Bush: Americans ‘Ought To Say Thank You’ To Telecoms For ‘Performing A Patriotic Service’
Bush: Americans ‘Ought To Say Thank You’ To Telecoms For ‘Performing A Patriotic Service’
The Bush administration has launched an aggressive campaign to pressure the House into passing retroactive immunity for telecoms that participated in the government’s warrantless wiretapping program.
Because they complied in illegally wiretapping their customers, telecoms currently face around 40 lawsuits. Yesterday in a speech to the National Association of Attorneys General, Bush sharply criticized Americans who are suing the telecoms:
Now the question is, should these lawsuits be allowed to proceed, or should any company that may have helped save American lives be thanked for performing a patriotic service; should those who stepped forward to say we’re going to help defend America have to go to the courthouse to defend themselves, or should the Congress and the President say thank you for doing your patriotic duty? I believe we ought to say thank you.
Watch it:
Bush is implying that Americans who oppose telecom immunity are unpatriotic. But the American people don’t owe the telecoms any gratitude. These corporations chose to break the law and profited greatly from doing so. (At least one company refused to comply with the Bush administration’s request because it knew the actions were illegal.)
Last week in a letter to Congress, the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) — which represents groups such as Google and Microsoft — said that it “strongly” opposes retroactive immunity: “To imply that our industry would refuse assistance under established law is an affront to the civic integrity of businesses that have consistently cooperated unquestioningly with legal requests for information.”
Transcript:
And I thank you for wading in. There’s a lot of legal complexities on the FISA renewal debate, but the real issue comes down to this: To defend the country, we need to be able to monitor communications of terrorists quickly and be able to do it effectively.
And we can’t do it without the cooperation of private companies. Unfortunately, some of the private companies have been sued for billions of dollars because they are believed to have helped defend America after the attacks on 9/11. Now the question is, should these lawsuits be allowed to proceed, or should any company that may have helped save American lives be thanked for performing a patriotic service; should those who stepped forward to say we’re going to help defend America have to go to the courthouse to defend themselves, or should the Congress and the President say thank you for doing your patriotic duty? I believe we ought to say thank you.
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Good god… when did “just trust us” become “the American way?”
March 4th, 2008 at 2:10 pmJust like the Iraqi people owe Amurika a great debt of gratitude?
Up yours, chympident.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:11 pmshould those who stepped all over the Constitution to say we’re going to help spy illegally on Americans have to go to the courthouse to defend themselves,
yes.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:12 pmsince when is treason patriotic?
March 4th, 2008 at 2:12 pmThank you, Mistress!
Please, may I have another?
/snark
March 4th, 2008 at 2:13 pmHey W, how about you make whatever you’re smoking legal so we can all look at the world through your purple haze.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:14 pmAnd – may I say that I hate His Chimpyness with every fiber of my being…?
March 4th, 2008 at 2:14 pmsince it was such a selfless and patriotic act on the part of each of the telecos, does that mean they’ll be returning the handsome fees each likely earned in carrying out their “mission” to the US Treasury? Or, perhaps, they’ll donate all those profits to the soldiers or their survivors killed or wounded in action fighting the GWOT?
March 4th, 2008 at 2:15 pmApparently Bush has a very warped and twisted idea of what constitutes an American.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:15 pmAgain, this moron president and his criminal administration are pushing for telecom immunity hard, I believe that the Dems are going to resist long enough to make it a good show for the sheeple, then roll over and give the moron what he wants.
I can’t decide who makes me more angry – the moron president, or the Dems that won’t stand up to him.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:16 pmthese fu(kers are really desparate!
March 4th, 2008 at 2:16 pmwhy is that? guilty as hell, perhaps?
Qwest CEO Not Alone in Alleging NSA Started Domestic Phone Record Program 7 Months Before 9/11
By Ryan Singel October 12, 2007 | 4:23:55 PMCategories: NSA, Surveillance
Startling statements from former Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio’s defense documents alleging the National Security Agency began building a massive call records database seven months before 9/11 aren’t the only accusations that the controversial program predated the attacks of 9/11.
According to court documents unveiled this week, former Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio clearly wanted to argue in court that the NSA retaliated against his company after he turned down a NSA request on February 27, 2001 that he thought was illegal. Nacchio’s attorney issued a carefully worded statement in 2006, saying that Nacchio had turned down the NSA’s repeated requests for customer call records. The statement says that Nacchio was asked for the records in the fall of 2001, but doesn’t say he was “first asked” then.
And in May 2006, a lawsuit filed against Verizon for allegedly turning over call records to the NSA alleged that AT&T began building a spying facility for the NSA just days after President Bush was inaugurated. That lawsuit is one of 50 that were consolidated and moved to a San Francisco federal district court, where the suits sit in limbo waiting for the 9th Circuit Appeals court to decide whether the suits can proceed without endangering national security
March 4th, 2008 at 2:18 pmFcuk the telcoms.
