But as someone who reads you every day, I'm simply becoming more and more frightened and disheartened by the content of your posts. Your tone suggests that we're screwed, there's nothing we can do about it.

Can you offer your readers any hope (other than the StrangeBedfellows campaign) that justice will ever be done here? The campaign is an excellent idea for preventing future abuses, but what about the abuses/crimes that have already happened?

Give us a straw to grasp at. Please. --Red Snapper

Red, I don't know if this will help, but here is how I choose to find solace at what is surely one of the most depressing times in our nation's political history:

1) This country has managed to weather similar attacks on our freedoms and liberties. McCarthyism, Japanese Internment, J. Edgar Hoover, etc etc. I realize those did not comprise the scope and pervasiveness of what we face today, but just as these atrocious laws have been passed, so too can laws be passed to undo them, or they can be rendered unconstitutional. That is why I plan to be a regular contributor to the ACLU in the weeks, months, and years to come.

2) Glenn is doing the very thing we need in order to get these atrocities addressed, and eventually reversed. Grass roots, large-scale activism will not transform the landscape overnight, but with time and dedication, it will make a difference. I think Glenn and others realize this, and as we all come to grips with the fact that it is no longer about red and blue, but rather about a criminal Congress acting as one against its citizenry, the results of our efforts will bear more and bigger fruit.

At least, that's what I am holding onto. Otherwise, I think I'd just move to Belize or something.

Highly recommend the sweet-corn ice cream at Zeta's Car Parts and Ice Cream in Orangewalk Town, fwiw...

Damn! You, Jebbie, and the rest are making me wanna go there! Better get to some Googlin' here right quick!

Please guys, given Shooter the Policy Donk's last post, can we all agree it's just best to ignore his posts entirely? Ugh. Scroll on by. Nothing to see there.

....and he's gonna throw crap at you.

I've been thinking about this for a long time: What an illuminating event it would be if Glenn were to debate any of these media stars who spout this utter garbage. Think about it....if they believe so strongly in their views that they can spout them off in the NYT, WaPo, or whatever, then they should be able to defend them in a debate. Topics can be chosen based on the columns these donkeys write, and a neutral debate coach with no political affiliations could be searched and found to be the moderator of said debates.

These debates would be, say, 90 minutes or so in length, and would be videotaped, with both debaters receiving permission to use the videos for their own media writings/usage.

In this way, substantive discussions could not be boiled down to ridiculous sound bites, and obviously biased corporate media stars would not have the ability to pull a "Charles Gibson" or "George Snuffleoffagus" on the viewing public.

Don't think any of these neanderthal thinkers would accept a debate with Greenwald? Fine, then we call them out on it and embarrass them, repeatedly, loudly, and without mercy. We develop an ongoing list of media stars, former gov't officials (Rove, et al) who refuse to debate Glenn Greenwald, and it gets published and mentioned as often as possible, and is worn like a badge of courage. Hell, perhaps Glenn could even write a book about it, having a new chapter for each person who refuses to debate him, and then conducting the debate anyway, using their previously published words as their responses to Glenn's points.

I dunno, I think this idea has legs. I have been STARVING for real debate about real issues for years, and it just isn't going to happen unless we force the issue.

Any debate would quickly deteriorate to "You're a blame America Firster".

Not if the moderator was doing his job. The moderator's job would be to require anyone saying that to justify it, and Glenn could respond as to precisely why that's the opposite of what he's actually doing, etc etc. Then the moderator would move them on to the next question/topic.

That is how REAL debates work. Not having some craven media star sit back and watch as the same old cliches, talking points, and epithets get thrown back and forth.

...why Congress cannot hold Mukasey in contempt of Congress for such a blatantly wrong and illegal stance? Can you even imagine what would happen if you or I did any such thing? The SWAT team would be ramming our doors down and dragging us to jail in about 14 seconds....

Excuse me while I go vomit.

Isn't there any grounds for recalling or impeaching a government official who so fundamentally misunderstands the core premise and requirement of the position?

Yes, but guess who holds the keys? The very criminals who've enabled all of this to take place.

And the circle-jerk goes on and on...