I also try to keep my questions as simple, succinct and to my point as possible.

I experience your questions as over simplified. The field of inquiry is sterilized to the point where it's ... sterile ground. Nothing can grow there.

That virtually no one ever responds directly to either my statements or my questions leads me to think that I make many of you very uncomfortable.

I choose not to respond because of the above, and because so often the terms, or conditions, you set are binary; on-off, black-white, good-bad. All avenues to negotiation, for dialog, for praxis are closed off before another word can be spoken. It is nearly utopian by design, and it flows exclusively from your point of view. The entire argument is foreordained, and it seems to me, you expect it will terminate in *gotcha*. No, thanks.

I'm not uncomfortable with your frames of reference, as much as I reject many of them as artificially imposed. My world is one of nuance, shades of gray, maybe-s, and but-s. That doesn't seem to be where you're comfortable. When you have indicated a willingness to be less than certain, I respond. When your certitude colors are flying high in the mast, I sail by. When you're certain and I agree with you, there's noting to say. When you're certain, and I don't agree with you, axiomatically, nothing I say makes a difference.

You make it simple. Too simple.

moving on...

Disappointing, discouraging, disgusting, despicable, but - probably - not surprising as I think about it. One could hope for better, but if "better" were to be had, we wouldn't be facing the fix we're in. Compliant Senators and a compliant press. We knew that. Doesn't make it feel any better but, as taken aback as I am, I really shouldn't be surprised. Somewhere I commented that the return volleys would be more targeted, more vicious, and more efficient in the interim.

I'm hoping Senator Dodd, the ACLU, EFF, Glenn and Jane will offer some guidance on best practices going into the next round. And, I've spent some time thinking about how I can recruit people I know into this fight, as well. Round 2 will be less fun than Round 1.

@ noonan

Kohl: ...we must give our government the tools it needs to protect the American people...

That bit right there, has been in every email response I've received from my own Senator Salazar. Somewhat different elaborations have preceded and followed. It's been repeated without amendment in every single reply. It now strikes me as boilerplate language when I get it. He's merely informing me of his intention; he's not responding to my concern.

From Dan Froomkin:

Bush this morning [Thursday, December 20, 2007], speaking of the bill passed last summer to extend his warrantless wiretapping program: "Unfortunately, Congress made this law effective until February 1st of 2008, as if the terrorist threat is going to go away on February the 1st, 2008."

Yep. That's exactly the reason I keep an elephant gun hanging on my wall. Haven't seen an elephant since I hung it up there either.

Is there even one instance anyone knows about where our current operating procedure for telecom surveillance has revealed/foiled a terrorist attack? What have I missed?

FireDogLake had a YouTube clip up yesterday(?) of Paul Krugman speaking at Google. It was supposed to be part of his book promotion tour but became an impromptu discussion of the current investment crisis.

It prompted me again to wonder how stable our political economy is? For now, many Americans are coasting along. Worried about the economy, assuredly - it's near the top of voter concerns, but largely unremarked by the the Democrat presidential front runners. But, as long as the majority is reasonably reassured that tomorrow will look much like today, I caution myself not to get too optimistic about a voter revolt.

Krugman tried to compare the current crisis to previous crises but acknowledged that there is no good precedent to examine for how we get out of this one. There are two data points that Krugman considered that are worth pondering as we wonder what it will take for many voters to wake up to the threats we face.

*Home values may fall 30% before before the trend in decline reverses itself. It could take 6 - 7 years for that to happen.

*Krugman fears up to 40% of current homeowners may be caught in the current subprime mess which is actually more encompassing than that tag suggests - what Atrios has, perhaps, more accurately labeled the Big Shitpile.

In the meantime, the jingle mail has begun in concert with the season. Jingle mail is where homeowners whose mortgages are bigger than their houses are worth are starting to walk away from their houses, even if they could afford the mortgage payments by mailing the keys back to their creditor.

And, the full effects of the mortgage aspect of the big shitpile won't be fully known until the wave of March interest rate resets. This mess has the potential to wake up a lot of people, but I expect it will fully displace any concerns people have about warrantless wiretaps, rendition, torture, or telecom immunity. Hillary continues to posture with respect to Iran, and Obama has spoken of including Republicans in his cabinet. I sometimes think I must be psychotic to apprehend the reality I think I see. And, the press, fully complicit, performs their stenography with all due diligence on behalf of the current administration.

I think I need a change in meds.

[70 min: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XhvG_fD0HA]

Do you have a cite for your numbers? I thought I'd read something that was a little different. Will search, but if you happen to have yours handy...?