If you dance with the pigs, you should EXPECT to get dirty, fools.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:18 pmComment by Leftside Annie — March 4, 2008 @ 2:14 pm
yes, you may.
We’ll all need PTSD treatment after these last eight years of BushitCo nightmare.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:19 pmFrom this issue, the environment, Iraq and other numerous Republican disasters, someone ought to say what a miserable FAILURE this guy and his corporate hacks have been for America.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:20 pmGood god… when did “just trust us†become “the American way?â€
Comment by DennisRaines — March 4, 2008 @ 2:10 pm
I think it was when Republicans saw that there were enough Americans who were stupid enough to allow Bush to be installed for a second term.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:22 pmI believe we ought to say thank you.
Oh, he’ll get you to say thank you. Thirty-seconds of Waterboarding and you’ll be thanking anybody they ask you to.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:23 pm“Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined.”
PATRICK HENRY
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
“The two greatest obstacles to democracy in the United States are, first, the widespread delusion among the poor that we have a democracy, and second, the chronic terror among the rich, lest we get it.” [1941]
Edward Dowling
March 4th, 2008 at 2:23 pm(At least one company refused to comply with the Bush administration’s request because it knew the actions were illegal.)
And they were punished greatly for refusing to do it.
Why is the press ignoring the fact that we have proof that Bush had the telcoms spying on us before 911? How can they be considered patriotic for going along with spying on the citizens of this country without a warrant and without any probable cause? I might almost go along with immunity AFTER 911 if the telcoms came clean with the public first. But allowing them immunity before 911 is totally out of the question.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:24 pm“…to be installed for a second term.”
Comment by ralph the wonder llama
Not to mention the first time… oh, wait, there weren’t enough the first time, they had to cheat…. never mind……
March 4th, 2008 at 2:25 pmSo let’s see…. if we get Reyes and others to go along with this, it’s a trifecta: firewall against prosecuting administration types who authorized this, immunity for the telcos against some stiff lawsuits, and a loss for trial lawyers, who contribute mostly to Democratic causes.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:25 pmI will NOT say fu(king say “thank you” when my civil rights have been trampled on illegally damnit. WHAT does this man NOT get??
I know what he does get though, and that’s his way. Damn spineless congress critters.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:25 pm.
Patriotism: Patriotism denotes positive and supportive attitudes to a ‘fatherland’ (Latin patria but patriotism usually applies to a nation and/or a nation-state. Patriotism covers such attitudes as: pride in its achievements and culture, the desire to preserve its character and the basis of the culture, and identification with other members of the nation. Patriotism is closely associated with nationalism, and the terms are often used synonymously. Strictly speaking, nationalism is an ideology – but it often promotes patriotic attitudes as desirable and appropriate. (Both nationalist political movements, and patriotic expression, may, yet need not, be negative towards other people’s ‘fatherland’).
Patriotism has ethical connotations: it implies that the ‘fatherland’ (however defined) is a moral standard or moral value in itself. The expression my country right or wrong—perhaps a misquotation of the American naval officer Stephen Decatur, but also attributed to Carl Schurz—is the extreme form of this belief. Patriotism also implies that the individual should place the interests of the nation above their personal and group interests. In wartime, the sacrifice may extend to their own life. Death in battle for the fatherland is the archetype of extreme patriotism.
(emphasis mine)
The President or Congress have YET to explain how undermining our Founding Principles is an act of Patriotism…
… Still waiting.
SINCE WHEN IS WARRANTLESS LEGAL?
REMEMBER:
THEY HATE US FOR OUR FREEDOMS.
Who wins when the Commander in Chief, assisted by Congress, surrender our Rights and Freedoms?
.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:26 pmThank you for breaking the fourth amendment to the Constitution.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:26 pmRemember – they hate us for our freedoms, so we’d better surrender all of our freedoms to the government for safekeeping.
Why do Rethuglicans want to cut and run on the Constitution?
I am really sick and tired of Bush saying “we did this for your own security”
bullsh_t.
This is one of the 10 characteristics of a Fascist Regime : survaillence
March 4th, 2008 at 2:26 pmAs a note, this issue has yet to be defined in the media because it’s not fully known what has been going on. Here’s a fantastic quote from U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda:
“The question is why the president is completely unwilling to tell Congress what he did,” Boyda said. “It seems to me it’s probably about domestic surveillance.”….
Our media is still not talking about Data Mining. This debate is still being shaped as Terror Surveillance=Saftey.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:27 pmThe real question Mr. Bush is our we a nation of laws or not?
March 4th, 2008 at 2:27 pmWHAT does this man NOT get??
Impeached.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:28 pm“Bush is implying that Americans who oppose telecom immunity are unpatriotic.”
—————————————
Bush’s desperation is showing. Now we are supposed to be THANKING telecoms for trampling all over the fourth amendment to the Constitution. And we are supposed to give those who break the law a free pass.
