ThinkFast: January 28, 2008
ThinkFast: January 28, 2008
This afternoon, “the Senate will vote on whether to cut off debate about reauthorizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-NV) is working against the motion, and it is expected that Republicans will not have the 60 votes needed to end the discussion.”
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) told a crowd of supporters on Sunday, “It’s a tough war we’re in. It’s not going to be over right away. There’s going to be other wars.”
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will make a historic trip to Iraq sometime before March 19 — the first such visit ever by an Iranian leader. “Iraqi officials said Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd who has close relations with Iran’s ruling clergy, invited Ahmadinejad to visit.”
The former CEO of Countrywide Financial, Angelo Mozilo, is giving up $37.5 million of severance pay “in the face of pressure from politicians who have berated him for continuing to collect large sums from the mortgage lender even as millions of Americans face the threat of foreclosure.”
“Automakers and their allies have stepped up lobbying to convince states that a proposal by California to cut tailpipe emissions sharply to fight global warming could further depress the struggling U.S. industry.” The Bush administration recently blocked the initiative, but California and 15 other states are suing the EPA to have the ruling overturned.
Today, the Washington Post is launching The Root, “an online magazine primarily for a black audience, with news and commentary on politics and culture, and tools for readers to research their family histories.” The magazine will be edited by Harvard University professor and writer Henry Louis Gates Jr..
Haaretz reports “the annual global report on anti-Semitism being presented to the cabinet Sunday morning points to a rise in anti-Semitic incidents in Germany, Australia, the United States and Ukraine together with an overall decrease in Western Europe.”
Reflecting “growing recognition that the United States risks further setbacks, if not deepening conflict or even defeat, in Afghanistan,” the Bush administration is seeking to “re-energize its terrorism-fighting war efforts” in the country while also “refocusing on Pakistan, where a regenerating al-Qaida is posing fresh threats.”
Private security contractors operating in Iraq are recruiting heavily from the needy in Latin America. For Latin American recruits, the pay is the major lure. “It’s a hard-to-match deal for ex-soldiers and cops with little education. Some returnees even describe the postings nostalgically as a kind of dream job.”
And finally: Watch out for the State of the Union squatters. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), a regular squatter, will be arriving at the House chamber more than five hours before tonight’s SOTU address in order to score an aisle seat “so her constituents, friends and family can see her whisper into the president’s ear before he addresses the nation.” Ros-Lehtinen plans to bring a “mountain of paperwork” to pass the time waiting. Other famous squatters include Reps. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) and Michelle Bachmann (R-MN).
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
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Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) told a crowd of supporters on Sunday, “It’s a tough war we’re in. It’s not going to be over right away. There’s going to be other wars.â€
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Which means that if he gets elected, we will invade Iran, we will invade Syria, we will invade anybody else Israel wants us to invade?
January 28th, 2008 at 9:02 amMcCain and Huckabee on the same ticket (they’re buds):
So you’ve got Gramps promising “more wars” and an endless occupation in the Middle East, and The Huckster wanting to pursue The Easter Bunny of Mass Destruction into the nation of U.S. ally Jordan.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:05 amMeanwhile, back in Iraq:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080128/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq
January 28th, 2008 at 9:05 am“The former CEO of Countrywide Financial, Angelo Mozilo, is giving up $37.5 million of severance pay…”
OK, where did I put my violin?
January 28th, 2008 at 9:07 am*** 5 ALARM ACTION ALERT ***
Today is Brass Knuckles Fighting!
Everyone here needs to call, fax or email your Senator(s) or as many Senators as you can, and DEMAND they vote NO on Cloture.
Demand your Senator Votes NO on retroactive immunity, NO on basket warrants and SUPPORTS Chris Dodd, if he Filibusters.
No Excuses. You have time to make 3 or 4 calls to defeat Cheney’s Legislation which eviscerates the 4th Amendment!
*** Breaking News…We got through to Hillary. She’ll be in Washington to vote NO on cloture. Continue to call Obama and tell him to be there and do the same, or else Hillary will steal the spotlight from him!
1-800-828-0498
January 28th, 2008 at 9:07 am1-800-459-1857
(free call, white house operator, ask them to connect you to your Senator)
“This afternoon, “the Senate will vote on whether to cut off debate about reauthorizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-NV) is working against the motion, and it is expected that Republicans will not have the 60 votes needed to end the discussion.—
You know, I would like to think that reauthorizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act could be stopped, but I suspect and predict that this is all showboating for the sheeple, and the Dems will eventually roll over and take it up the butt again.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:14 amAnd how many millions of money stolen from shareholders will Mozilo be allowed to keep?
