimistic but then I have been since Obama’s flip flop on the FISA Amendments Act.

Wow, Hugh, you captured my sentiments exactly. I watched Keith & Rachel tonight and came out more bummed than I’ve been in a long time.

i don’t understand how there can be accountability after all the players are long gone.

biden – the guy to lobbied for war with iraq when clinton was president? the guy who as chair of the foreign relations committee orchestrated the hearings to sell the war in the summer of 2002? that biden.

there are plenty of people who pass my smell test for economic advisors. and i’ve been suggesting them in the comments for some time now. as have others. but people who have a history of getting it all wrong and who are responsible for promoting things like the repeal of glass-steagall, preventing regulation of otc derivatives and the enron loophole – like summers – don’t pass my smell test. why should they?

1. the dems gave att et al. immunity. tell me how that is going to be undone?

EFF has been and is continuing to challenge FISA immunity in Judge Walker’s court (See here for all the details). This isn’t over yet in Federal Court, and also the new Democratic Congress could repeal the immunity. We’ll see.

2. no, i’m suggesting, as i have done from the beginning that the dems should not have given a blank check. some real accountability and transparency and process for reregulation.

This still may occur. We’ll see.

3. re biden. was any D senator – including lieberman – more responsible for lying congress and the american people into the iraq war?

I’m still coming up with a big “Huh?” on this one. More responsible than any other D Senator? Plenty of blame to go around on the Democratic side, but let’s not forget none were in the actual driver’s seat.

And they were lied to by this criminal Administration. Not saying that they shouldn’t have seen these lies for what they were (as many here including myself did).

4. ah, i was confused because you said undisputed malefactors – not undisputed malefactors who are worse than bush’s worst. well, all i can say is that’s not my standard for acceptable nominations – undisputed malefactor is bad enough.

Sounds like Mother Teresa wouldn’t get a pass from you either. Is there anyone who passes your smell test? Don’t look to closely because you may find that all have feet of clay.