This isn’t the America I grew up in.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:28 pmWhen McJunior and Pig-bur-man are installed it will be time for the people to re-take control of what has been theirs all along.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:30 pmNo! You may not have my rights. I’m still using them.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:30 pmWhen the war crimes tribunals start and all Bush’s legislation is nullified, the telecom exec’s will be lined up for their lethal injection shots. Treason deserves no less.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:31 pmHowlerdog,
March 4th, 2008 at 2:31 pmDefine for me: Democratic Trial Lawyer, and also explain how they differ from Republican Trial Lawyers?
As that noted Liberal and enemy to the Constitution Benjamin Franklin said,
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:31 pmA wire tap requires a court order – George Bush the pathological liar
I do feel so so sorry for liberal Americans, To have such a compulsive liar as a president – when the man talks he makes it sound if the whole of America support him -when its really only 19%
March 4th, 2008 at 2:32 pmhe’s been at the bottle again.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:32 pmNot to worry Chimpy Pelosi and the Democrats will cave soon enough and give you everything you demand.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:32 pmWhere have I heard this before, OH, I KNOW! Remember the movie, A FEW GOOD MEN, the insane Col Jessep who knew that the law and justice just did not matter as much as the mission. He testified concerning his use of an outlawed disciplinary method that resulted in the death of an innocent Marine and then tried to justify the cover up. Here was his justification:
“Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Whose gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago’s death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don’t want the truth because deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you are entitled to. ”
WE MUST DESTROY LIBERTY IN ORDER TO SAVE IT.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:32 pm.
#34 Comment by raynman — March 4, 2008 @ 2:31 pm
Not to mention his first name is Muslim, too.
.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:33 pmHe has a lot of nerve spewing this garbage and he can’t even serve up
ZAWAHIRI, let alone Osama.
Data Mining hasn’t done SH!T to keep America safe.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:34 pmYet one more depressing example of the republican policy of reverse branding. What ever they say, one can be sure that it is the opposite. Every damn time.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:35 pmwhy should the telecoms get retroactive immunity for illegal shit/ Qwest knew that the program was blatantly illegal and did not participate because of that illegality.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:35 pmSwitch to Qwest, now!
March 4th, 2008 at 2:36 pmBush: “I believe we ought to say thank you.”
Blame it on Jack Daniels again. Does Bush have another trip overseas soon?
March 4th, 2008 at 2:36 pmThank you very much! NO IMMUNITY!!!!
March 4th, 2008 at 2:36 pmthe National Association of Attorneys General, huh…
well, what also counts is, do THESE guys agree with him?
March 4th, 2008 at 2:37 pmis this a threat?
.
PATRIOTISM REQUIRES NO IMMUNITY!
If warrantless wiretaps are patriotic, why the need for immunity?
Immunity from the law and prosecution?
Then why and how could one prosecute a patriotic act?
.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:38 pmI just wonder what Cheney’s been up to? Creating the sequel to 9/11?
March 4th, 2008 at 2:38 pm(yes, it was an inside job)
#4 since when is treason patriotic?
Silly goose! when you commit treason for the GOP of course.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:38 pmI hate this man. I’d probably deck him myself. Oops, where’s the secret service.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:39 pmshould these lawsuits be allowed to proceed
March 4th, 2008 at 2:39 pmYES!!!
or should any company that may have helped save American lives be thanked for performing a patriotic service;
Key word: MAY. So now we should defend lawbreakers based on hypotheticals?
should those who stepped forward to say we’re going to help defend America have to go to the courthouse to defend themselves,
Since they broke the law…. YES, dammit!
or should the Congress and the President say thank you for doing your patriotic duty? I believe we ought to say thank you.
Okay, I get it. If I punch my neighbor because his son MAY bully my son, I should expect thanks from my community and not go to court?
Gotcha! IDIOT!!!!
Can we ever un-do the damage that this administration has done…
March 4th, 2008 at 2:40 pm#47, didn’t you hear Max-1 the wingnut CO congressman’s aide explained it clearly and succinctly. So the terrorist can not sue the telecom companies.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:41 pmHow about fcuk you?
March 4th, 2008 at 2:41 pmI don’t think anyone can argue for mental committal better than the King. He is pro immunity when the companies are asking congress not to grant it.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:41 pmit is either mental deficiency or it is treason. Which is it King G?
“Americans should collectively put a boot up my arse because I’ve completely ruined their country.” – President Dinkledorf
March 4th, 2008 at 2:42 pmThis was being done before 9/11. The Dems should stress that point every chance they get. Does Bush have that German bunker disease yet?
March 4th, 2008 at 2:42 pmWhy won’t anyone in the press corps ask the most simple question?
Why immunity if no law was broken? Why did you coerce them to break the law?
Why isn’t this man impeached? How can a president get away with coercing corporations to break the law?