America’s executive class is populated by amoral sociopaths.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:14 amLatin America, where police forces are hotbeds of corruption and human rights violations, are the perfect recruiting ground for Bush’s private army of bloodthirsty mercenaries. The fact that they are mostly Catholic will help keep up the appearance that we are fighting a Christian jihad against the people of Iraq.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:16 amHow can Jean Schmidt be a ‘famous’ squatter if she’s been in office for a little over 1 term?
January 28th, 2008 at 9:17 am“Watch out for the State of the Union squatters”
In this case, could we substitute the phrase “groupies for bush?
January 28th, 2008 at 9:18 am“Automakers and their allies have stepped up lobbying”
There would be no problems with design and competing standards if the automakers would build cars for the entire U.S. meeting the highest of standards proposed by California and the other states, rather than the weakened standard proposed by Bush.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:21 amIf the U.S. auto industry doesn’t manage this then they will face competition from foreign sources once again. A repeat of the early 70’s. The U.S. auto industry is it’s own worse enemy and needs to quit relying on friends in high places and get down with the business of cars.
“Automakers and their allies have stepped up lobbying to convince states that a proposal by California to cut tailpipe emissions sharply to fight global warming could further depress the struggling U.S. industry.â€
This makes no sense at all. New rules and regulations will require more work to be done by the vehiclemakers. This means more people will have to be hired, meaning more employment, meaning better economy.
Just because the manufacturers will have to make changes doe not always mean “depress economy”. If that were the case, we’d have floundered when Pres. Reagan quintipled the Defense budget and updated all military vehicles/planes/ships. That didn’t happen then, it aint gonna happen now.
Stop your b!tc#hin’, chicken little! ;-)
January 28th, 2008 at 9:27 am2 million, I emailed my senators.
good-golly – you’re afraid of the wrong enemy.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:28 am“Automakers and their allies have stepped up lobbying to convince states that a proposal by California to cut tailpipe emissions sharply to fight global warming could further depress the struggling U.S. industry.â€
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Every time that a proposal comes out to make autos safer, smarter, more fuel efficient, and/or less polluting, the auto industry screams bloody murder. Yet they always manage to come through to meet the new specs, and even brag about them in their advertisements as if it was all their idea.
Now it’s time for them to step up to the plate again. They can do it — just as they did for seat belts, air bags, Liddy lights, fuel efficiency, and crash test standards in the past.
Instead of spending their resources lobbying, they need to get on the stick and show they can be leaders in this area. If they don’t, the Japanese and the Europeans will have them for lunch.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:28 amHillary would be a disaster area, one of the worst ever Democratic Presidents following one of the worst ever Republican Presidents. Can America really risk four more years of decay and rotten politics? GO OBAMA
January 28th, 2008 at 9:30 am#11 – “The end result will likely be a slight increase in freedom in exchange for a substantial decrease in security as security agencies will be hampered in their challenging efforts to gather the intel necessary to help prevent terrorist attacks.”
You’re assuming that these security agents cannot file for a FISA warrant 48 hours AFTER they’ve already started a wiretap.
It never was a problem in the past, where less than 0.1% of wiretap requests were turned down by the FISA courts.
Why is it that we’ve got an overabundance of “chicken little’s” complaining about the sky falling now that Pres. Bush doesn’t have a rubber-stamp congress?
January 28th, 2008 at 9:30 amGoodGOoPy acts like she isn’t aware that if the current FISA legislation were to stall and the law were to expire, the President would still have about a year to continue his efforts unfettered. There is NO real urgency to pass this legislation right now. Reid should allow it to expire and take up the fight at a later date.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:31 amPrivate security contractors operating in Iraq are recruiting heavily from the needy in Latin America. For Latin American recruits, the pay is the major lure.
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Let me get this straight. We object to Latinos coming across the border here because they are “taking jobs away from Americans” — but we are happy to have them go to Iraq?
Maybe this is the administration’s way of solving the “immigration problem”?
January 28th, 2008 at 9:31 amIt’s too bad that Harry Reid doesn’t just do his job. He did not need to allow this bill to even come up for a vote. If he was against it, as most Democrats are, then he should have not brought it to the floor. That’s what the Republiscums did when they were in control.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:32 amSquatters? Gross.
Have some dignity Bachmann! if you ever had any.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:32 am#1. missmolly,
I agree with you…
The Americans must not let McCain win…or forget it…
January 28th, 2008 at 9:33 amHe knows only wars…
He will get us in a mess not only with Iran and Syria..possibly with Russia and China..The man thinks wars all the time.
