Letters to the Editor
bamage
Published Letters: 1114
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Conyers supporting Dodd this a.m.
[Read the article: The Lawless Surveillance State]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Email I received. BTW, is ther ANY chance of flipping Haryy f*ck!ng Reid, so he moves the SJC FISA bill as the "base" bill?
FISA Call to Action
The Senate will soon consider legislation addressing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). I emailed you about this issue recently responding to inaccuracies in the press about Democratic efforts to improve protection of civil liberties. I am writing you today to update you on the current state of the bill and to ask for your help.
One critical question being considered in the Senate's FISA bill is whether to offer telecom companies retroactive immunity for any actions they undertook in the wireless surveillance program. The Bush Administration has claimed that this is necessary for national security reasons, but I am skeptical.
If the Administration was serious about arguing for this immunity, I suspect they would take steps to demonstrate to Congress the extent of this surveillance program and what role the phone companies played. Yet they have refused to share even this information with the House. Clearly, it is a bit much to ask for immunity from prosecution without explaining why it is necessary.
Because of these reservations, the House-passed FISA bill did not include the immunity the president sought. In the Senate, however, it is becoming clear that a tough battle will now ensue over this provision. Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut has been a vocal opponent of telecom immunity and has promised to filibuster any FISA legislation that includes this provision.
Senator Dodd needs your help right now. Please visit his site and lend your support to the filibuster now. Your help can make a difference at this important juncture.
Thank you again for your continued support for a better democracy.
Your Friend,
John Conyers, Jr.
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@Holly
[Read the article: The Lawless Surveillance State]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Beautiful. Please let us know If you get any response from Dodd's camp. I'd like to know when to set the DVR to preserve that one for posterity!
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Question(s)
[Read the article: What "winning" in Iraq looks like]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]GG, whatever happened to the "Digg" functionality? This post needs to be hollered from the rooftops.
Apparently, yesterday's NYTimes article re widespread and pre-9/11 spying made nary a ripple. WTF?
And I was going to crack wise about how "everybody knows" we already won the Afghanistan war, but I can't even do that. I've been talking about Afghanistan ever since I read Johnson's "Blowback", but literally EVERYONE with whom I broach the topic thinks I'm crazy. Depressing.
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Never mind.
[Read the article: What "winning" in Iraq looks like]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I found the "Digg" functionality. (Under "share") Color me Luddite.
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Spell-check on aisle 9
[Read the article: What "winning" in Iraq looks like]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"assault" and "coolly". Not sure where they are. Spell-check caught 'em as I was forwarding. Think coolly is in the update.
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Just FYI
[Read the article: Harry Reid -- compare and contrast]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]After a brief preiod on hold, I spoke w/ a female staffer in Reid's D.C. office just now. I had only one question for her. And the answer is...
"Sen. Reid is not IGNORING Sen. Dodd's hold, he's simply decided to put the issue in front of the entire Senate". I pointed out to her that "putting the issue in front of the entire Senate" was BY DEFINITION ignoring the hold by proceeding with the bill. I was met with about 5 seconds of dead air, followed by, "I'll pass that along to the Senator".
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Has anyone seen a full view of the Senate chamber?
[Read the article: Harry Reid -- compare and contrast]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]All the seeats behind Dodd are empty. Wouldn't surprise me if the rest of the chamber was, as well.
I expected a whole lot of blah, blah, blah, it being a filibuster and all. Instead, Dodd's speech ia actuallyy very very good.
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Nobody even mentions...
[Read the article: Harry Reid -- compare and contrast]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]the goddam NYTimes revelations of yesterday!
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Wish I could heave a big sigh of relief
[Read the article: Harry Reid -- compare and contrast]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]But I'm still holding my breath. BIG thanks to Chris Dodd for yeoman's work, today, I don't agree w/ him on a number of issues, but he's earned my support vs, the rest of the crop.
Are we all chimin' in about the travesty that's the War on Some Drugs? Simply no rational basis for it, that's my 2 cents. But wanna talk about uphill battles? I'll devote my immmediate energies toward putting some small checks on Chimpy and the cabal.
This from a dues-paying NORML member.
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Which is simpler, Occam?
[Read the article: Harry Reid -- compare and contrast]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Ae you a master satirist? Or just a regular assh*le?
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Clearly, the operative phrase is...
[Read the article: Harry Reid -- compare and contrast]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Asked, and answered.
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Hey, 'bop!
[Read the article: Harry Reid -- compare and contrast]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Have you ever used any of those Siberian tomato seeds they sell @ that exchange?
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Slightly O/T (as usual)
[Read the article: Anatomy and significance of Monday's FISA victory]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Has Majority Quisling Reid mentioned keeping the Senate in recess over Xmas break?
Or was that dog & pony show over Thanksgiving a one-off?
Has Harry given up caring about the flurry of recess appointments waiting in the wings?
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DK is conspicuous by his absence.
[Read the article: Media hostility toward anti-establishment candidates]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]From the post, I mean. OTOH, I appreciate your analysis on the lack of coverage of Edwards.
I've settled on Edwards or Dodd as my preferred candidates. I know, who cares what I think? But it's a reflection of my current distaste for the anointed leaders that I would even consider Edwards. He incurred my intense and lasting distaste back in '00 w/ his flatly unacceptable positions on medical mj and the War on Some Drugs. I can sympathize w/ the Republicans in this respect, as they find each of their choices unacceptable for various/sundry reasons.
Where's Feingold? (He's more telegenic than DK) Or Dodd?
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@andycher 8:13
[Read the article: Media hostility toward anti-establishment candidates]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You (and others) might like this:
http://www.selectsmart.com/president/2008.html
When you’re done, ignore the ads and scroll WAY down for your results.
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On-topic for once
[Read the article: Media hostility toward anti-establishment candidates]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Apparently Edwards read GG 8')
Via TPM
http://tinyurl.com/285nzl
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Batten down the Hatches!
[Read the article: Harry Reid's pro-life stance vs. Ron Paul's ]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Somebody's spoilng for a fight today. Abortion, Harry Reid, and Ron Paul...
@GG: Not sure how you want to edit this phrase, but I think you want to excise the "post"
"it is difficult to understand how her position is reconciled with support for Democrats generally, given that they have installed in one of their two post most powerful positions"
I'd also love to see Paul's candidacy get more attention as something other than a "phenomenon". I personally disagree vehemently w/ many of his positions. But I agree that the value of some substantive debate on the issues he raises would be tremendous.