Americans just don’t give a damn anymore. Stupidity is the best tool of the government.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:43 pmThank You’ To Telecoms For ‘Performing A Patriotic Service’
March 4th, 2008 at 2:43 pmAnother double speak..increasingly unbearable watching this sociopath run our country into the ground.
#50 I hate this man.
I do, too. I also hate what this country has become. Our infrastructure is ignored while we build up to the sky : the military. This country was hijacked by PNAC 8 years ago and we are now under Authoritarian rule sliding into a Fascist state. People are losing their homes left and right, the cost of food, gas etc are all soaring but the All Mighty Military Budget skyrockets.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:43 pmSo, Pelosi and her criminal minions in the House believe they have a “right” to bring a civil suit against the Bush Administration for use of “executive privilege” to prevent aides from testifying before Congress regarding the AG firing scandal but doesn’t believe that We the People have a right to OUR day in court for gross violations of our civil rights?
I demand the House grant Bush retroactive immunity to kill the civil lawsuit they want to file against him on the AG firing scandal. If retro immunity is good enough to telecoms to prevent us from obtaining some modicum of justice, then it is good enough for Bush to prevent the House from obtaining “justice”. If the 4th Amendment is quaint and outdated, then so is the entire purpose of the Congress.
I DEMAND retro immunity be given to Bush to stop the “ruinous” lawsuit the House is seeking to bring against him and his Administration. I DEMAND consistency and equal treatment! Screw the People then screw yourselves too!
March 4th, 2008 at 2:46 pmI don’t think anyone can argue for mental committal better than the King. He is pro immunity when the companies are asking congress not to grant it.
it is either mental deficiency or it is treason. Which is it King G?
Comment by oldtree
I think it’s both.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:46 pmEither way, I don’t give a damn what you think you are entitled to. â€
WE MUST DESTROY LIBERTY IN ORDER TO SAVE IT.
Comment by JMOHR — March 4, 2008 @ 2:32 pm
I love that scene, especially the part where they marched Col. Jessup’s pompous ass off to prison to face charges. Maybe Pelosi and congress need to watch it and see how it ends.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:47 pmI love that scene, especially the part where they marched Col. Jessup’s pompous ass off to prison to face charges. Maybe Pelosi and congress need to watch it and see how it ends.
Comment by Shayne
Pelosi and congress cower in a corner whenever this moron president opens his treasonous mouth. Bastards.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:49 pmAt one point, I thought it reasonable for the government to indemnify the telecoms, but at this point, that’s not the way to go. I want to see the suits go forward, I would prefer that the offending telecoms be found liable, fine, and then we can move on to the shareholder suits which would inevitably follow, and finally punish the management and their legal counsel that allowed these actions to take place. It’s a long road, but accountability is at the end, so it’s worth it.
Oh, and “Thank You QWEST!!!” (just needed to thank a telecom)
March 4th, 2008 at 2:51 pmWould somebody tell the Chimperor he has no clothes on, or at least to take his meds or at the very least to STFU.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:52 pmWhy won’t anyone in the press corps ask the most simple question?
The press corps are owned by giant conservative-run corporations who in turn own the White House and most of congress. They also know damn well that to ask questions of what has been going on is to also cast light upon what they themselves have been up to the last 7 years and their own role in the national nightmare we now find ourselves in. This is why flag pins and arabic-sounding middle names are so important.
Working for a corporation means you do not question, investigate or judge your bosses. They are a walking conflict of interest by nature now.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:52 pmyour the guy that broke the law – You go to jail Bush
March 4th, 2008 at 2:54 pm“I believe we ought to say thank you.”
My distaste for this man truly grows stronger every time he opens his friggin’ mouth. It pisses me off to no end that this man thinks I am so completely stupid that I cna’t see through his bullshit.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:56 pmI laugh at the idea that a corporation would ever put “pattriotism” before profit. I am nothing short of amazed that conservatives actually try to put corporations out there as “patriotic”. LOL.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:57 pmBush code for – I’m gonna get caught illegally spying on people I had no business spying on and I’m gonna get impeached because of it.
FY Bush, you broke the law by spying on -
Journalist/Congress/Senate/Protesters/Companies/Reporters/Churches/and Average Citizens
You did not spy on people that needed spying – and that is why 9/11 occured, because you ignored it for your own greedy reasons.
Bush/Cheney
March 4th, 2008 at 2:57 pmHague Trials ‘09
yea, it was such a Patriotic Service they performed, that they had to
shut off the “service” until the BILL was paid…
no thanks…
March 4th, 2008 at 2:58 pmThe telecoms didn’t save americans on 911 even though Chimpy was spying illegally before it occurred, did they?
Comment by satirev
The illegal spying has nothing to do with fighting terrorism.
FISA fully allows for legal prosecution with valid evidence.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:58 pmI might almost go along with immunity AFTER 911 if the telcoms came clean with the public first. But allowing them immunity before 911 is totally out of the question.