Forget about diplomacy…forget about economy (which he knows little about, if any), and with people like Lieberman and the Neocons cabal backing him, we will be in deep trouble.
He is ‘..In your face’ guy’ , and known to have a temper.
He makes me nervous to see him a president.
Just out of suspicion is anybody aware of what Cheney or the DLC have been up to lately? It’s been awhile since we’ve heard anything from either of them and bad things are usually in the works when either of them fade into the background for any amount of time.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:34 am1 crucial Iraqi ally of the United States in its recent successes in the country is threatening to withdraw his support and allow al-Qa’ida to return if his fighters are not incorporated into the Iraqi army and police.
“If there is no change in three months there will be war again,” said Abu Marouf, the commander of 13,000 fighters who formerly fought the Americans. He and his men switched sides last year to battle al-Qa’ida and defeated it in its main stronghold in and around Fallujah.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/if-there-is-no-change-in-three-months-there-will-be-war-again-774847.html
2 Iraq’s Sadrists Seek to End Cease-Fire
Influential members of Muqtada al-Sadr’s movement have urged the anti-U.S. Shiite cleric not to extend a cease-fire when it expires next month, officials said Monday, a move that could jeopardize recent security gains.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAQ?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-01-28-07-52-20
January 28th, 2008 at 9:34 amComment by 2MillionLightYearsToAndromeda — January 28, 2008 @ 9:07 am
Done
January 28th, 2008 at 9:36 am“Automakers and their allies have stepped up lobbying to convince states that a proposal by California to cut tailpipe emissions sharply to fight global warming could further depress the struggling U.S. industry.â€
All they are doing is guaranteeing that fewer and fewer Americans will buy their cars.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:36 amSen. John McCain (R-AZ) told a crowd of supporters on Sunday, “It’s a tough war we’re in. It’s not going to be over right away. There’s going to be other wars.â€
He is right, if we elect another Republican. There will always be wars as long as the people in charge think it’s a good idea to pre-emptively invade other countries just to steal their resources or to make their cronies rich.
That statement alone is the biggest reason NOT to vote for John McCain.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:36 amThe former CEO of Countrywide Financial, Angelo Mozilo, is giving up $37.5 million of severance pay ….
And that, my friends, is what is wrong with Corporate America. They reward incompetence. There is no way that guy should have gotten ANY severance package much less one in the millions.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:40 amComment by missmolly — January 28, 2008 @ 9:28 am
Agreed.
Even more ironic is that new regulations often stimulate R&D into these fields, creating more jobs and better products.
Furthermore, if Detroit doesn’t want to step up to the plate, the Japanese and European auto manufacturers will, which will further erode the American car companies market share. Their resistance to these increased environmental measures is truly short sighted.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:41 am“Automakers and their allies have stepped up lobbying to convince states that a proposal by California to cut tailpipe emissions sharply to fight global warming could further depress the struggling U.S. industry.â€
You know, if US auto makers can’t compete, they should get out of the game. Toyota has no problems making a car that gets excellent gas mileage and they are getting rich off of it. There are still long waiting lists for their hybrids. If our US auto makers can’t see this handwriting on the wall, they don’t deserve to be in business in the first place. That’s what I call incompetence.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:42 am#24
Comment by Anjuna Laguna
So, “the surge” had NOTHING to do with any improvement in Iraq. I see….
January 28th, 2008 at 9:44 amBNF and DimWit…Good Job. We can win! I can see victory!
If possible, please post the 800 phone number and a brief message on as many boards as you can. We need to get more people involved!
January 28th, 2008 at 9:44 am“It’s a hard-to-match deal for ex-soldiers and cops with little education. Some returnees even describe the postings nostalgically as a kind of dream job.â€
And that is exactly the wrong kind of person for the job. That’s all we need, uneducated hot-headed Latin men in a job where they can pretty much do what they want without any repercussions. If that’s not a disaster waiting to happen, I don’t know what is.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:44 amThe end result will likely be a slight increase in freedom in exchange for a substantial decrease in security as security agencies will be hampered in their challenging efforts to gather the intel necessary to help prevent terrorist attacks.
Comment by good_golly — January 28, 2008 @ 9:19 am
January 28th, 2008 at 9:45 amThey who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Ben Franklin – Feb 17, 1775
#6, they’re not reauthorizing FISA, they’re reauthorizing a series of amendments to it, all but one of which are really bad.
