Still, if that's the reality, then we need to suck it up and put any pressure we can to keep this a democracy in more than name and get these people back into the human race. -- sole prop.

So we are back where we started? Has it not been the reality? This is something I cannot, for the life of me, figure out. This assumption that these people can be "brought around." What evidence have we seen that would ever lead anyone to believe this? Sole, do you think it is possible to bring Shooter around? Do you actually believe that is possible?

These are evil people we are dealing with here. As bad as they come, and yes I include many Democrats -- these are people of the lie. Do people really not see that? And WRT certain Democrats who aren't necessarily evil but rather just completely self-interested, is bringing them around for this one issue (or other, similar stand alone issue), only to have them be who they are again and again in the future, is that a viable long term solution? What type of pressure are you referring to? Writing more letters?

This is from a Chicago Tribune Op-Ed on the subject:

Such a declaration could open the potential for criminal prosecution or lawsuits against CIA officers who used the harsh interrogation practice. It could also endanger their bosses and anyone else who authorized the practice.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-1102edit1nov02,0,2551273.story

My reaction:

Yes, it would absolutely unfair and irresponsible to expect a candidate for Attorney General to go on record that he intends to enforce the law. After all, that could result in lawbreakers facing consequences for their actions. Next people will be insisting that telecoms could be liable for turning over customer data in direct violation of established law. The horror!

In the interview CIA Director gave to Charlie Rose, he kept referring to torture as "enhanced interrogation". This is a page out of Nazi propaganda in which Auschwitz and Treblinka were "enhanced labor camps". Don't be surprised if the jiahdists start referring to the beheading of hostages as "enhanced body part separation".

f**king brilliant.

that is really radical. overturns what? 800 years of precedent? (the magna carta was in 1215). senators LOVE meaningless gestures. if they rule him out, a clone will soon replace him. i remember the Great Ted Kennedy going hammer and tongs at Judge Bork only to give Scalia a free pass two weeks later. But then, you don't get to become senator by speaking your mind. how many votes would I get? (even on this board?) and no, you wouldn't be elected either. People like Bush, Clinton, Reagan, Carter get elected. some may be better than others - by accident. My eyes are on Hillary since she seems fated to be our next president. we'll hiding out in iraq. staying there but not fighting. Big Pharma will be happy. So will trial lawyers. inequality will increase, though at a lesser rate than at present. you can predict it.

Although it is long by Salon criteria, I don't think it is too long for the congressmen. It sets a good tone of showing your passion and grave concern without coming across as another of those netroot liberals. I'm not criticizing the strong voiced netroots, but when writing your representative a less stident tone, IMHO, can get more attention.

Congrats. I hope it has some effect.

I contacted Verizon customer service yesterday and even after they'd verified my identity they had an additional legal requirement to ask me for my explicit permission before they could actually access my account info.

It's certainly nice to know that they're so careful, so precisely legal, so exacting.

Just as I expected. I hope Schumer made some kind of deal. Any bets?

Perhaps he'd already made the deal when he originally suggested Mukasey awhile ago... and his dilemma recently has been whether to keep it. Or not. (?)

* * *

Thanks for the feedback, RMP. Of course, I've already spotted a few typos and ill-chosen words, but I'll fix them before sending.

For once I could not disagree more with Glenn. A heretofore non-existent official action by Congress repudiating administration positions of unlimited executive power and torture is precisely what is called for, (and feared by the Bush administration, and especially it's nominal chief). Right now the only power Congress has over the executive is political. The executive refuses to honor its subpoenas, (which Congress has accepted with a whimper), merrily obstructing its investigations with impunity, while refusing to bargain over 'emergency' funding decisions for troop deployments- giving the Democrats the appealing choice of cutting off the funds of American servicemen and women at war or signing onto its corrosive policies.

Congress only tool is its pulpit, however diffuse, and these confirmations are an excellent way to bring these issues back into the public consciousness- especially in the midst of a presidential campaign that is beginning to get significant air time. That quite frankly is the ONLY real power it has- its ability to humiliate the administration. As that goes, bad as Bush's approval numbers are, the Democrats have not done nearly enough in the way of putting him and the administration away- if anything, they've ceased making his disastrous tenure as President an issue as they look to 08.

Their folly in that could not be made any more evident than by the fact that all of the candidates for Republican nominee have adopted his policies wholesale. It is really only when the Democrats starting rhetorically pulverizing the Bush administration with regularity, and when those punches are landing square, that Republicans will consider cutting losses and backtracking on their positions. Short of that we will clearly not see any of these abominations of policy and belligerence toward foreign countries rolled back, possibly even under a Democratic President, (given Republican skill at that game and the routine of Democrats backing off their positions tail between legs).

Should the Democrats decline to confirm Mukasey, from a PR perspective, it will be a big loss for the administration. Granted, I don't disagree with Glenn- it won't mean anything prima facie. But in the rough and tumble power politics in which these Mayberry Machiavellis operate, losing the mob is losing everything.