Comment by bilbobaggins — March 4, 2008 @ 2:24 pm
If it wasn’t for the NY Times we wouldn’t know any of this. But even the Times isn’t clean. The NY Times held this story back one full year so it wouldn’t affect Herr Bush’s chance to get reinstalled into the Presidency.
If we had a real media everyone would know about Joe Naccio from Qwest Communications refusing to allow them to hook up the Big Brother machine into Qwest’s infrastructure…all before 9/11.
If we had a real media they’d call this program what it is: Total Information Awareness V.2.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:59 pmYet another thread the trolls fear to tread. They run for cover when the truth is spread.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:59 pmThe press have been complicit in covering up the laws that are violated and in giving endless amounts of airtime to Bush cover stories.
The day Bush gets dropped inIraq wearing womens underwear and a bag over his head is the day we might hear the truth from him.
Until that day, its power rules, the truth and the law are immaterial,and the mainstream press are fools who like being fools ’cause it pays so well.
March 4th, 2008 at 3:00 pmWHAT A COMPLETE ASS!!!!
March 4th, 2008 at 3:01 pmBush’s meaning of “Patriotic Service” = “Keep George W. Bush from going to jail”
March 4th, 2008 at 3:06 pm“Now the question is, should these lawsuits be allowed to proceed, or should any company that may have helped save American lives be thanked for performing a patriotic service; ”
Can you name these “lives” that were supposedly saved you dishonest piece of dog dreck ?
And why would I need or trust a military deserting weasel and 5 deferrment coward to supposedly “protect me” ?
BTW Mr Pretzeldent
Those I owe a “thank you” to , are the ones who resist making great profit off of treasonous behavior , like Qwest ; that is a patriot.
Not anyone who would readily agree to your illegal actions to fill up their bank account(s)
March 4th, 2008 at 3:07 pmIt pisses me off to no end that this man thinks I am so completely stupid that I cna’t see through his bullshit.
Comment by IgnoranceIsNotBliss — March 4, 2008 @ 2:56 pm
what pisses me off to no end are the cretins responsible for putting this tyrant in office.
March 4th, 2008 at 3:09 pm‘Thank you,’ I can do. but,
March 4th, 2008 at 3:16 pm‘Your Forgiven,’ For what?
Bush, you’re dumber than a bag of toenail clippings, and just as useless.
March 4th, 2008 at 3:17 pmThanks for breaking your contract with me.
Now go to jail.
March 4th, 2008 at 3:20 pmComment by satirev — March 4, 2008 @ 3:00 pm
I would agree with you on this except for the fact that the “warrants” in question here would’ve needed to have been presented at the time.
I’m quite confident that the telecoms knew full well that they were breaking the law but that they were given some assurances that they would be protected by chimpy and his merry gang of theives in the justice department
March 4th, 2008 at 3:22 pmThank you Telecoms…
and also while I’m at it…
Thank you Al Capone.
March 4th, 2008 at 3:30 pmThank you Jeffrey Dahmer
Thank you Lee Harvey Oswald
Thank you Enron
Thank you Nazi Party
Thank you Billy the Kid
Thank you Tom DeLay
Thank you William Jefferson
Thank you Charles Manson
Thank you Josef Mengele
re: Qwest.
Don’t count on this bought and sold, sycophantic mainstream media to connect the dots.
We have to do it ourselves. Where are the intrepid reporters willing to put everything on the line to get the real story?
This is a country of paid pundits (O’Reily i.e.). Everybody has an opinion, everyone is an expert. But, the real questions that could possibly put an orange jumpsuit with shiny shackles on this entire Krime Kabal are conspicuously absent
March 4th, 2008 at 3:31 pmI was going to offer a something you, but “thank” wasn’t the word I had in mind.
March 4th, 2008 at 3:31 pmTelecon companie have violated the law! There is no argument that justify otherwise. By law, they could get a court order and spy. They didn’t! If they get away from this mess, ‘god help America!’ Democrats are already hinting they will allow these criminal off the hook! Shame! Shame! Shame!
March 4th, 2008 at 3:35 pmHe’s right. I should be thanking the corporations.
Thank you, corporations for charging me 24% on my credit card, for foreclosing on my house, for selling my personal information off to other corporations so they can sell me stuff I don’t need or can afford. Thank you corporations for killing indiscriminately in Iraq and for not showing me the bloody handiwork and destroyed lives on the news. Thank you corporations for buying off the congress and giving your board members huge tax breaks. Thank you corporations for disseminating the lies that drove us into war so that you could prop up our economy by making and selling more bombs, bullets and guns.
I say thank you, corporations, in the exact same way that guy thanked Cheney for shooting him in the face.
March 4th, 2008 at 3:37 pm“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Is Bush’s out the “best of my Ability” portion?
March 4th, 2008 at 3:39 pmI actually think this bit of propaganda is a new low. He’s not just asking for us to permit his own lawbreaking but I have to fcuking THANK the corporations for colluding with him. He asks for no less than my dignity and pride.
