He refuses to accept that he is misinterpreting the poll, and refuses to think about what his misinterpretations mean.

Prunes, I think you're wrong. Golden Boy doesn't care what the poll says or means, or whether or not he's misinterpreting it and you can show it. He has found something he can use to "prove" his hatred of Muslims and Islam, and he will keep using it until something else comes along. That's his motive and his goal, to demonize Muslims. He's not really here to argue, just to push his agenda, one way or the other. Whether he's acting alone, or whether he's being paid, is the interesting question.

is a concern troll whose mission on the boards is to instill loathing of Muslims. He argues so softly, so persuasively, never gets mad or calls names, just the drip, drip, drip of "reasoned" argument.

He is an excellent propagandist and a very dangerous one, an internet Goebbels, with a similar goal, except in his era it's against Muslims rather than Jews. Demonization 'R Us. Beware.

Well PD, what do YOU think is the proper approach to a religion that

* Subjugates women

* Denounces gays

* encourages killing non-believers

* Desires genocide.

Are you talking about Jerry Falwellism or Pat Robertsonism?

http://progressive.org/mag_wx051807

Issued on May 9 with no apparent reaction anywhere. Disasters include terrorist attacks as well as natural events, such as hurricanes and earthquakes. This certainly gives meaning to the consolidation of the National Guard under Der Bushenstein and the Halliburton contract for camps, dunnit?

" ... Also, ... why did he wait almost three full years before disclosing it, and then do so only when compelled by the threat of a subpoena? ... Why did he not invoke the whistleblower channels to report this lawbreaking ..."

The attempt to get Ashcroft to sign off from his hospital bed, as an end run around Comey, WAS reported at the time. Don't remember where I read it, but likely it was on Antiwar.com. The report didn't have all the bells and whistles of Comey's testimony -- no race to the hospital, no call from the FBI to pre-empt Comey's eviction from the room, etc. -- but the basic facts were told, presumably by Comey himself. The lack of interest to those revelations at the time may have persuaded Comey not to stick his neck out any further.

Individual reporters have their strengths and weaknesses, their biases (sometimes recognized, usually unconscious), along with varying degrees of curiosity and courage. There is plenty to disparage -- and encourage -- within the profession. But reporters don't live in a vacuum -- they get paid, promoted (or not) and fired based on how well they serve the people who write their paychecks. Reporters noticed Ashley Banfield get demoted and finally fired for being critical of the Bush administration's war in Iraq, they saw Robert Scheer lose his job at the LA Times to be replaced by Jonah (!!!!) Goldberg, they saw Donahue lose his highly rated show because he criticized the Bush regime, they saw Judith Miller write lie after lie in the NYTimes with no consequences (until much too late). Reporters and editors surely internalized this culture of intimidation, even if they didn't mean to. Some -- who were strong and sure of themselves, or had publishers willing to hang it all out -- bucked the trend, but most either worked for large "don't rock the boat" corporations, or groups who actively backed Bush. They toed the line, many probably not even realizing they were doing so. So, yes, blame them for enabling the rot, but realize where the stench is really coming from.

"How is this not a major scandal on the level of the greatest presidential corruption and lawbreaking scandals in our country's history?"

This is an agonizing question for me as well. I don't not have an answer, except somehow I believe part of the answer lies within the tortured comments posted by Jake007.

-- sajwan

The fact that Rudy and Mitt both got loud applause last night when they declared themselves pro-torture and Mitt wanted to double the size of Guantanamo, makes me really depressed about the future of this country. Half the troops apparently think torture's hunky dory -- perhaps half the American populace does, too. Doubt that same group would object to "spying on terrists" without a warrant.

As I said in a post last week, even many extremely liberal pacifists (aka Quakers) are not particularly riled up about this stuff. I really think we're just all too comfortable -- a classic example of butter keeping the populace calm about the guns.

We simply can't give in and surrender to the forces of darkness that have taken over this country, but, man, it is an uphill battle. Today, I'm tired.

on God's green earth that Gonzales cannot be impeached now? (Not to mention his boss....)

Yes.

And to Mr. Powell -- I hope you don't not listen to Handel's Messiah, and most of Bach, since they were written for the glory of God. Not to mention so much other wonderful music -- spirituals, Gregorian chant, Mozart's Requiem, oh the list is endless. And what about "ethnic" music dedicated to the Gods of Africa, Bali, Brazil, etc., etc., etc. You deny yourself this richness because of the words (or the composer's thoughts)? What a tragedy. Even if you disagree with a particular religion or the "idea" of religion, can you not recognize and share the universals -- the celebration of joys, of grief, of longing for the sublime. Oh, man, don't limit yourself so.