What the Dems did here, whether fairly or not, shows weakness. But the point is that the Republicans are weak as well, stupid to boot, and mask their weakness with posturing and bullying.

"All Democrats had to do was offer legislation to fix the only real gap in FISA and then demand that the President sign it or risk a Terrorist attack." - GG

That would be an interesting scenario with Bush and Co. threatening Dems with risking a terrorist attack and the Dems threatening Bush back with risking a terrorist attack. That is certainly a better option than what it appears they did, which was unfortunately bowing to GOP threats. If they get anything from this it should be never pass anything under threat. Never, never, never. Goddamn never.

Given that, I'd attack Bush on these two fronts instead.

One He tends to act like a puerile spoiled brat. Compare Bush to a teenager threatening his parents (Congress) that something really dire will happen (Terrorist attack) if they don't give him the keys to the car (Fisa bill). And it will all be the parents (Democrats) fault if something bad happens. It's blackmail, it's childish, it lacks character and is not the behaviour of a leader.

Two. Dems could have expressed that no one knows if another terrorist attack will occur on American soil but what they do know is that they will do a better job at protecting America than Bush and Co. whose administration is the most dysfunctional, cravenly cynical, politically motivated, and operationally inept government in history.

This latest move to threaten the Dems with causing another terrorist attack demonstrates the two defining characteristics of this administration, childish bullying and finger pointing to cover their sorry asses.

So three and half months of testimony and evidence, then verdict comes back in a day and half. Very thoughtful deliberation. Padilla was guilty of anything anyone could think of as soon as he was picked up, why the fuk bother with the trial. Could have lynched him from the nearest tree and had the same effect.

Maybe he had intent at some point to commit or contribute to acts of violence, I don't know and I don't know if the screwballs on the jury or in our government knows either. The only thing that is 100% certain is he never performed any act on another human as heinous as the acts perpetrated by the government of the USA on him.

And if anyone doth protest, if they ever run afoul of the law, would they want the administration of justice to befall them in the same way as did Padilla?

In the Second Indochina War which primarily involved Vietnam and lasted from 1960 to 1975 they were killing each other in that part of the world before we got there, while we were there and what the man-child is spouting, after we left. Not to hurt the man-childs little red wagon of peace, but America contributed the lions share of total deaths in that region durng that second Indochina war, including 57,000 American soldiers. I won't mention the number of maimed American soldiers because that would further spoil his vision of walking into the glorious sunset of history with his little blood red wagon.

"YEAH, THAT'S THE TICKET: Why's Congress polling so badly? Because they haven't launched enough investigations. Uh huh."

- GR

Glenn Reynolds, the pundit with a brain the size of a walnut. The guy is totally unreadable. According to GR, the American people do not want investigations into the corruption occurring on every level of the administration, into how they were lied into war, how a high ranking administration official is now a convicted felon for bald faced lying to law enforcement, how politics is seamlessly mixed with administration of law, and how a bald faced liar continues as head of the Justice department. No, no, no, the American people much prefer congressional investigations that catch a guy messing around on his wife. Uh huh.

Promoting invading nations willy nilly to foster national unity?!? Starting (yes STARTING) a nuclear war can solve middle east as well as global issues and conflicts?!?

All science fiction authors who have penned doomsday movies, and books that speculate on a post nuclear war civilization, may do well by focusing on characters like nabalzbbfr who exhibit the lack of human decency and common sense required for a doomsday scenario to happen in the first place.

Religious zeolot, war monger hybrids can have their cake and eat it too. If Amercia starts nuking here and there, and other nations become sheepish at the thought that a nation can be so bat shit crazy that it would start using nukes, it could grow Americas power. On the other hand if nations respond in kind and events escalate to a global nuclear war, well then Bibilical prophecy is realized and the rapture is near. For those who mix religion and war, nuclear war is a win win situation.

Is stupidity just a knee jerk reaction with shooter?

How many fukkin times does it have to be explained this administration claims it has the authority to commit warrentless surveillance, the administration admits to warrantless surveillance. Warrantless surveillance is EXPLICITLY aginst Federal law. A law created because a president abused intelligence powers and capabilities. Even without this EXPLICIT law, warrantless searches are unconstitutional. Do you want a country where a government agency can pry and spy into someones life without going through due process, where any government agency can suddenly declare, "we are above the law".

Conservative small government my ass.