Do you make yourself feel special? Like your the only one? Does it feel like true love?

If so, I suggest at least $100 per song. Also, get a glass of water and charge yourself $500 for champagne.

Does it not occur to you that you're trying to modify someone's behavior patterns? The same approach works on women as well as on men. Positive energy. Calm assertive consistent pressure. Not a shove, just pressure.

Ever see a tourist talking louder and louder instead of investing in a phrase book?

Can a previous administration invoke the state secrets doctrine? If not, then IF obama wanted to strike a blow to bush's state's secrets doctrine, then he could bring criminal charges against someone from the previous administration. Let the defendant argue for states secrets. Meanwhile, the white house could defer to the courts citing constitutional issues.

I think clinton refused to hand over some stuff after he was out of office. Is the precedent?

Great way to sell the package. Tell the non-elite that there's class warfare while the elite hardly feel a thing. The tax code is and always will be filled with loopholes. That's to be expected when lobbyists write the bills that become law.

So, the elite keep pulling the strings and avoiding taxes. Note: tax avoidance is legal, tax evasion is not. The difference is usually cosmetic.

The knowingly non-elite are happy 'cause it's class warfare. Rich folks obligingly complain.

That leaves the unknowingly non-elite. They think they're elite but aren't. Most of them will buy into an argument about fulfilling the social contract. They'll be rubes and braggarts at the same time.

... frauds on the Right who spent the 1990s pretending to oppose the Surveillance State and federal government power when a Democrat was in the White House ...

The frauds on the right switched teams and became great fans of the surveilance state and imperial presidency.

The frauds on the left were always such fans. They are still fans and they are giddy with joy that the right wingers bequeathed these powers to the democratic party.

It is no surprise that obama is playing with his new super-powers and shows every indication of holding them tight. He's merely doing what democrats do. The writing has been on the wall since clinton asked for this stuff and was turned down. Silly Bill, he didn't realize he could just arrogate to himself whatever he wanted. Like bush did. Like obama does.

I refered to "frauds on the left" just as you referred to "frauds on the right". Neither category is all inclusive. Thank you for linking to those rare and exceptional lefties who are not frauds.

Please check out "Lapham's Rules of Influence" a wonderful little book. Also, a movie "The American Ruling Class". Both use fine humor and satiric wit to make some sad points.

I don't know if the majority of the right and left are frauds. I'm confident that the political class is predominantly frauds. Please note, the mainstream media and the many board room denizens are in the political class by virtue of the revolving door of government appointments.

Congrats, you're batting 800! The first four steps are correct.

1. Obama administration continues to push absurd viewpoints promoted by the Bush administration on state secrets.

2. Courts rule against these positions.

3. Obama administration appeals and appeals.

4. Higher and higher courts rule, strengthening the law. Finally, hopefully, the Supreme Court rules.

For step 5, obama looks to democrat Andrew Jackson for inspiration instead of to republican Abraham Lincoln.

5. obama announces "The Supreme Court has made their decision; now let them enforce it.

Does anyone recall when Kevin Mitnick was charged with a crime? It seems to me that he was imprisoned for a bit over 4 years without even a bail hearing. This was under clinton and the case was well publicized amongst us nerds and geeks. The MSM, obviously, didn't care.

My point is that these transgressions by the U.S. government against U.S. citizens are far from new. Let's just call them "traditional values".

I'm glad Obama aired these legal opinions though. It shows that bushco formalized something that I hope had previously been performed in an ad hoc manner. Furthermore, Mitnick wasn't tortured, just jailed until he agreed to plead guilty of something.

I think diddy might be going by the name "Sean Combs" these days. Who knows. Who cares? It's kinda sad if keeping current on an entertainer's most recent self label is a big deal. You might as well lambaste Steele for wearing last year's tie.

In other words, find something of substance.

As for "alienating the base" - so what. Steele has said stuff about returning the republican party to its conservative roots. The so called base is a bunch of reactionary christian fundamentalists. The choice is to either alienate them or embrace them. It looks like the party is finally figuring out how toxic the fundies are.

So easy to find in the age of google. The statute itself is pretty wordy and kind of interesting. For example, under WI law, an adult who allows sexual contact that was initiated by a minor is still guilty. Here's a summary. Nothing is gender specific.

Sexual intercourse with a person under 13 years of age: Up to 40 years in prison.

Sexual intercourse with a person under 16 years of age: Up to 25 years in prison.

Sexual intercourse with a minor at least age of 16: Up to nine months in prison.