Come on America, what are you going to chose? Amnesty for law-breaking telecoms, or the right to privacy? There, that should put the GOP back in power.

That is central to the GOP’s point.

I will now attempt to write Joe Klein’s next column before he does:
This is good news for republicans

Dear Time, That will only cost you $50. And a pony. Thanks.

java phil

Damn, but wouldn’t it be freakin COOL if the Ds actually stood up and said NO just one time?

I know, I’m living in a fantasy world or something, but god DAMN I’d like to see them act on principle and out of their oath to the constitution instead of out of fear of looking soft.

Hold me…

mikey

Hmm. Maybe if groups who are focussing on this strike right now, they stand a small chance of accomplishing something? If they can keep our sycophantic media from turning this into, “it is all the Democrats fault for insisting on the law, why can’t they give the Republicans what they want?”.

But it would depend on the Democrats actually standing up to the bullshit artists of the media.

Steady there Mikey,Congress wants to go on another vacation pretty soon. Give them til the end of bidness today,they’ll happily cave.

Dems will fold. Next order of business?

Well that just frosts my rear end . The rudness of these folks , my word ! Challenging our dear leader , are they serious ? Its like piling Mount Ossa on top of Mount Pelion reaching the inner sanctum of Dear Leader is no easy project . Now perhaps if they piled Gannon on top of old smokey yum !

You stay classy (and grown-up), GOP!

They’re taking their ball and going home. And when I say home I mean the lobbyist offices of the Telcos.

If we’re lucky they won’t come back.

Anything that makes Republicans leave the Capitol building has to be good news; maybe they can get some Febreze in there, maybe light a candle or something. An exorcism might do it.

Let’s hope Pelosi and the Dems actually stand on this one, instead of folding like a cheap card table.

Are the republicans sure they want to shine a light on this one? Isn’t staging a walkout in support of illegal wiretapping etc. just a bit, you know, stupid? Have the democrats discovered that they’ve been wearing the ruby slippers for the last year? That would be cool.

Why does our Congress remind me so much of my years at Topeka High School?

Javafascist

Too slow, Brooks already posted that sentence as his op-ed at NYT.

Lucy, hold my football.

Are the republicans sure they want to shine a light on this one?

I agree. By all means let ’em stand up on behalf of snooping through your e-mail messages.

Someone has-a the nerve to say my bill-a smells-a like piss. Who says-a this?

Bunch of sniveling cowards afraid to vote on the Contempt measure. Bluuck-bubuk-buk!

Dems will fold.
Umm, I think I’m going to abandon the cool kid mode and go into the phone call mode about this one. Only takes 15 minutes and beats a preemptive surrender.

Their best hope for winning elections is to be able to snoop. This is the electronic version of taping over the door thingy at the Watergate.

Shorter Joe Klein:

Like, OMG, any attempt by the Defeatocrats to stop this is really stoopid! Wait, what’s that? It isn’t? Oh, whatever, I don’t care anyway. I’m too totes busy.

I think I’m going to abandon the cool kid mode and go into the phone call mode about this one.

Did that myself – for whatever good it’ll do. My representative is nominally a Democrat, but he’s as doggy a blue dog as you’ll ever find.

I too hope the Democrats won’t cave – but I have this sinking feeling the only reason they haven’t is that they haven’t yet found a way to do it that maximizes their own humiliation enough.

The important word here is “staged.”

Why is our nation beholden to this pathetic mob of delusional losers?

The card table canard has gone on long enough . Time or experience alone will expose the poor folding of these tables . Collapsing , now there they shine .
Endura Folding Card Table
Item CSC034
List Price: $69.99
Sale Price: $37.98 (46% off)
Cheap is also a bit misdirected . The price of collapse is never cheap .

I can already picture the wingnut talking points on this: “Dems are preventing Republicans from protecting you from the scary brown people! Bad Democrats! See how they want to bring sharia to your neighborhood?”

Dems just need to keep their newfound spine.

Pshyeah, right.

I’m sure Bush expected his attempted bitch slapping of the House yesterday plays into this. Maybe they’ve finally had enough. They should get out there and not be nice about it. It’s time for the minority party to stop acting like they’re still in control including throwing this goddamned little girl hissy fit.

