Thanks for the heads-up. I'm hoping/curious to read U Mass' response. I kind of expected Jonah to emerge with all ten of his fingers and toes intact ;-) What a whiny, sniveling blob. Still, if he'd presented to standing ovations and wild, raucous cheers, I'm sure he would have shared that, right?

Killing whales? LOL.

GG: Put another way, the issue isn't that they're failing to impose limits on the President. It's not even that they're failing to do everything they can to do so.

Really. It's not just that Reid has set up a scenario in which it is difficult to prevail, he has worked hard at making it as difficult as possible. It's not that he made it inconvenient for his colleagues to oppose the Senate Intelligence Committee's version of the bill, he jacked the price of that opposition as high as he could. It's not that Reid has disregarded the opposition to basket warrants and telecom immunity, he's dismissed that opposition out of hand.

With this tactic, Harry Reid has aggressively flipped the bird at everyone who has dared to oppose the Bush administration's lawlessness. If I'd harbored any confusion, any uncertainty, any ambiguity on Harry's intentions, they are gone now. It's absolutely clear to me who, and what, Harry Reid represents. I hope he expects to be richly rewarded for his treason, and isn't selling out as a mere $2 whore.

I just now called Senator Reid's office. Let me affirm that I used my best modulated, friendly, comforting, actively non-abrasive, reassuring, gentle voice. Because the response I got sure argues against it.

I asked the aide who answered whether Senator Reid was going to bring the SIC version or the SJC version of the bill up for discussion. The responder said he didn't know which version Senator Reid would bring forward. I asked whether Senator Reid was intending to honor Senator Dodd's hold on the SIC version which included telecom amnesty. The responder didn't know. I then summarized, "So, at this time, you are unaware which version of the FISA/RESTORE amendmed bill Senator Reid is going to bring forward, and you also don't know whether Senator Reid intends to honor Senator Dodd's hold on a bill that includes telecom immunity." The responder said (I quote), "That's what I'm telling you in plain English." To which I said, "Then would you please convey to Senator Reid for me, I want him to conform to Senator Feingold's request that he advance the SJC version of the bill, and honor Senator Dodd's hold if he doesn't." To which the responder said, "Thank you for calling" and hung up.

Throughout the conversation, the aide's tone was clipped, terse, and darned unfriendly. Does that mean they're getting buried in calls?

gee, do i have time to walk the dog ? -art guerrilla

Well, actually, that resonates for me. And, I really don't much appreciate sacrificing the dog's walk for the [snark] joyful opportunity [/snark] to endure some snotty-mouthed congressional aide on the phone, either. But, if not me (and, the poor dog), then, who?

I don't know what's going on. I'm working my way through scarecrow's thread at FDL to see who else might be calling and what they were told. So far, indications are others received responses similar to mine.

...up at Fire Dog Lake.

Well at least that means he's feeling slightly annoyed.

LOL. Yeah. We're really scoring here, aren't we? Thanks for the chuckle!

There are a couple of really interesting posts up at the Booman Tribune regarding Reid and FISA.

http://www.boomantribune.com/

From the third verse of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Famiiar, but I still had to look it up to be sure.

The headlines from TPM sure suggest that we're ending the week on a particularly *sour* note.

*Justice Dept. Blocks House Inquiry into CIA Torture Tapes

*Reid Chooses Admin-Friendly Measure as Basis for Surveillance Bill

*Senate GOPers Block Anti-Torture Bill

*Mukasey to Leahy, Specter: No

Is it Atrios who begins his blog on Monday mornings with, "What fresh hell awaits?" Fitting.

I think we've been pwn3d.

... or, I've truly fallen off the deep end and cannot be redeemed. Ever. I picked up the comment linked at my sig over at Think Progress [http://tinyurl.com/2wpopy] in reference to:

Despite Past Anti-Torture Rhetoric, Graham Places Hold On Anti-Waterboarding Bill

Yesterday, the House passed a bill that bans waterboarding and holds the CIA “to the interrogation tactics permitted by the Army Field Manual on Human Intelligence Collector Operations.” President Bush has said he would veto the bill.

But he may not get the opportunity. Earlier today, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) placed a hold on the Senate version of the bill, blocking it from coming to a vote. He said the bill was “ill-advised” and would “destroy” a “lawful” program...

For some reason carsick's comment @ #10 scored a direct hit on my funny bone, and I laughed until my ribs ached. Maybe carsick is a common variety troll. And, maybe a more appropriate response to carsick is, well, to get car sick. I dunno. What struck me as even funnier is the way some folks took the comment seriously. I read it as spoof... but, maybe it isn't. I sometimes wonder if the Republicans, and the Bush administration, haven't successfully killed off all opportunities for satire, now, and forever in the future?

dOES ANYBODY...

Does anybody...

Yeah, you hold down the shift key when you want lower case, and release the shift key when you want upper case.

I got enough trouble with Qwerty without holding down the shift key for most of a sentence. Why not just unlock the caps lock?

Or, what this a spoof into which I just fell headfirst? If so, have a laugh on me ;-)

Or, was this a spoof into which I just fell headfirst?

Double-dunked.