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Letters
Monday, August 27, 2007 12:00 AM

The Democrats' responsibility in the wake of Gonzales' resignation

Senate Democrats must commit themselves to blocking any and all nominees until Bush nominates someone whose independence and integrity are beyond reproach.

The letters thread is now closed.

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Monday, August 27, 2007 12:25 PM

in defense of Nequals1

glenn - to claim that Nequals1 is "doing nothing themselves to bring about what they think we need." is both inaccurate and unfair. Nequals1 is a frequent commenter at FDL, and has obviously worked hard in the field of health care to bring about a more just system - at great personal sacrifice.

please don't assume that people who disagree with you or have positions you don't like are doing nothing.

Monday, August 27, 2007 12:23 PM

@che Pasa

"Never seen it" my ass. Grumble, growl...

-- Ché Pasa

That read like apples and oranges to me, Che Pasa. Yeah, Glenn mocks people who do the bit about 'Rove knows all' so why bother or 'Bush will just do this or that and the Dems will fold' so why bother.

That kind of stuff wasn't the question you put to him or that he answered to. You accused him of specifically mocking physical protest demonstrations as one alternative to many others. None of the examples you gave were about that. None of them.

Monday, August 27, 2007 12:23 PM

Oh! NOW I Understand!

i_ween:

When will it end? When you start voting third party.

If only Ralph Nader had gotten 97,489 votes in Florida in 2000, instead of 97,488, all would be solved!

Or, maybe if Harry Browne had gotten 16,416 in Florida, instead of 16,415, since you fail to distinguish at all between the wide array of third parties out there.

Perhaps Natural Law will do it? F=m*a! Now there's a slogan for ya!

Monday, August 27, 2007 12:22 PM

And foidamoah...

The poster who advocated a total revolution -- and that's what he/she said -- did deserve to be reminded that some of us see the edifice of government as salvageable, and that some of us are working hard to turn things around, and that those people working hard would be interested to know what exactly those who are saying all is lost and that only total revolution will save us are doing about that, and that if they're not doing anything about it would they please shut up and let those who are working to save ALL of us get on with their work.

Monday, August 27, 2007 12:18 PM

C. Pasa

I'm sure this will frustrate you, since you see what you see as clearly as I see what I see (or don't see, in this case). But I gotta say, that doesn't come off as "mockery" to me, or even condescension. Perhaps there's a bit of frustration in Glenn's tone, since he's working so hard to make a difference, and some are indeed defeatist. A guy who's bailing water out of a sinking boat as fast as he can with the bucket he's got, isn't going to want to hear "We're all gonna die!" from someone who isn't bailing at all. But that said, I think Glenn's tone is civil and his words very much in direct response to what the poster(s) said.

Notice I said, "I think..." You're welcome to your interpretation. Just don't imagine it's the only viable one.

Monday, August 27, 2007 12:16 PM

Che Pasa

Again, more mockery, and more misrepresentation, but nobody saw it...

You can look all you want and you will not find mockery from me of people who organize or attend demonstrations, street protests, etc. I don't oppose or scorn people who do that.

What you have excerpted is no such thing - if it is "mockery" of anything, it is of people who spend their time at blogs complaining that what happens at blogs is completely irrelevant and/or people who complain that bloggers aren't leading a Real Revolution while doing nothing themselves to bring about what they think we need.

Monday, August 27, 2007 12:15 PM

Ché Pasa

i call BS.

here are your earlier quotes:

Glenn has long asserted that public demonstrations of displeasure with the actions of our government, or protest assemblies for redress of grievance are "ineffective," and thus not worth his time to do more than mock or denounce their advocates.
Just more mockery, denunciation, and misrepresenting the positions of advocates of direct public action.

glenn did not mock either Nequals1 nor rbsalonlo for advocating a public demonstration or nonviolent direct public action... i believe (glenn can correct me if i'm wrong here) his mocking was aimed at what he perceived as defeatism. which is something he does - a lot. if you don't like that, at least complain about something he actually does.

Monday, August 27, 2007 12:13 PM

The Major Is Slipping!

Not enough CAPITAL LETTERS in this most recent post, not by a LONG SHOT!

BUCK UP!

You want we should DEMOTE YOU to CAPTAIN?

Monday, August 27, 2007 12:11 PM

Latest Rumor: "it will not be Chertoff"

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/08/27/gonzales-replacement-speculation-in-full-force/

[...] Meanwhile, a congressional source familiar with deliberations about Gonzales' replacement tells CNN's Dana Bash the impression is that it will not be Chertoff and that the media is "playing us."

[...] Another name being floated is Larry Thompson, the former deputy Attorney General until 2003, and now a general counsel at PepsiCo Corporation.

Thompson has been spotted at the Justice Department in the last couple of weeks, according to another congressional source with close connections to the DOJ.

- - CNN "Political Ticker" blog

Monday, August 27, 2007 12:11 PM

i_ween

When will it be too much for you? Since you probably make a good living, maybe never.

As you correctly surmise, I have become extremely rich defending the two-party system. My financial incentives are far too great to ever support a third-party candidate. Just as you assume, deep down I agree with you completely -- we need Ralph Nader -- but I'm far too financially corrupted ever to admit it.

So there is really no need to keeping coming here and keep trying to convince me. It's all about the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$, just as you (with very ample bases) insinuate.

Monday, August 27, 2007 11:56 AM

To those of you who have "never seen" Glenn's mockery and denunciations

of those who advocate a somewhat different path than his own, I would refer you back through... oh, why not this very thread.

Let's start here:

(well, we would start here except that Salon -- once again -- is in non-function mode, and so... we... wait... )

Here we go:

Nequals1
Actually, what is needed is another revolution to oust the entire elected government on the federal level and to install elected representatives who will actually do the will of we, the people, and who will uphold, support and defend the Constitution from ALL ENEMIES - FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.

So you're saying we should just ignore the whole AG issue, allow Bush to replace Gonzales with whomever he wants, since it doesn't matter?

What specifically are you doing to advance the Real Revolution?

Permalink Monday, August 27, 2007 07:15 AM

This is called mockery; what Nequals1 wrote is not even remotely what Glenn says. But then, he's mocking the poster. Something no one noticed...

How about this:

rbsalonlo
geez, Glenn

you now exactly how this will work out. Recess appointment of Chertoff. Democrats cry foul, "look it what GW has done this time, worst administration ever, 2008 blah blah blah" but don't do anything real.

What I "know" is that if the attitude of self-pitying, petulant defeatists prevail -- "we're all so doomed and powerless; it's all so hopeless; it's all stacked against us; there is nothing we can do" -- then that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

For all of you who adopt this mindset -- "oh, forget it, Bush will win - he always does - nothing to be done - I'm honestly curious: why do you bother to read and comment on political blogs at all? If you're destined to lose, if all is hopeless, if you're completely powerless to do anything - why do you even bother?

Again, more mockery, and more misrepresentation, but nobody saw it...

And that's just so far today. That few seem to see it is interesting to say the least...

Deconstructing his response to my own post will take some time which I don't have at the moment, but these examples may serve to illuminate some of the more befuddled. If you need more, please click on the link in any of Glenn's posts that says: "Read GlennGreenwald's other letters" and click and scroll around for a bit. And if you want some real fun, go back to Unclaimed Territory and peruse some of the comment threads... Good times!

"Never seen it" my ass. Grumble, growl...

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