Go f#@% yourself, Mr. President.
March 4th, 2008 at 3:42 pmI have to disagree with George Bush on this one. I think the rule of law is important. If one doesn’t agree with a law it is important to give it deference, and to work to change it. Simply disregarding the law creates a terrible situation where the laws of the land are no longer relevant.
March 4th, 2008 at 3:42 pmTell your kids to grab a ski mask and a 9 mil and head on down to the mini mart – the Law is apparently just for suckers and losers.
New World Order = All bets are off – no pesky rule of law will diminish our fevered vision of “freedom”. Firearms = Righteousness. Foreigners = Enemies, and the Constitution = 0.
March 4th, 2008 at 3:57 pmHe’s got to be kidding! Heap praise on those who help violate the Constitutional rights of unknown thousands? And the behest of a corrupt presidential administration? Call them patriots? I think not – call them criminals (but do give them their day in court).
Once again, Bush is using the Constitution as his toilet paper and asking us to applaud at the stink.
When the hell is Congress going to reel in this a$$wipe? How much more evidence and reason do they need? (And NO retroactive immunity, either.)
March 4th, 2008 at 4:00 pmand, on a similar note:
CBS News: Making You Feel Good About Destroying A Country
By: Nicole Belle @ 9:47 AM – PST
Do you remember a few years back when it came out that networks were using White House-produced “news pieces� Watch this video and tell me that they aren’t still doing it. CBS News gives us a “feel good†story about an Iraqi interpreter and his family, who after 18 months of persistent effort by an American vet he befriended in Iraq, was lucky enough to get one of the 500 spots alloted for Iraqi immigrants into the U.S., due to a special program for Iraqi interpreters since they are targeted for working with the Americans. One of 500. After we’ve displaced almost 5,000,000 Iraqis. Yeah, that’ll make a dent.
March 4th, 2008 at 4:01 pm[...]
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/03/04/cbs-news-making-you-feel-good-about-destroying-a-country/
One point that I haven’t yet seen brought up regarding this issue is who Bush may actually be trying to protect. (his dad)…
The Carlysle group, in addition to Defense Contractors, has some ownership of certain telecom companies, although I’m not sure which ones, I have a funny feeling that Qwest isn’t one of them.
March 4th, 2008 at 4:04 pmCan’t wait to see Keith Olberman go ballistic on this:
Bush: Americans ‘Ought To Say Thank You’ To Telecoms For ‘Performing A Patriotic Service’
“Too bad we have 1 ‘News’ person (Keith Olberman) speaking for 81% of us and all the other ‘News People’ speaking for the other 19%.”
March 4th, 2008 at 4:08 pmOne point that I haven’t yet seen brought up regarding this issue is who Bush may actually be trying to protect. (his dad)…
Comment by J — March 4, 2008 @ 4:04 pm
A very pertinent question, which leads to another.
Will the next administration be listening to communications between the Bush family and their Saudi buddies? I would, almost, be willing to let the telecoms off the hook to make it happen. Of course, the proposed immunity isn’t to protect the telecoms. It’s only purpose is to keep Bush, and his minions, out of court.
March 4th, 2008 at 4:12 pm“Too bad we have 1 ‘News’ person (Keith Olberman) speaking for 81% of us and all the other ‘News People’ speaking for the other 19%.â€
Comment by JustJohn — March 4, 2008 @ 4:08 pm
It’s not quite that bad. There are a very few others. Bill Moyers springs to mind. Of course, he’s buried on PBS on Friday nights.
March 4th, 2008 at 4:14 pm“Too bad we have 1 ‘News’ person (Keith Olberman) speaking for 81% of us and all the other ‘News People’ speaking for the other 19%.â€
Comment by JustJohn — March 4, 2008 @ 4:08 pm
Man, are you in my office…
I was just having this same conversation with one of my Co-Workers and got back to find this.
It is truly a shame that none of the other media let alone the rest of MSNBC are picking up on this.
Where is the WoodWard and Bernstein of today?
Note to media:
March 4th, 2008 at 4:14 pmDO YOUR PHUCKING JOB! For chrissakes Helen is old and she can’t carry all of the water, Gregory, grab a handle and carry some of this yourself!
Thank you for taking away our civil liberties.
Thank you for ignoring the Constitution.
Thank you for killing hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.
Thank you for torturing and rendition.
Thank you for ignoring the environment.
Thank you for gutting education.
Thank you for tax cuts for the rich.
Thank you for corporate welfare.
Thank you for ignoring the poor.
Thank you for wasting billions of dollars on Iraq.
Thank you for ignoring subpoenas.
Thank you for refusing to be held accountable.
etc., etc.
I can’t wait until January 20, 2009.
March 4th, 2008 at 4:15 pmIt’s not quite that bad. There are a very few others. Bill Moyers springs to mind. Of course, he’s buried on PBS on Friday nights.