(The one good one basically compensates for a recent court ruling that purely international calls incidentally routed through the US, per FISA’s current language, need a court order to monitor, when FISA was not intended to restrict foreign-to-foreign calls).
January 28th, 2008 at 9:45 amGood Morning 2million, called and sent email back up’s to my representatives..
Lot’s of snow here on my little corner of the west coast this morning…
The Pen sent out alert’s yesterday, Kucinich is getting hit hard by the reich trying to unseat him in the house..I’m sending off a donation this morning would every one that can please donate to this great man…He is our true voice and need’s our support, please…Don’t allow our champion to be silenced…….Blessings all…Peace.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:46 amgood_golly is ignorant of the law. All that’s needed to do surveillance is a warrant, and those can be obtained 72 hours after surveillance has begun.
The only point of this law is to allow the Executive to spy on citizens with impunity – it has no relevance to terrorism.
Which is why Bush is willing to veto any measure short of everything he demands. Were his premises correct, he’d be saying he’s willing to endanger American lives to protect telecoms and himself from prosecution.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:47 amHillary would be a disaster area, one of the worst ever Democratic Presidents following one of the worst ever Republican Presidents. Can America really risk four more years of decay and rotten politics? GO OBAMA
Comment by Anjuna Laguna — January 28, 2008 @ 9:30 am
January 28th, 2008 at 9:49 amA Frankenstein McLame presidency or a Shitt Conme presidency would effectively end the US as it has been known for a couple of centuries …….I am not a Ms Clinton backer/supporter ; but there is no question that any crappy GOP candidate , if elected , would be an ongoing disaster from which our country may never recover from………..
The end result will likely be a slight increase in freedom in exchange for a substantial decrease in security as security agencies will be hampered in their challenging efforts to gather the intel necessary to help prevent terrorist attacks.
Comment by good_golly
Goon_golly has been getting his fill of kool-aid. He buys into the notion that the “terrorists” are stupid enough to make trans-Atlantic calls on phones that can be traced to plan their attacks. I have news for goonie and his ilk, THEY ARE NOT THAT STUPID. If you want to give up all your rights to privacy to supposedly “keep you safe”, goonie, go to some country that already has few rights to privacy. And see how happy you are there.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:49 amRe: FISA Legislation vote today
Our next plan of attack starts NOW!
The Stephanie Miller show is on the air right now. She reaches close to a million people. We need to bombard her with email. Tell her to start talking about the FISA legislation. Tell her to ask her audience to call their Senators and vote NO on Cloture.
Stephanie is a big Obama supporter. Let her know that Hillary is confirmed to be in Washington to vote NO on Cloture. If Obama is not there Hillary will steal the spotlight and win valuable votes. So ask her to encourage Obama supporters to call him and demand he return to Washington to vote NO on cloture.
Stephanie@StephanieMiller.com
January 28th, 2008 at 9:50 amComment by 2MillionLightYearsToAndromeda — January 28, 2008 @ 9:50 am
I am not interested in who wins votes for their grandstanding on this , or frankly , any issue ; these politicians need to be told they WORK FOR US , THE PEOPLE.
It’s time these privileged twits are reminded they are elected to do what’s right ; not what’s personally beneficial or politically expedient…….
January 28th, 2008 at 9:53 amHillary would be a disaster area, one of the worst ever Democratic Presidents following one of the worst ever Republican Presidents. Can America really risk four more years of decay and rotten politics? GO OBAMA
Comment by Anjuna Laguna
And you know this, how? I’m not a fan of Hillary, but I am getting really tired of all the anti-Hillary hysteria on both sides of the aisle. Hillary will probably rule pretty much the same as Bill Clinton did. And that certainly was NOT a disaster of a presidency. I would be more than happy to go back to Bill Clinton’s economy and relatively peaceful world.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:53 am#5–2MillionlightYears–
Firedoglake.com is going to liveblog CSPAN today. Also, Barak Obama will be there to vote “no” on cloture. I wonder if Hillary and Barak get up and support Dodd or just note no. I’m hoping for the best, but…
Lord, I’m tired of pleading with these Senators to do what they should be doing, anyway. I’ve been doing it, though, and I hope they’ve been SWAMPED.
Glen Greenwald has a good write-up at Salon:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/?last_story=/opinion/greenwald/2008/01/28/bush_fisa/
January 28th, 2008 at 9:54 amYou’re assuming that these security agents cannot file for a FISA warrant 48 hours AFTER they’ve already started a wiretap.