Pelosi is showing a very unusual amount of vertebrae on this one. The house minority leader is probably home crying.

See, this is what you do when you’re in the minority … you stage walkouts, you complain loudly, you work every angle.

The Dems are such a bunch of pussies. If they had walked out of a Republican-controlled House, the GOP leadership would’ve locked the doors and instructed the sergeant-at-arms to reassign all the Democrats parking spaces.

Then they would’ve proposed and voted on even more ridiculous tyrannical powers for George Bush to exercise. They have made Bush’s favorite horse a member of the Senate.

Man, I hate the fucking Republicans like they’re some kind of nasty infection, but the evil bastards do know how to play the game.

Plus, by walking out, aren’t the Redoublechins acting suspiciously like commie Union members?

I can already picture the wingnut talking points on this: “Dems are preventing Republicans from protecting you from the scary brown people!”

Exactly, and lots of yammering about the tools freedom-loving patriotic spies need for this protection. Tools is right.

Actual Preznit Bush Jr transcript:

President Bush Delivers Remarks on the Protect America Act

CQ Transcripts Wire
Wednesday, February 13, 2008; 10:49 AM

SPEAKER: PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH:

Director, thank you for joining me.

Good morning. At this moment, somewhere in the world, terrorists are planning new attacks on our country.

Their goal is to bring destruction to our shores that will make September the 11th pale by comparison. To carry out their plans, they must communicate with each other, they must recruit operatives, and they must share information.

The lives of countless Americans depend on our ability to monitor these communications. Our intelligence professionals must be able to find out who the terrorists are talking to, what they are saying, and what they’re planning.

AAAAAAAK! RUN FER YER LIVES! RUN FAR AWAY LIKE A REPUBLICAN FROM A ARMY RECRUITER! RUN! RUN!

If’n AT&T has to get warrants, THA TERRISTS WIN!!!

I was sure that Confederate Yankee et al would already have jumped into this with something about how the DemocRATS are playing political games with the legislative process. Maybe ol’ Bob and his Char-Coal Grill have grown up a little.

On the other hand, probably not.

The Rs can bluster all they want. The Dems will cave – again. No light will ever shine brightly enough while the MSM strings are pulled by the corporatists. All Cletus and his beooteeful bride Chloreena will ever see is those “durned libruls trying to stop the preznit from keeping us safe from the evil terrists agin”

They get to look all self righteous and crap in front of the Tee Vee. After all, who could possibly object to them just wanting to protect the good people from evil brown ones?

This all makes me want to puke. Well, get drunk on cheap tequila and puke then drink more cheap tequila, puke etc.

Good morning. At this moment, somewhere in the world, terrorists are planning new attacks on our country.

Their goal is to bring destruction to our shores that will make September the 11th pale by comparison.

I first read this as “bring destruction to our shoes.” I was trying to figure out how any conceivable attack on shoes would be worse than September 11.

The bad news is that, given the Administration’s track record, “shoes” made about as much sense as a lot of other stuff they’ve said.

There is no good news.

“Good morning. At this moment, somewhere in the world, terrorists are planning new attacks on our country.”

In Bush’s head: And thank Jesus for that, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to use terror to push our agenda and give ourselves amnesty for breaking the law.

Bush was ridiculous at the presser this morning, shrilly demanding that the country Be Afraid!!11!. It’s just embarrassing.

Shorter Bush: WOLF! WOLF!!! WOOOOOOOOOLLLLLFFFF!!!!!

I’m assuming that, by now, nobody listens to this anymore except media pundits and Democratic congresspeople.

Why the hell does he need permission to do anything? He does as he pleases regardless. Time for at least one of the other branches of our government to excercise its rights.

I was sure that Confederate Yankee et al would already have jumped into this

He’s busy getting all kooky about flags.

Shorter Bush: WOLF! WOLF!!! WOOOOOOOOOLLLLLFFFF!!!!!

Yeah but you remember what happened at the end of that, don’t you?

I am starting to get very worried about a false flag terrorist attack, what with not extending the Protect America First Act – it just seems like a perfect setup to blame the Democrats for anything that happens. There have been what amounts to blatant threats by administration officials about how “fine! you don’t want us to spy? then we won’t! and THEN YOU’LL SEE” yadda yadda. I hope i’m just paranoid.

