In the very first post on this thread..

Does anyone seriously think that if and when the Democrats win the Presidency these sorts of abuses will cease?

It's the simple questions which are often the most awkward and difficult to answer.

Apparently you are sarcasm impaired.

I don’t really want to encourage this particular OT. But could you folks who are discussing ‘free will’ please substitute a less nonsensical term like, perhaps, ‘human agency?’ ‘Free will’ makes no sense. Your will is either caused by inputs, in which case it is not free, or it is not caused by inputs (free), in which case it is not motivated by anything and isn’t really ‘will.’.

“...the question itself is altogether improper, and it is as insignificant to ask, whether a man’s will be free, as to ask, whether his sleep be swift, or his virtue square: liberty being as little applicable to the will, as swiftness of motion is to sleep, or squareness to virtue.” John Locke, from “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” regarding the question “...whether man’s will be free, or no?”

Interesting than no one other than Dounia has replied to my question.

It makes perfect sense, really. You are troofer and he/she/it is a troll. Dounia won't answer my question.

I think I will be ignoring you both.

What else do you think I'm wrong about.

I'm going to keep asking until you either answer or go away.

The lurkers are watching you squirm away from a simple, yet awkward, question.

Read your article today, Glenn, and some of the comments. The problem with the Democratic party stems from the fallout from the 1994 Congressional elections, when the Republicans came to power. At that time, I urged President Clinton to "triangulate" between the "liberal Democrats" and the "radical" Republicans:

"I think that you are doing absolutely the right

thing on the economic front, positioning yourself

as a moderate between the Radical Republicans and

the traditional liberal Democrats. With respect

to economics, it is time for Democrats to listen

to the economically stressed middle class, and to

strike a balance between unfettered public expend-

iture and irresponsible slashing of government."

Quote from June, 1995 fax to President Bill Clinton

Clinton eagerly took on "triangulation," and, built his 1990s success on it. Unfortunately, Clinton still holds sway with the Democratic Party leadership, and triangulation is written all over the current Democratic positions on various issues, especially the "war on terror."

At that time, I supported Clinton's position with respect to NAFTA, Welfare Reform, and other 'middle of the road' economic issues. Unfortunately, I was wrong, as has become abundantly clear. NAFTA and unfettered free trade is a disaster for the middle class of this country. Worse, triangulation is an absolute disaster when it comes to foreign policy. There is a different way, as clearly articulated by Al Gore nearly 2 years ago in his MLK Day speech.

Unfortunately, Al Gore is not running. Why?

It has become absolutely clear that the right-wing's 40 year campaign of railing against the "liberal media" has had its desired effect: the absolute destruction of a "free" press in this country. The Mainstream Media has been reduced to a "he-said she-said" non-analysis of issues, which is NOT journalism. Coupled with the economic pressures of increasingly diverse sources of information, the MSM has become a mere tool of the right-wing blogosphere, with no corresponding relationship with the left-wing blogosphere.

Unless Bush goes completely nuts, and invades or bombs Iran in the next few months, I don't see much hope for getting accountability from Bush or anyone else from the "Democratic" Congress. They're still too worried about offending anyone to really come to grips with the disastrous direction this country is heading. My own Senator, Dianne Feinstein, should be impeached, or, at minimum, should recuse herself from voting on telecom company amnesty, but, will she? Doubt it....

Sorry, Aycharaych, I assumed your question was rhetorical.

If you approach politics through the lense of the field of ‘public choice’ rather than ‘political science,’ (which I do) something that becomes quickly obvious is that you cannot disarm. What I mean by this is that once government acquires power, it does not relinquish it- changes in the ruling party regardless. So, no, I don’t think the abuses will cease.

The choice seems to be between a candidate that will add relatively fewer new ‘abuses’ to the list, compared to a candidate that will add relatively more.

Sometimes I wonder if the best choice is simply to vote for the candidate who seems most likely to accelerate the process in the hope that things might actually get bad enough quickly enough so that the whole edifice might collapse and we could start over. What do you think, Che? Giuliani in 2008?

American political leaders seem no longer to believe in the rule of law or the administration of Justice, and so they tolerate the abuses you mention, Glenn. The legal system is used to control the little people, the ordinary Americans who still love America and believe in her institutions. Beltway nihilism is rampant.

America needs a fresh vision from someone not caught up in the current moral morass. As unlikely as it may seem at first blush, that person may be Mike Huckabee. Help us Obi-wan Huckabee- you are our only hope.

protest the destruction is meaningless. That the neocons use this as a distraction from the surreal-ness of the actual crime (related to the destruction of said evidence) is mind boggling. Bank robbers telling other bank robbers of their bank robbing and not having the bank robbers who were told this information let the authorities in on the heist, doesn't make the bank robbing any less illegal.

Holding these CIA guys accountable for the destruction of the tapes is warranted and should be damned, as should Rockefeller and Harmen for sticking their collective heads up their own asses. What a FUBAR country...

Strike, schmike!

The slogans just write themselves.

I'd be willing to wager serious money that if the current resident bombs Iraq, the Democrats will do nothing, except cheerlead..

The Titanic is stern high and going down fast.

A lot of us are going to get pulled down by the suction and many of the rest are going to go from hypothermia.. Assuming we can find life jackets.