Comment by Democrat Soldier
Actually, I believe it is 72 hours. And you are right, if they have a valid case, 72 hours is plenty to get a warrant. The problem is that they don’t want to have to prove their case. They want the ability to spy on anyone, anywhere, any time. And I truly believe it has very little to do with getting intel on the “terrorists”.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:55 amYou’re assuming that these security agents cannot file for a FISA warrant 48 hours AFTER they’ve already started a wiretap.
Comment by Democrat Soldier
Actually, I believe it is 72 hours. And you are right, if they have a valid case, 72 hours is plenty to get a warrant. The problem is that they don’t want to have to prove their case. They want the ability to spy on anyone, anywhere, any time. And I truly believe it has very little to do with getting intel on the “terroristsâ€.
Comment by bilbobaggins — January 28, 2008 @ 9:55 am
Wouldn’t ‘terrorists’ already have their plans formulated in their home country or at their home base , and then send out those to carry out their plans ?
Who would be stupid enough to try and formulate plans over the telephone ?
Well , besides Chimpy and his equally stupid and useless administration , I mean……….
January 28th, 2008 at 9:58 amgather the intel necessary to help prevent terrorist attacks.
http://online.wsj.com/ article/ SB120147925170220873.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Comment by good_golly — January 28, 2008 @ 9:19 am
thanks for 9/11.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:02 amLot’s of snow here on my little corner of the west coast this morning…
Comment by Witch1
And what part of the west coast would that be? I’m in Oregon and we have had a lot of snow the last week, which is very unusual for the part of Oregon I live in. Today it’s like one big sheet of ice out there. Climate change is in full swing.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:04 amgood_golly is ignorant of the law
Comment by PeterW — January 28, 2008 @ 9:47 am
good_golly is ignorant
you could have stopped right there, but good spankin, anyhoo!
January 28th, 2008 at 10:05 amSo, “the surge†had NOTHING to do with any improvement in Iraq. I see….
Comment by 99Luf Balloons
You see correctly. The escalation did relatively little to change the situation in Iraq. The ethnic cleansing of Baghdad neighborhoods; the Al Sadar cease fire; the fact that we are not sending our guys out onto the streets, instead bombing them to hell; and the fact that we are paying them NOT to kill us has much more to do with the downturn in violence in Iraq than the escalation.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:06 am#50, I’m a scientist by trade, and as such, am not going end a paper after the abstract.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:08 amOther famous squatters include Reps. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) and Michelle Bachmann (R-MN).
Was it Bachmann’s vomit Jean Schmidt slipped in on the restroom floor?
January 28th, 2008 at 10:09 amBachmann makes me want to vomit every time she opens her mouth.
A Bush ‘Ho if their ever was one.
And what part of the west coast would that be? I’m in Oregon and we have had a lot of snow the last week, which is very unusual for the part of Oregon I live in. Today it’s like one big sheet of ice out there. Climate change is in full swing.
Comment by bilbobaggins — January 28, 2008 @ 10:04 am
And still no snow in Portland. Frost on the grass out front but no snow. Weather service keeps threatening 100%!!! and we get nothing.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:09 am34. I understand your point, but you have attributed a quote to Benjamin Franklin that he did not make and specifically denied ever making. This statement was used as a motto on the title page of An Historical Review of the Constitution and Government of Pennsylvania (1759) which was mistakenly attributed to Franklin in a later edition, but in a letter to David Hume, he denies that he wrote it.
Comment by good_golly — January 28, 2008 @ 10:04 am
I don’t know the validity to your argument ; then again , I really don’t care.
Do you believe the meaning of posting that particular quote was to argue/agree on the person who actually made it ?
It’s about the substance within the quote itself ; which is so vitally applicable in the face of the moron Chimpster’s crappy presidency and over-reach for power that no president should ever have………And especially not a simple-minded , lying piece of refuse like Shrub.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:10 amRegarding immunity for the telecoms in FISA, here are the Dems who sided with the republicans on the 24th. I think they need a call from their constituents before the vote is cast later in the day on the 28th.
Bayh (D-IN)
Carper (D-DE)
Inouye (D-HI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Time after time, Landrieu, Lieberman, Mikulski and Rockerfeller vote against our interests. Rockerfeller has been involved with cover-ups, including Valerie Plame. These bums need to be shown the door. They’re part of the problem.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:10 amWho would be stupid enough to try and formulate plans over the telephone ?
Well , besides Chimpy and his equally stupid and useless administration , I mean……….