“Good morning. At this moment, somewhere in the world, terrorists Republicans are planning new attacks on our country.”

There. That’s better.

Right there with you, Pinkie. I think a massive false flag attack right before the election is their ace in the hole.

Ugly In Pink said,
February 14, 2008 at 23:00…

It will be the Democrats’ fault no matter what they pass. Which is frustrating because we could give President Pissypants a magic crystal ball that sees the future and he still couldn’t stop an attack.

I’m sorry.

Dons tinfoil hat.

Right there with you, Pinkie. I think a massive false flag attack right before the election is their ace in the hole.

Fixed.

Wait!

Are you seriously suggesting that the Democrats on the Hill actually displayed some competence and, more important, backbone????

The Homeland Security Advisory System Current Threat Level is Red for Valentine’s Day. It will go back down to Yellow tomorrow, or possibly tonight after dinner with your significant other. Make sweet love or the terrahrists will have won.

Which is frustrating because we could give President Pissypants a magic crystal ball that sees the future and he still couldn’t stop an attack.

Oh sure. But enough people would buy that it was the Dems fault, or be cowed into giving the Republicans the benefit of the doubt in the atmosphere of superfunpatriotism that would undoubtedly descend again.

The answer: The Dems will fold!

Next question: What color underpants am I wearing?

“Make sweet love or the terrahrists will have won.”

I’m using this line around 11:30 tonight.

Can the GOP promise to never come back? How about they hold their breath until they’re dead?
Please?

Cool.

Start calling votes like NOBODY’S business.

Moondancer,

I’m not sure Brooks counts since everybody knows he just has an Applescript set to paste that in his blog whenever he gets an email from the RNC. Still, I’m resigned to no pony.

java phil
PS I contacted my congressman.

Contacted Pelosi and Emanuel. Emanuel is my congressman. Left message w/ Pelosi, and Emanuel’s office staff seemed to listen, though they sounded annoyed and tired. Or maybe they know Emanuel is gonna go beg for the Republicans to come back- he is so tiresome.

The walkout wasn’t about the telecom immunity provision or the FISA bill at all.

The Republican Congressmen walked out because the House was voting to hold Bolton and Meiers in contempt for ignoring congressional subpoenas…from last summer…about the US attorney purge…remember those? In a different hearing last week, Mukasky essentially told Rep. Wexler to go fuck himself, because “we don’t need no stinkin’ oversight!”–so we finally realized that no, the admistration is in fact fucking crazy, and we now have contempt citations.

The whole point of the three-branch government was that each branch would jealously guard its own power and provide checks and balances against power grabs by the other two branches. I don’t think the founding father ever imagined a party would so good at putting party over self and party over country that one branch would gleefully hand over power to another cause they were all on the same team!

Of course, the GOP is really good at tricking people into voting against their own self-interests: I guess that applies to Congress people, too.

(Contempt citations passed, BTW. Now we get to see if the DoJ will actually enforce them. If not, we are in an actual, full-blown constitutional crisis, with dangerous repercussions. But heh, did you see what Hillary wore to her speech today? And Mitt endorsed McCain!)

The fact is, liberals will do anything that makes our country look bad or open to attack, because they hate it so much. They want the UN to run things and take patriot guns away and make us tolerate shania law. This day of obstruction will live in infamy, when the enemy sees our weakness and attacks it will be YOUR fault that you voted NOT to protect USA, YOUR FAULT.

The fact is, Clinton obstructed justice and lied and got a blowjob.

Dorothy, interesting stuff. And it will be interesting to see what happens if such a constitutional crisis does come about, because if Americans are like Australians, then most wouldn’t even understand, much less care.

Sigh.

Dorothy is right, it was all about contempt citations and if you think those jellyfish all just grew spines think again. The Justice Dept. has already stated they will not enforce contempt citations, nyaah, nyaah, nyaah.

Now I’ll make my tin foil hat into a patriotic tricorn in remembrance of the days when we had co-equal branches of guvmint.

Yeah but you remember what happened at the end of that, don’t you?