Comment by pete — March 4, 2008 @ 4:14 pm
Exactly, He’s buried and no one bothers to grab a shovel and dig him out! In fact the Repugs keep trying to get PBS canceled by stripping the funding!
March 4th, 2008 at 4:18 pmDubya the Doofus-In-Chief:
Now the question is, should these lawsuits be allowed to proceed, or should any company that may have helped save American lives be thanked for performing a patriotic service….
Well, I may have helped save American lives by not driving to work today. Can I have a “get out of jail free” card for those times I did break the speed limit?
Cheers,
March 4th, 2008 at 4:30 pmOBTW:
Now the question is, should these lawsuits be allowed to proceed, or should any company that may have helped save American lives be thanked for performing a patriotic service;….
Great fallacy of bfurcation there. In fact, it’s even worse that that; he’s saying you can have one thing or you can have another thing that isn’t even related…..
Cheers,
March 4th, 2008 at 4:33 pmDO YOUR PHUCKING JOB! For chrissakes Helen is old and she can’t carry all of the water, Gregory, grab a handle and carry some of this yourself!
Comment by TheRadicalRightisRadicallyWrong — March 4, 2008 @ 4:14 pm
It’s more important to them that they get invited to the McCain barbecue than do their jobs. They need to all get fired and replace by young and hungry kids looking to make a journalistic name rather than talent trying not to alienate anybody.
March 4th, 2008 at 5:12 pmDO YOUR PHUCKING JOB! For chrissakes Helen is old and she can’t carry all of the water, Gregory, grab a handle and carry some of this yourself!
Comment by TheRadicalRightisRadicallyWrong — March 4, 2008 @ 4:14 pm
I am so disappointed in David Gregory. At one time I thought he had promise and might actually become a reporter. But, ever since he danced with Karl Rove, he has lost his edge and become another useless white house talking-head reporter. He makes me want to gag when I see him on MSNBC.
March 4th, 2008 at 5:16 pmIs Bush still relevant? Does anyone really care what he has to say? Anyone notice that he has increased the number of his “press conferences” lately? He must be in tears now that the press is no longer focused on him and is now focused on Obama and Clinton and McCain instead. Too bad, too sad for the baby boy.
March 4th, 2008 at 6:11 pmWhy should I thank them, they didnt stop the attacks on 911 now did they?
March 4th, 2008 at 6:13 pmyeah, just like we’re happy to say, “Thank you sir, may I have another?!!”
March 4th, 2008 at 6:27 pmWow, Chimpy Brush didn’t hold a press conference for the first 7 years of his dictatorship. Now he’s holding one a day in the hopes of framing his legacy. Sorry Georgie, the only thing that holding pressers will do for you is make you an even bigger laughingstock.
Of course knowing Herr Codpiece, he might just open his mouth and say something that lands him in jail. Granted, nothing he’s done so far has landed him there but there has to be SOMETHING that would get him there.
March 4th, 2008 at 6:36 pmDubya is not looking well these days. His face is all lopsided with his eyebrows all cockeyed. His speeches are becoming more incoherent (if such a thing is possible). He is seriously deranged.
Dubya is scared too. Hope he doesn’t do something desperate. With him and Cheney in power anything is possible.
March 4th, 2008 at 6:50 pmLiar.
March 4th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Thanks, ATT!
Middle finger extended.
March 4th, 2008 at 7:27 pmMore proof GEORGE BUSH IS A MALIGNANT NARCISSIST http://freedom4um.com/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=60483
this insane comment of his ranks up there with that all time great quote, “We are addicted to oil”. You see the reason we are addicted to oil is because of the Bushies in the world and the reason we will be forever addicted to oil is because of the Bushies in the world.
March 4th, 2008 at 7:50 pmThe single big question remains: The FISA law is in place to grant warrants to wiretap Americans. The courts rarely refuse to grant these warrants, and it’s easier now — post 9/11. The USA Patriot Act and other legislation shows how easy it is to get laws passed to allow us to get terrorists. There is no real opposition to legitimate wiretaps on Americans. So why didn’t Bush request warrants for legal wiretaps, if they are almost always granted? Once again: why didn’t Bush just ask the court for the warrant for the wiretaps, if they are so important and legitimate? Bush needs to explain why he didn’t simply ask for warrants to wiretap. Doesn’t NOT getting a warrant for wiretaps on Americans negligently open himself and the telecoms up to litigation unnecessarily?
March 4th, 2008 at 8:10 pmBush: Americans ‘Ought To Say Thank You’ To Telecoms For ‘Performing A Patriotic Service’
Allowing 2 of the world’s most recognizable structures/buildings to be rammed into and toppled is “patriotic” ?
What the hell is wrong with this retarded simian imbecile …………..