Comment by MCMetal — January 28, 2008 @ 9:58 am
They are afraid of the American people, the common person who might say something stupid out of anger over the phone or in an email. I also think that the spying prior to 9-11 was focused on members of congress, but that’s just my opinion.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:11 am46. Only you would be thankful for 9/11, traitor.
Comment by good_golly — January 28, 2008 @ 10:05 am
January 28th, 2008 at 10:12 amAs opposed to those who plotted and carried out that terrible deed , who were thankful that Chimpy and Co were in charge that day ; that was a guarantee of it being a success…………….
Only you would be thankful for 9/11, traitor.
Comment by good_golly — January 28, 2008 @ 10:05 am
goon_golly thinks a poster is thankful for 911 because he thanked goon_golly for 911. I am beginning to think that goon_golly’s IQ is somewhere in the 70’s. His reading comprehension is certainly limited. The neoCONs allowed 911 to happen so that they could make this country into a fascist state with Herr Bush as the Dictator Guy. goon_golly and his ilk think that was a good idea. I pity them all.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:12 amWhy is the FISA story all about Telcoms?
Records show Bush used them BEFORE 9/11…that’s the story.
Once again, they took America’s ‘eye off the ball’ by diverting attention away from what they’ve done. This is another Bush lie.
Now, Bush threatens to veto a month extension. Fine. Let him veto. Americans, anytime Bushco is urging Congress to pass something quickly, it can’t be good for America.
Hang ‘Em High
January 28th, 2008 at 10:12 amTime after time, Landrieu, Lieberman, Mikulski and Rockerfeller vote against our interests. Rockerfeller has been involved with cover-ups, including Valerie Plame. These bums need to be shown the door. They’re part of the problem.
Comment by Impartial Observer — January 28, 2008 @ 10:10 am
NO
They are the problem , not part of it…………
January 28th, 2008 at 10:14 amBack at ya Bilbo,…..North of Seattle..Blessings
January 28th, 2008 at 10:15 amI don’t know the validity to your argument ; then again , I really don’t care.
Comment by MCMetal
goon_golly is attempting to become a “master at strawman arguments”. He hasn’t quite made it there yet, but he’s giving it a good try. He somehow thinks that if the subject of the quote is incorrect, that invalidates the content of the quote. That’s the kind of thought processes you have when your IQ is in the 70’s.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:17 amBack at ya Bilbo,…..North of Seattle..Blessings
Comment by Witch1
The snow has been fun, but the ice today is NOT! It was so great watching the kids sled down the main pathway in my community. Oh to be young and carefree again. If you could bottle that, you would be rich.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:19 amComment by bilbobaggins — January 28, 2008 @ 10:17 am
I believe it’s more indicative of his realizing immediately that his statements are worth used toilet paper rather than his lack of viable brain cells
January 28th, 2008 at 10:20 amWouldn’t ‘terrorists’ already have their plans formulated in their home country or at their home base , and then send out those to carry out their plans ?
Comment by MCMetal
Also, if they find the need to use a phone, they will use one of those throw-away prepaid phones. By the time the US gets a lock on it, they will be hunting down a trash can.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:22 am#64…Indeed…I am young at heart, at this time of my life that is good enough…My wealth is measured by love so I have all I need or would ever want…Blessings
January 28th, 2008 at 10:24 amPlease, Everyone,
Call your Senators and demand they vote NO on Cloture and No on Immunity!
Thanks.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:25 amFiredoglake.com is going to liveblog CSPAN today. Also, Barak Obama will be there to vote “no†on cloture. I wonder if Hillary and Barak get up and support Dodd or just note no. I’m hoping for the best, but…
Lord, I’m tired of pleading with these Senators to do what they should be doing, anyway. I’ve been doing it, though, and I hope they’ve been SWAMPED.
Glen Greenwald has a good write-up at Salon:
http://www.salon.com/ opinion/ greenwald/ ?last_story=/ opinion/ greenwald/ 2008/ 01/ 28/ bush_fisa/
Yes, I’ve been following along. Thanks to Jane Hamsher and Glenn Greenwald. These two deserve a regular spot on a national t.v. show. Very few cover politics any better. How about giving Chris Matthews his long overdue pink slip and start the Jane & Glenn show.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:28 amMcMillion wants us to stay in Iraq for a million years.
John, quit comparing your age to this invasion.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:28 amPlease, Everyone,
Call your Senators and demand they vote NO on Cloture and No on Immunity!
Thanks.
Comment by TheRadicalRightisRadicallyWrong — January 28, 2008 @ 10:25 am
To simplify things : simply call your elected Reps and tell them anything our idiot president wants , to vote “No”.
