Per Glenn's Update 5, Obama is going to do whatever he wants and if those namby-pamby civil libertarians don't get on board they will not be able to help nibble away at the inconsequential details.

Without people who criticize Obama for his own good, the detain-them-forever-without-charges commissions might take 45 minute lunch breaks during hearings, rather than 30 minute lunch breaks.

When are the Obamamaniacs going to figure out that Obama is barely to the left of Cheney and is just another power-hungry politician?

Or do any of you still expect something better from the megalomaniacs who run for president?

So why are we allowing the right wing to set the terms of the argument? It sure didn't work that way with Roberts and Alito. It was all about giving them an up or down vote.

The Republicans won this one before the first shot was fired.

Sotomayor is not the fire-breathing liberal we need on the court right now.

Here we see, in an admittedly end-of-the-bell-curve manifestation, the odd fact that so many homophobes are in fact obsessed with gays and lesbians.

Any psychologists out there care to comment on this phenomenon? As a layperson, it indicates to me that they hate what they secretly fear they are.

Ms. Kissling, have you read the comments thread in Joan Walsh's latest article?

Does anyone think they are going to have a rational conversation with the foaming anti-abortion nuts who call everyone a fag and a murderer?

Best of luck with that.

In a nutshell.

What a revelation. Chuck Todd is rich and famous. Not for throwing or hitting a ball, or for smacking someone in the face. He is famous because he is on TV talking about politics, and covering the President of the United States.

The revelation is that you can have that job and be rich and famous and - to be blunt - just not be very bright.

Just listen to the man. I could pick out a random office worker and elicit more logical, factual analysis in three minutes than Chuck Todd belched in 30 minutes.

Oh my.

An intelligent, informed, evidence-based analysis of the military commissions travesty. Well done!

But the chance that our cowardly politicians will do the right thing is nil.

The helpless prisoners are not rich and cannot hire lobbyists to stuff pockets with cash and/or convince right wing goons to disrupt congressional town hall meetings.

Our system is down and it cannot get up.

OK, I'm an old guy. Almost 58. Not a technophobe; I am a software developer.

But I am amazed at how quickly (or so it seems) I have become abnormal because I do not always carry my cell phone around. I don't have a Blackberry or an iPhone or any kind of PDA.

I do not send text messages. My cell phone is pretty much like my land line, but it is in my car (sometimes) when I go out, and if something nasty happens I can call 911 or a tow truck.

Does anyone around here remember when having a phone in your car was something from a goofy spy movie with a scenery-chewing James Coburn?

Anyway, you can live without an iPhone. It's just a gizmo, nothing more, nothing less.

I have no doubt the man can be charming. I had a brief encounter with him that was anything but pleasant.

A few years ago he was in town (Seattle) selling his book "Blink". He gave a very interesting talk and when it was over he went to a table to sign copies of his book.

All very standard, no?

My wife and I were about fifth or sixth in line and we noticed that he completely ignored the people whose books he signed. They said "Nice talk" or "great book" or whatever, and he simply kept his eyes downcast, scribbled the signature and reached for the next one, as if he needed to get to the end of the line in time to avoid having the ceiling cave in.

My wife and I got the message. We silently handed him the book and quickly took it back with his scribble.

Bad mood? Needed to catch a plane? I have no idea. But if he can charm the pants off people, he can also put his customers in the deep freeze.

It is absolutely amazing that legislators, allegedly representing the people who elected them, are legally able to accept millions of dollars in bribes.

We have let this go on for way too long.

For example, the Afghan families whose babies were blown to bits ("collateral damage") on Obama's watch?

I went to the ACLU's Bill of Rights dinner last year. People, including featured speaker Anthony Romero, were optimistic because of Obama.

This year? It will be interesting to see what this crowd has to say about the administration's civil liberties record.