in writing such insightful and pertinent posts, almost every day--sometimes more than once a day--is much appreciated. He should reach a much greater audience. Not that Salon and Hufpost are small potatoes, but this guy is brilliant at analysis, has an incredible memory for detail, understands how power works (almost inevitably corrupting), has a deep respect for the Constitution and the government it attempted to create, is unfailingly fair in the face of absurdly personal attacks and maliscious incompetence by detractors, and speaks with a wisdom that is absolutely neccessary if we are to extract this culture from the current abyss.

We need to get this guy on the mainstream media--his voice is the best we have.

As so many others here have opined, given the degree of outright criminality in evidence (and so much more likely but still hidden) it would be a stunning surprise if Bush DIDN'T pardon his fellow criminals...AND himself. A sociopath will do anything in extremity, without legal, ethical or moral qualms or even minimal regard for common decency. Bush's so-called "legacy" is already written and he (they all) must know it and most couldn't care less that we know their crimes; I assume he will do far more to protect himself and his cronies that merely pardon them all...he will (continue to) lie, cheat, steal, obfuscate, obstruct, delay, deny, rewrite, destroy, and whatever else is necessary to avoid accountability.

And the democrats will cooperate in covering up the country's most criminal, venal administration, that much is assured. They will gain power--their only motivation--and will probably find new and creative ways to use Bush's precedents to their advantage.

Obama approved immunity for illegal, unconstitutional spying, and approves immunity for (assured) future abuses of every aspect of personal privacy. And he was supposed to be our "HOPE" for a better way. The people are continually betrayed and are powerless, after Bush, to respond with anything but passivity.

"...Some on the left, however, are so terrified that Americans, in their cosmic stupidity..."

That about captures it. And, if recent history is any guide at all, they are correct to be terrified of America's cosmic stupidity, which cannot be overestimated.

....and you find snakes. Snakes with big names, under big rocks. Snakes with forked tongues, dripping unctuous tones of patriotism and sacrifice and bravado. Snakes attached to the tails of other snakes under other rocks, feeding and being fed. Snakes pretending to be warm and fuzzy creatures, snakes in teddy bear outfits, cuddling while they pierce you with their poisons.

They pretend to be democrats, but aren't. But then, there are so few left anyway, who cares? Democrats are clearly the New Republicans.

Kilgore's Conventional Politics read on the issue of Bush Dogs (call them what they are) just reinforces the deep disaffection such weasels produce in those of us who see the Constitution and our economy and way of life draining away into an oligarchal police state under BOTH parties as they currently operate.

I say let the Bush Dogs fall. If Greenwald's purge works, great! Then there is hope. If not, it was worth a try.

And Obama's FISA capitulation totally destroyed his accumulated store of good will in one fell swoop--you can see it in the precarious polls and the hiccup in fund-raising, not to mention the extremely-well-articulated outrage by those who saw it for what it was and forsee its implications. Perhaps it will turn out ok, if he can reverse himself once in power, but who really thinks he will do that? He is not what we hoped, that much is clear, and he will not receive unquestioning devotion.

That's easy: NO ONE. Already, excuses, political calulations and sheer, crawling fearfulness on the part of professional Democrats are making it obvious that nothing will be done. The media are complicit, the Congress is complicit and about half the population are supportingly complicit. Exactly nothing will be done.

That's the USA now. To the writer who told of his escape from the Nazis and his worship of freedom-bestowing, chocolate-gifting, benevolent and idealistic Americans: I'm sorry. We are no longer what we were. I'm truly, deeply sorry.

It is to your credit that you issue this mea culpa. Would that ALL pundits and media mavens would regularly do so when warranted. And they are obviously SO, SO OFTEN warranted.

What a freshened media such honesty and humility would create. Wer might, at some point, come to trust them.

Not yet, though.

That's all--Defiance & Animosity Reign. You can hear it on the part of the Hillary defenders (and from Hillary & Bill themselves), angry out of all porportion that they lost and resentful of Obama, taking it all personally and spitting mad at everyone. You can hear it on the part of the Obama defenders, resentful of Hillary's manner and tactics in losing to their guy, mad that they had to take a lower road than they wanted to, defensivly aggressive and and taking it personally.

If the Democratic party were worth saving, this would be alarming. But is has so failed us over the last 7 years (some would say much longer) that it is probably not worth saving. We are in uncharted territory--the Republicans, in their turn, changed all the rules to suit themselves and then kicked over the game board when challenged. They are still in power throughout the government, their distain for us and the Constitution reflected and amplified by the weakness and complicity of the Congress.

We are one Supreme Court Justice away from a defacto police state tyranny and the end of the American Experiment, one deranged old coot away from world war with everyone, while the Democrats are dragging themselves toward an ignominious defeat, both sides kicking and screaming, giving no quarter.

We are set up for very bad times here, folks. I really hope Obama has the intelligence and chutzpah to gather this mess up and sort it out, because I sure don't see how anything good comes of the present situation.