He is the worst president in US history , and deserves nothing , except to be brought up on charges of crimes against humanity and for his traitorous/treasonous behavior , along with everyone in/or that has served in his garbage administration……..
January 28th, 2008 at 10:30 amhave been hearing about this story for days…
look for it to get extra attention during any one of the upcoming
“need to distract” occasions:
US Spy Satellite, Power Gone, May Hit Earth
January 28th, 2008 at 10:42 amNew York Times – 11 hours ago
By THE NEW YORK TIMES WASHINGTON – A disabled American spy satellite is rapidly descending and is likely to plunge to Earth by late February or early March, posing a potential danger from its debris, officials said Saturday.
US warns satellite will fall to Earth soon Los Angeles Times
Uncontrolled US Spy Satellite To Hit Earth [] RTT News
As evidenced by McCain’s words, their ‘war on terrah’, (created through the careful planning of their ‘pearl harbor event’) has given them the war(s) of their dreams.
I.E. endless conflict, death and destruction as far as the eye can see.
What’s that quote again ?
‘War becomes perpetual when it is used as a rationale for peace.’
January 28th, 2008 at 10:44 amUS warns satellite will fall to Earth soon Los Angeles Times
Uncontrolled US Spy Satellite To Hit Earth [] RTT News
Comment by katy — January 28, 2008 @ 10:42 am
Walk with your head up today.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:52 amwow that’s great… now if only they would do the same for insurance and oil companies (exxon is ready to, if they haven’t already, post a record breaking year if i’m not mistaken)
January 28th, 2008 at 10:53 amthe stenographers are ever hopeful…
Unfinished business for Bush in final State of the Union address
January 28th, 2008 at 11:04 amCNN – 5 hours ago
WASHINGTON (CNN) — With fear of an impending recession, President Bush on Monday night will use his last State of the Union address to revisit unfinished business and press for quick action to keep the economy afloat, administration officials say.
Bush speech will seek to calm American nerves Reuters
Bush Seizes on Stimulus to Shape His Final Year (Update2) Bloomberg
What did we miss?
____________________
Oil dips below $90 a barrel, and “may have peaked.†Most investors betting on further decline.
http://www.ft.com/ cms/ s/ 0/ d42c4e06-cd2c-11dc-9b2b-000077b07658,s01=1.html
Comment by good_golly — January 28, 2008 @ 10:56 am
All those lives that have been senselessly extinguished are justified because of falling gas/oil prices , eh chucklehead ?
What the hell is wrong with you………..
January 28th, 2008 at 11:05 am“Ros-Lehtinen isn’t the only one who will be arriving fashionably early—and it’s a bipartisan group.”
Other aisle seat stalkers include Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.), Todd R. Platts (R-Pa.), Jean Schmidt ( R-Ohio), Mary Bono (R-Calif.), Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) and a handful of others.
January 28th, 2008 at 11:10 amhttp://www.politico.com/news/stories/0108/8136.html
“Ros-Lehtinen isn’t the only one who will be arriving fashionably early—and it’s a bipartisan group.â€
I would imagine the dems in the group are doing it to rub Bush’s nose in the fact that he’s leaving office with no major accomplishments under his belt.
January 28th, 2008 at 11:15 amRos-Lehtinen plans to bring a “mountain of paperwork†to pass the time waiting. Other famous squatters include Reps. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) and Michelle Bachmann (R-MN).
As if Ms Clinton doesn’t have it tough enough to try and be the 1st woman elected president ; the 3 empty-headed twits named above sure do not make it easier for women in politics to be taken very seriously……………..
January 28th, 2008 at 11:16 amRos-Lehtinen plans to bring a “mountain of paperwork†to pass the time waiting. Other famous squatters include Reps. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) and Michelle Bachmann (R-MN).
Bachmann came close to Secret Service arrest last year for holding on to her favorite Bush for 30 seconds. Can she out do herself this year? Look for a perfectly stylish airhead whose language skills match her ‘Bush’.
Will Jean Shcmidt slip in her own vomit?
Will Bachmann get arrested?
Will Bush tell jokes?
His last SOTU can’t come soon enough for Planet Earth.
January 28th, 2008 at 11:21 am“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Ben Franklin – Feb 17, 1775″
The complete quote from Ben Franklin is this:
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety, AND WILL LOSE BOTH.”
January 28th, 2008 at 11:29 amComment by Proud American Liberal — January 28, 2008 @ 11:29 am
I stand effectively corrected ; Mea Culpa………..
