In the Senate, one brave Senator can put a hold on legislation. Is it possible to convince Russ Feingold to step up and be a true patriot here?

This is a myth. In some instances, one Senator can block appointments and things of that sort. But one Senator, standing alone, cannot block vote on a bill. 40 Senators is required for that.

With Jay Rockefeller on board, there will almost certainly be more than enough Democrats following him to support this. The chance that 40 Senators would filibuster this strikes me as virtually non-existent.

I would think the far better chance to block it is in the House, but they are so chaotic and out-of-control -- and Rahm Emanuel and Steny Hoyer are working very effectively to pressure the freshman Senators and "Blue Dogs" to support Bush-demanded national security measures -- that the chances seem extremely low there, too.

I don't want to discourage anyone. By all means, call everyone. I'll keep working myself on trying to figure out if there are any meaningful pressure points to at all. But my honest assessment is what it is -- yesterday's collapse in the House, combined with this great Rockefeller-McConnell deal, guarantees a virtual repeat of August.

I haven't seen the draft bill yet, so it's probably marginally better in terms of surveillance powers than the August bill, but not in any way that matters.

And there goes the fourth amendment, with immunity for all fascist scum.

And as the confirmation hearing of Mukasey yesterday showed, it looks like the fifth is up next.

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself,nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Again:

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger;

And:

nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law;

When a nominee for US Attorney General can't even bring himself to say the President of the United States doesn't have the right to disappear American citizens from American territory, and the Senate in all likelihood will confirm the fascist dirtbag 98-0, we are truly over the edge.

As far as this US citizen is concerned, the US government no longer represents the American people but has indeed become the enemy of the US Constitution and the American people.

Over at the DailyKos Larry Sabato has been chirping lately about holding another constitutional convention.

(http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/10/17/165535/19)

My suggestion would be to start at the beginning and strike the words "We The People" because those words just don't apply anymore in this new world we live in.

Welcome to the banana republic. Long the the king and his henchmen.

But hey, look at the bright side. If i have learned nothing else over the last 6 years it's that rules are for suckers. I sure as hell see no point in playing by them anymore.

There are many things that have occurred over the last seven years that could fairly be (and have been) termed "Orwellian." The collusion between the giant telecoms and the habitually criminal bush administration is merely the most recent, and perhaps the most frightening. This is the essential first step in the crushing of dissent. The bush administration now has the means, and has demonstrated in the past the willingness, to abuse intelligence for political purposes. The only question now is how brazen they are willing to be, or, perhaps more accurately, how brazen they are permitted to become.

He's the Boston Globe reporter who won the Pulitzer over his reporting on signing statements. It's about BushCo's shredding of the constitution. Truly terrufying, and in the same vein as this latest blow to the constitution. Rockefeller isn't fit to be called a senator. He almost makes Pat Roberts look decent. The Patriot Act, DHS, MCA, toothless "oversight", "off the table", and now this. No words suffice. These cretins are literally dismantling the constitution and they couldn't care less. Now I know what it was like to be a Roman during the final years of the Republic.

I have no idea what to do anymore, or if there's any point. I always realized that things would likely get worse before they got better. But how much worse can they get before there's nothing to make better anymore? You can't revive a corpse. Every time Bush ask for something, Dems and a handful of Pubs make some noise, do a little song and dance, and then dutifully cave, claiming to not have the votes--meaning guts, or decency.

but is anyone really surprised by this news?

Warrantless wiretapping, the "crown jewel" of the Bush/Cheney War on Terror, must not be stopped -- it's a cornerstone of the new security state. And as David Addington, John Yoo, Steven Bradbury and others have argued, the President has unfettered powers as Commander in Chief during a time of war. They have nearly succeeded in their goal of making it impossible to challenge warrantless wiretapping in the courts.

Congress? As a group, they have shown zero interest in opposing this frontal assault on civil liberties. According to press reports, Nancy Pelosi was among Congressional leaders who were given a secret briefing the spying program before 9/11. Yet she has not spoken out about this outrage. There was not a peek out of her or anybody else.

Along with "ghost prisons," CIA black sites, warrantless wiretapping is an example of how the Bush administration has succeeded in asserting unilateral Presidential power. There is very little that remains in this country of checks and balances, thanks to a corrupt and complicit legislative branch.