The ACLU are commie pinko America-hating terrorist lovers. They will say anything just to be mean to America.

Joe Klein, et al, loves America. They only say good things about America and Americans.

Anyone who doesn't understand this is obviously a commie pinko America-hating terrorist lover, too.

Why can't you get this basic fact?

We ought to seriously consider licensing satirists

The thing is, you don't have to do satire when you're talking about the Bush Regime. Just report verbatim what they're doing or saying, and it comes out sounding like satire. Or at least it used to, when the world contained more sanity.

Is it morning in America yet? I think someone changed my clock.

What really tees me off about Pelosi's "impeachment is off the table" thing is that her putative reason for this stand is that impeachment would distract too much from the important work that the Congress has to get done. Apparently that important work consists of giving Herr Bush everything he wants, including telecom immunity. Wonder if Nancy will now have lots of time on her hands to help the Repubs push thru some new anti-habeas monstrosity?

Female staffer, a bit defensive, said right off the bat the the democracy.com article was wrong. When I asked about the ACLU and the NYT, she put me on hold, then came back and said that Hoyer was not about to announce a deal. When I pointed out that that statement could easily be parsed and meant nothing, she said he had been against telecom immunity in the past. So I told her that FISA was the deal breaker for me and for other activists and that past actions meant nothing unless future actions were consistent. They're obviously getting calls.

Nancy Pelosi's office said "we're not familiar with this issue" (huh?) and sent me to an answering machine.

During the Bush years, I have been horrified and appalled at what our government has done. I have been sickened by the torture, the lies, the killing. But, given the world view of the Bush Regime, none of what they were doing was surprising.

This FISA deal is different. I feel completely betrayed by Pelosi, Reid and Hoyer. (I also think Pelosi and Reid should be on the receiving end of some of the ads.) I am literally shaking with anger.

I told Hoyer's assistant that if she had any sense of honor, she would resign her job. Pelosi's office just gives you the "I know nothing, please leave a message" -- very polished and completely non-reactive. The message I left on Pelosi's machine was not polished nor non-reactive.

Also just donated more than I could afford to ActBlue.

It's time to make these bastards pay.

From Kos's page, here are #s (they all worked when I called):

Call Barack Obama and urge him to make a public statement reiterating his opposition to telco amnesty. His opposition could kill this deal: Phone (202) 224-2854, Fax (202) 228-4260

Call Steny Hoyer and tell him this is a bad deal: Phone (202) 225-4131, Fax (202) 225-4300

Call Nancy Pelosi and urge her to pull the bill from the House schedule: Phone (202) 225-4965, Fax (202) 225-8259

Here's a link to Kos's page with more #s for BlueDogs

http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/6/19/115414/787/632/538388

Initial reports said that Hoyer bypassed Leahy and Conyers (chair of the Senate & House Judiciary Committees) to get this deal done. Is there any chance some pressure could get them loudly opposing this?

Just a thought.

Took me almost an hour to get through and the mailbox was full, but finally got a young woman:

Hoyer's Office: "Congressman Hoyer's Office!"

Me: "Hi, I just called to congratulate Congressman Hoyer on the great job he did today on FISA. Really well done."

Hoyer's Office: "Oh! Well, thank you!"

Me: "Yes, I didn't realize a Democrat could capitulate so completely to President Bush. And Dick Cheney sends his regards and thanks, too. Great job screwing the American people!"

Hoyer's Office: "Oh. Ummm. I'll pass along your comments." Click.

It was childish, but I enjoyed it.

Whatever it takes, Glenn, I'm on board.

Dear Glenn, this column is exactly why I read you. Thank you for clarifying the issues so well.

Pluk, if you were disparaging Obama's pragmatism but were planning to vote for Ron Paul or Dennis Kucinich, I might take your moaning and groaning seriously.

But since you hold up Hillary as the sine qua non of principled purity, I'm too busy laughing to take you seriously.

"I'm not a hawk or a dove. I just don't want my country to be a pigeon."

-- Henry M. Jackson

One would like to think old Scoop wouldn't have allowed his country to become Iran's pigeon. Who can say?

-- L.W.M

Scoop Jackson was one of the original neocons, and a perfect example of what is wrong with the Democratic Party. Rahm and Steny are his heirs (not to mention the loathsome Abrams, Perle, et al).

Glenn & Co.'s efforts to push the baby bird Scoops out of the Democratic nest is one that should be fervently by anyone who is not interested in being part of a militarized empire.

Do you know who made the objection?

Reid is really a snake, isn't he?

When you view politics as simply a team sport, then your "side" has to be good, even if they are doing what you were screaming was horrible when the other "side" did it.

Witness the left supporting Clinton in Serbia while the right had conniption fits, and now its vice versa. But apparently, many folks on either side of the aisle only argue from the "team" viewpoint rather than principle.

It's depressing.

I'll still vote for Obama, because another Republican administration would be disastrous, but I am not persuaded that many of the folks here who vote Dem will be critical of an Obama administration for doing something that caused them to scream bloody murder when Bush did it.