January 28th, 2008 at 11:33 amvery good… via C&L blog roundup:
American Street: The myth that Republicans are fiscally responsible stewards of the economy simply means that the vast majority of Americans know nothing about politics or economics.
January 28th, 2008 at 11:43 amBest SOTU ever:
“I resign.”
January 28th, 2008 at 11:43 amI agree with the quote, although it is falsely attributed to Ban Franklin.
Comment by good_golly — January 28, 2008 @ 11:47 am
Typical shallow scholarship. The actual quote: “Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” is now generally agreed to have been written by Franklin. His “I didn’t write that” refers to the BOOK, goon. Poor Richard’s Almanack includes: “Sell not virtue to purchase wealth, nor Liberty to purchase power.”
January 28th, 2008 at 11:53 am1) is it an “essential freedom†to be free from warrantless wiretapping where the government “has a reasonable basis to conclude that one party to the communication is a member of al Qaeda, affiliated with al Qaeda, or a member of an organization affiliated with al Qaeda, or working in support of al Qaeda†and at least one party to the conversation is “outside of the United Statesâ€; and
Yes, it is an essential freedom. If the government has a reasonable basis to conclude that one party in a communication is affiliated with al-Qa’ida, they should have no trouble obtaining a warrant to tap their phone. Even retroactively, as the FISA law allows.
(2) is the prevention of further 9/11 type attacks merely “a little temporary safety?â€
Comment by good_golly — January 28, 2008 @ 11:47 am
Yes, it is. It is, by definition, temporary. People will continue to use terrorist tactics – violence against civilans for political purposes – in the U.S. and around the world for decades. Centuries, even. No matter how many phones we tap or people we put on watch lists, these attacks will happen. It’s just a matter of time.
I don’t think we should just let them happen. Terrorism is a crime, and law enforcement should work to prevent crime as much as possible. However, we also need to reexamine the global economic and social policies that make the U.S. such a deserving target for terrorist attacks in the first place.
January 28th, 2008 at 12:01 pmOnly in America! This is the only country where a CEO can screw up the company, cost it billions of dollars and get a HUGE f up goodbye bonus. What the hell is wrong with this picture? Why didn’t they tell the former CEO to get lost with just his final paycheck? That’s what happens to me if I get fired. Not only that they fight giving me unemployment too. These boards of directors at these companies are filed with guys wanting to cash in, not run a successful company. This bullcramp isn’t going to stop until the government starts passing law that prohibit ripping off a company you ran into the ground.
January 28th, 2008 at 12:06 pm89. You almost had me ready to admit that you were making a reasonable argument until your last line. Those who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks were hardly “deserving targets.†With one line, you took your post from reasonable to disgusting.
Comment by good_golly — January 28, 2008 @ 12:26 pm
You’re entitled to your opinion.
January 28th, 2008 at 12:29 pmOur Democracy InAction
About 75 legal residents whose applications for U.S. citizenship have been delayed protested Monday outside the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services office in Dallas.
DallasNews
The protesters claimed they were promised their citizenship applications would be processed in time to vote.
January 28th, 2008 at 1:28 pmThe lead sentence in this blog is incorrect and is just gullible parroting of White House propaganda. See Glenn Greenwald The cloture vote this afternoon in the Senate is not to reauthorize FISA. The Protect America Act (PAA) expanded wiretapping powers under FISA, but just the PAA powers automatically expire on February 2. FISA remains. Senate leadership is willing to exend PAA for another 30 days while it reviews tens of thousands of documents recently released to the Senate. Bush, however, says he would veto such an extension. Instead, he wants new powers, including telecom amnesty for past law-breaking. If Bush is willing to veto the PAA extended powers, it proves they can’t be that important to national security. He can still wiretap with warrants under FISA. It’s all theater.
January 28th, 2008 at 1:29 pm.
Aparently Articles of Impeachment against the President isn’t news even for TP.
.
January 28th, 2008 at 2:28 pm“More wars?” WTF? And you said you were the best candidate to effect change? Hah!
Well, “my friend,” since we are now in a war, to make a change would be to get us out of the war.
Make up your mind Mac – change what we’ve got, or make more war. Mutually exclusive.
January 28th, 2008 at 4:19 pmInasmuch as the sworn duty of every person considering the Let -Get- Rid-of- the-Fourth-Amendmen-Permanently (”FISA) bill extension is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, it is incumbent upon them all to vote to permanently table the measure.
They need to be reminded that the do not have the authority to repeal any amendment to the Constitution.
January 28th, 2008 at 4:25 pm