I just read a Henrik Hertzberg piece in the New Yorker that referenced Obama's vote on FISA. In a 2007 interview by Charles Kaiser, Hertzberg was quoted as saying that he reads Glenn Greenwald a lot so I'd be interested in what Glenn thinks about Hertzberg's defense of Obama in this New Yorker piece and the FISA reference specifically.

"Glenn Greenwald is someone I go to a lot"

http://www.radaronline.com/features/2007/10/hendrik_hertzberg_the_new_yorker_charles_kaiser_1.php

In the Times last week, the Open Society Institute’s Morton H. Halperin, whose devotion to civil liberties is rivalled only by his knowledge of national-security matters, called the bill “our best chance to protect both our national security and our civil liberties.” Other civil libertarians see it as the death knell for the Fourth Amendment. But there can be little doubt that Obama’s vote—which could not have affected the outcome—was influenced by worry about being branded as soft on terrorism.

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2008/07/21/080721taco_talk_hertzberg/

Great job on Democracy NOW, Glenn. I only wish that the cable channels would have both of you on to debate so that a wider audience could see it. Your comments about the funding of the Conventions was also spot on but it's so infuriating that so few in this country will ever hear about it.

Things You Just Can't Make Up:

I just turned on the TV and there was Chris Matthews in a segment of his show that he calls the "Hardball Sideshow". I always thought the entire Hardball program was a sideshow with Matthews playing the role of the loud, carnival barker. I find it very funny that they actually created their own self parody and don't even know it.

Glenn, thanks for the heads up on the Alter piece. I read his piece and then I posted this.

Posted By: pmorlan @ 07/24/2008 9:27:01 PM

Comment: Mr. Alter, if it weren't for the blogs and news sources other than the MSM I wouldn't know that General Taguba accused the Bush administration of war crimes because the MSM (with a few exceptions) either downplayed it or didn't cover it at all. Newsweek was one of the publications who didn't find it "newsworthy" that a former Maj. Gen., who did the first investigation of the Abu Ghraib scandal ,said this:

"...there is no longer any doubt as to whether the current administration has committed war crimes. The only question that remains to be answered is whether those who ordered the use of torture will be held to account"

However, Newweek ran a story that answered Gen. Taguba's question about accountablility.

The Truth About Torture (To get a full accounting of how U.S. interrogation methods were used, the president should give those accused of 'war crimes' a pass).

By Stuart Taylor Jr. | NEWSWEEK - Published Jul 12, 2008

http://www.newsweek.com/id/145842

Because the MSM ignored this story I wrote this diary on Daily kos, what did you write about it?

Clark & Taguba - A Media Tale of Two Generals

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/7/3/24620/15502/320/545803

I searched on the WaPo and NYT websites for coverage of these hearings and they had no articles today. WaPo had a little coverage yesterday before the hearings were over but nothing today. Although not surprising, I find it deeply disturbing that there were no articles today. Oh, but I did find a link on the NYT website to a Fox article pushing the Edwards love child story.

Thanks for posting this list, Glenn. When you see these "conventional wisdom" beliefs in black and white it really confirms just how absurd and out of touch the self identified "pragmatists" have become. It's really quite pathetic when you think about it.

Wow, you just can't make this stuff up. This Brownback/Chinese example and your prior column about what you learned about Democracy really illustrates just how cynical or plain detached from reality these people with the "beltway mindset" have become. How anyone could take them seriously is beyond me. These people obviously live in a parallel universe that has no resemblance to the one the rest of us live in.

Breaking news on CNN that FBI will now close their anthrax investigation. They also reported that a recent restraining order had been filed against Ivins by an unnamed person because Ivins was evidently harrasing this person. CNN then reported that Ivins had spent time in a mental facility. Someone is really trying to push the idea that Ivins was unstable to back up the suicide.

Maybe I'm just a tin foil hat person but I'm not convinced that Ivins was involved. I'm still wondering if he wasn't set up to take the fall because he knew too much.

I still have a lot of questions about this case. Why was Ivins being forced to retire at 62? Who let him know that he was going to be prosecuted for the anthrax mailings? If it was the government, why would they alert the killer of 5 people that they were going after him? Ivins funeral is being held at a Catholic church. If he was Catholic did he believe that suicide was a mortal sin? Someone convince me that this guy is guilty and not just a fall guy.

Someone on dkos posted a link to Mr. Ivins many letters to the editor. Very interesting reading.

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=78274