March 4th, 2008 at 8:21 pmEveryone in America wants to cooperate to stop or kill the terrorists. It’s likely that the people in the telecoms knew they were breaking the law, because, duh, there were no warrants. I would love to have seen what was happening in the corporate legal offices in the telecoms when the warrantless requests for wiretaps came in. Warrantless spying?! Qwest’s corporate lawyers probably told Qwest to not allow the wiretap because it was illegal and they would get sued. Corporate legal probably petitioned Bush for the warrant repeatedly, understanding how important catching the terrorists is, but not wanting to get sued. The telecoms didn’t get their warrants, even if they requested them. The reason: George W. Bush knows that if he wants to get away with something illegal, he needs to hide behind other people, and then claim to be those peoples’ protectors with phrases like “support the troops”, when he knows he’s sent the troops to a pointless war to suffer and die. If anyone needs to stop killing our troops in a stupid war and then support them with proper healthcare, it’s W, but he just hides behind the troops and gives us rhetoric about us not supporting the troops if we complain about the war.
Same for the telecoms: they were wary of the wiretaps and wanted warrants to legalize the process, but didn’t want to seem unpatriotic when their President asked them to do something illegal to fight the terrorists. And the telecoms couldn’t publicize it or ask for outside help, because that would tip off the terrorists to the wiretaps Bush was asking for.
Now the telecoms are in trouble, and Bush is hiding behind them. Bush is asking people not to sue the patriotic telecoms, when what he is really doing is covering his own *ss. If the telecoms are forced to answer for what they’ve done in a lawsuit, George’s political espionage will become apparent to the public. Then the harsh hypocrisy of Bush claiming to be a terrorist fighter to get wiretaps, and then spying on the Democrats instead, would be grossly apparent: another Watergate. If Bush had any integrity, he would step up and say “I broke the law when I asked the telecoms to do this. The telecoms were too zealous in following their President’s orders, but I am responsible for breaking the law and violating Americans’ rights to privacy.” Now, yes, we all know Bush is essentially trying to legalize after the fact a Watergate-style political espionage fishing trip disguised as a patriotic terrorist hunt. The telecoms are just his tools, and now his shield. But nobody gets killed in a lawsuit. By definition, a lawsuit is an attempt to get Justice. We must sue the telecoms simply to restore their, and our, integrity and sense of law. Oh, and to get that *asshat impeached, too.
March 4th, 2008 at 9:06 pmFcuk you, Bush! Fcuk you hard!
March 4th, 2008 at 9:34 pmKlem Kiddilehopper: Thanks for asking. You’re right. A clarification is needed. Certainly, you’ll see Republicans and Democrats in courtrooms. But when the right wing uses the code “trial lawyer” they don’t mean Republicans. They’re talking about those nasty types who bring malicious suits–like against big tobacco, or asbestos manufacturers, or purveyors of hot coffee. Take, for example, the members of the American Association for Justice, formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the world’s largest trial bar. They are the new anathema to all right-thinkers, the “godfathers of the Democratic Party,” in Grover Norquist’s words. They were the largest PAC contributors to the Democratic Party in the 2000-2004 election cycle, according to the National Review. And the NYT called trial lawyers a crucial source of support for the Democratic Pary over the past two decades. These are the lawyers who drove Bush and Rove in 2005 to attempt to cap jury awards. Remember Bush’s tale of that poor, hapless, incompetent surgeon who couldn’t afford to practice anymore? The epithet “trial lawyer” is still in vogue. Returning from Africa last week, Bush called on the House to enshrine immunity for the telecoms, saying, “They [Democrats] can help class action trial lawyers sue for billions of dollars, or they can help our intelligence officials protect millions of lives.” House Republicans echoed that, saying that Democrats were putting the interests of trial lawyers first. So, when you hear the term “trial lawyer” in current parlance it doesn’t denote plain old members of the bar. It’s a political term.
March 5th, 2008 at 1:59 amNow the question is, should these lawsuits be allowed to proceed, or should any company that may have helped save American lives be thanked for performing a patriotic service; should those who stepped forward to say we’re going to help defend America have to go to the courthouse to defend themselves, or should the Congress and the President say thank you for doing your patriotic duty? I believe we ought to say thank you.
**************************************************
I can only assume that he means we should say “Thank you” in the manner of your stereotypical fraternity pledge — as in, “Thank you, sir…may I have another?”
Nope — sorry, Dubya. In my world, the more appropriate response to what you and they have done would not be “Thank You” but rather “F*** You.”
March 5th, 2008 at 9:30 amYeah, just like we should thank the chimp-in-chief and his minions for rendering the Constitution pointless. OMFG.
March 5th, 2008 at 1:38 pm“There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to.”
Taken from 1984, a novel by George Orwell
March 5th, 2008 at 4:55 pmThis is very interesting. I personaly think Bush did a good job. It is not easy being a President you know. :)
March 6th, 2008 at 3:25 pm“There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that hp n3000 battery,hp n3490 battery they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to.”
October 15th, 2008 at 5:10 am