throw another bear in the canoe

Well, Duh! After all, he works for one of them. I mean, have you listened to the things that Bush says? (That's rhetorical, I know you have.)

As has been shown time and again, our leaders are no better than their leaders. The only difference is that ours have enough guards not to need to hide.

I should have said, "the world's other " " " ."

:-P

That's some music you're listening to, there.

no matter how hard I try I just can't dance to it.

But you have to admit it's got a beat.

And handcuffs.

And bright lights, and rubber hoses.

I cannot help but shake my head in amazement at the thought that the terrorists would be so STUPID as to imagine that evesdropping programs wouldn't exist.

Exactly.

"Hello, is Osama there? Yes, I'll hold..."

WTF, is right.

I mean, the reason these jackasses are actually defending the program is that they know they got caught red-handed. Gonzales would be eager to use the circular logic of presenting proof that the program actually "protected Americans", if he had any proof to offer. As is, he has to resort to legal gymnastics to defend the president.

And Cheney's assertion that this eavesdropping program could have prevented 911 is a howler. I mean, it's not like Condi Rice and others had memoes about the pending attack dropped on her desk the week before or anything... ;)

They got lost under the shoe (and fiddle) receipts.

Actual text of an intercepted IM transmition that this program picked up:
-------------------
AlQueda4U: ZOMG!!!111!! Teh Americans haxxored ur system, their listning to u!

OBnLdn: o.O
OBnLdn: WTFBBQ!!! L@m3!
-------------------

::rolls eyes:: Sure dude, whatever...

Transcript courtesy of dailykos:

BIDEN: Thank you very much.
General, how has this revelation damaged the program?

I'm almost confused by it but, I mean, it seems to presuppose that these very sophisticated Al Qaida folks didn't think we were intercepting their phone calls.

I mean, I'm a little confused. How did it damage this?

GONZALES: Well, Senator, I would first refer to the experts in the Intel Committee who are making that statement, first of all. I'm just the lawyer.

And so, when the director of the CIA says this should really damage our intel capabilities, I would defer to that statement. I think, based on my experience, it is true -- you would assume that the enemy is presuming that we are engaged in some kind of surveillance.

But if they're not reminded about it all the time in the newspapers and in stories, they sometimes forget.

(LAUGHTER)

********************
That's their fear in a nutshell, that the constant discussion of the program reminds Al Qaida that we're listening in. Because otherwise, you know, they might forget and slip up and say something important.

There is no defense. It's a power grab that got found out. The $64K Question is where it goes from here.

Lessee... these guys are so clever they can get 20+ people to flight schools in the US, lie doggo for years while they plan it all, spot systemic fault in the way we deal with airline security, and then one with how we respond to hijacking, come up with a social engineering attack to exploit the second vulnerability, as well as elude us, on the ground, for years after we bend our will to find them (that's what we said we were doing right, "dead or alive"?) and yet they are too stupid to think we might try to listen to their calls.

Right.

They think someone is stupid in this equation, and to be honest I don't think it's the "terrorists."

TK

And alas, I am beginning to think they're right.

All they need is the weak wills of some men willing to do nothing.

Buzzflash was right, the Dems needed to stage some theater. A walkout (with a speech about how we expect everyone else to testify under oath, athletes about steroids, expert witnesses, Tom, Dick and Jane in court. If Gonzo has nothing to hide, what's the worry about an oath?).

But we get the present Kabuki, and Rove in the background twisting arms.

It makes me wonder... were they castrated when they got elected, or did it happen later. I know what I'd tell Rove/Dean, if he came to me and told me to roll over like that, and it would put Cheney on the Senate Floor to blushing shame.

TK

I don't suppose you've tought about running for office?

Yep. Don't have the touch, and probably have stupid shit in my past which would sidetrack the issues.

Now, if you know someone who wants a chief of staff who will tell him when to clank a set of brass balls, give 'em my number.

TK

I'll keep an ear peeled. Meanwhile, *I* would sure as hell vote for you.

But I understand intelligence can be a detriment.

Actually, I might be able to manage the touch. But the stupid shit, that's gonna kill me (some of it I did, that's not a biggie; some of it I didn't, and that's the killer).

But thanks for the vote.

TK

It pohysically pains me to live in a world in which i find myself agreeing with Arlen Spector fairly often.