Yes – in their case, the boy who cried wolf was the only protection they had against wolves. We actually have the FISA court, which can do everything Cmdr KooKooBananas says he needs super-duper spy powers to do.

I’m not so sure a false-flag attack right before the elections would work, unless the point of it was to have an excuse to suspend the elections – and I’m not sure that would go over so well, either.

Sorry–flase-flag attack when?

That is sooo 2001!

Umm. I suppose it’s likely a stupid question, but I’ve got to ask.

Didn’t the bush administration gather every bit of domestic elint they ever wanted without warrants for YEARS before they eventually passed a law that made it quasi-legal?

I mean, why are we supposed to believe that if that law expires due to a sunset provision while the House and Senate are in conference then all of a sudden bush will say “ooopss, I can’t do that anymore, because it might be against the law

Somehow it just rings a little false to me…

mikey

Somehow it just rings a little false to me…

Agreed – I think the only reason they ever bothered to mention it at all was that it was starting to show. I think they assumed no one would ever find out, so no legislation would be necessary. And even if something did pop up, they assumed they’d be the Permanent Majority Forever So Fuck You.

Now the fight over all this is to make sure there’s no way they can be prosecuted, because there’s ever so slightly a bit of a chance of a possibility that somebody could do something about it all.

I’m so old I remember when Republicans raised hell over Lott getting booed at Paul Wellstone’s funeral. As graceless as that was, the level of the GOP’s outrage over it was way over the top. “How dare they use a memorial service as a political rally” was all you heard on conservative radio and FOX for weeks. But I guess it’s ok now to use a politician’s memorial service for political purposes, is that right?

Bush was ridiculous at the presser this morning, shrilly demanding that the country Be Afraid!!11!. It’s just embarrassing.

I heard him on NPR. It was excruciating to listen to him. What an asshole.

At this time, surely it is appropriate to listen again to Joseph Goebbel’s touching speech to Nazi Germany for his Christmas Eve Talk of 1942:

“A soldier speaks tonight of his fallen comrade as he recalls the hard battles of this war, and at home today, a mother, a father, a wife and a group of children remember each dead hero in proud sorrow. Our dead are the only ones with the right to make a demand today, and indeed to us all, at the front or at home. They are the eternal monuments, the voices of our national conscience, which constantly drive us on to do our duty. The mothers who mourn their lost sons may be at peace. They did not in vain bear their children in pain and rear them. They lived the proudest and bravest life that a son of the fatherland can live, crowning with the most heroic end possible: they sacrificed themselves so that we could stand in the light. It is up to us alone whether their great devotion has its deepest meaning…. The coming century shines to us, as the poet says, from a royal distance. It demands of us battle and sacrifice. But one day, we will be there. For us, it is only a matter of time and patience, of courage and work, of faith and confidence in the strength of our souls and the bravery of our hearts.”

http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/weihnacht44.htm

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JaniceShawCrouse/2008/02/14/a_valentine_for_daddy_and_mother?page=full&comments=true

I am completely weirded out and there is no “shorter townhall” thread to post this in. Totally off topic.

Sorry D:

That was awfully nice of Daddy to get that 15 and a half year old girl married and pregnant!

Shorter Conservative: All pregnant teens are sluts except for my mother, who is a saint.

Gary Ruppert said,

The fact is, liberals will do anything that makes our country look bad or open to attack, because they hate it so much. They want the UN to run things and take patriot guns away and make us tolerate shania law.

Sorry, Gary, but that Twain has already left the station.

Shoter Rethugs:
If telecoms can’t get immunity for breaking the law, they’ll be reluctant to assist the Bush Administration in breaking the law. Laws are for little people.

nd take patriot guns away and make us tolerate shania law

come on guys, very very fake Gary

Gary Ruppert said,

The fact is, liberals will do anything that makes our country look bad or open to attack, because they hate it so much. They want the UN to run things and take patriot guns away and make us tolerate shania law.

Hey, it’s Republicans who “feel like a woman”!

patriot guns

Ummm, are you talking about Tom Brady’s biceps again?

mikey

[taps thread]
Is this thing still live?
England tolerated Bonar Law from October 1922 to May 1923 without any lasting ill-effects, so this Shania Law can’t be too bad.