Letters to the Editor
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Grima Wormtongue
is a Iago character, a bad consigliere leading the good guys into evil and surrender.
The good guys don't take advice from Rove, so it's not Rove.
In terms of power to lead liberals in the wrong direction, I'd pick Fred Hiatt.
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ramoncreager...
I really had no intention of impugning sports writers, since I agree with your take on them, even though I'm not a sports fan. My boyfriend was particularly surprised that I actually knew who Keith Olbermann was (and that he was a sports writer) when I heard his voice one night while he was watching a game, and I was perusing GG's comment threads.
He keeps track of the sports for both of us in our house, while I pay more attention to politics than he does, though he is far from apathetic.
My emoticon was meant to imply a wink. ;~)
And my comment was meant to suggest only that those who are more interested in the horse race than the substance might be better off writing about sports. However, our point about fairness is a good one.
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Who is Grima Wormtongue?
Bill Owen.
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Today’s Mr. Smith….
What's up with posting on this site today?
Have the Slowskys taken over management of Salon’s servers?
This is the kind of article that’s hard to digest and figure out what to think about it.
The current status induces exhilaration and hope tempered by cautious optimism. Glenn’s summary and perspective was awesome. At the same time it must be realized that this is clearly NOT over. These criminals will never relent in pursuit of what they’re seeking. Most posters seem to acknowledge and commit to what remains to be done.
A few random thoughts occur:
1. How few people are actually aware of what happened today.
2. How unthreatened by the Constitutional implications those who are aware seem to be.
3. The inexplicable lack of coverage by the MSM about it.
4. Maybe not so inexplicable and perhaps, the reasons for 1 & 2.
5. Did Harry Reid take too many head punches during his fling at boxing?
6. Has Harry Reid taken too much money from the Telcos?
7. Maybe the answer is yes to 6 & 7.
8. Irony of ironies: How did Chris Dodd AND Joe Lieberman get elected from the same state?
9. For those who may have seen the ancient movie, does this remind anyone of “Mr. Smith goes to Washington"?
10. I used to think it was pretty corny. Maybe not so….
Thanks to Glenn, Jim White and all who helped to put a finger in the dike.
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Salon & Greenwald Helped
Glenn,
I am very happy and proud of the blogosphere's ability to influence this one, it is important.
Before we begin the strategy on what to do in January to consolidate this win, I would like to thank you for your dogged determination on this issue. I have logged on time and again to Salon since you have been here, and always because of you (and Gary Kamiya).
You and Jane Hamsher of FireDogLake educated me about this issue, and I have been following it at every turn. For the first time, I actually called my Senators, which is hard for me as I am an ex-pat from KC, currently living in Melbourne, Australia at the moment (thankfully, there are cheap call cards available).
Thank you very much, you have certainly had an influence far beyond a single man like me. You help give me hope, which is tough to live without.
Thanks.
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Re-entering the Fray
When the telecommunications companies acquiesced to the administration's demands based on its claim that what it proposed was legal, where were the high priced company lawyers? Don't they know the law? Are they all busy defending drunks in night court? Why was Qwest not punished for refusing to pariticipate?
If support for amnesty is based on the premise that the telecommunications companies didn't know it was legal, their lawyers should be relegated to defending drunks in night court. Their claims of ignorance is preposterous. They do not deserve amnesty any more than a driver who begs off aticket because he didn't see the speed limit sign.
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@ nabbleblather
[blah, blah, blah...] But the McCain-Lieberman alliance is is a very hopeful sign of a forthcoming fundamental political realignment, where the best elements of both parties combine to form a new movement, lets say the "America First Party" and the extreme partisan elements are swept away with extreme prejudice into the dustbin of history.
OK, folks. Nabbleblather's outed himself as a spoof. Either that or he's as ignerrent as any RW foamer ever comes.....
Cheers,
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@ IntrovertGirl
I think bebop-o is more like a cross between Radagast the Brown (for those who've read the books) and Fangorn the Ent with a splash of hobbit and a little of Celeborn or Elrond thrown in. Sam Gamgee only because he's a gardener, with a soul of earth.
I'd still vote Bombadil for Bebop-O. I wanted the Fangorn role ... now you've got me mad.... ;-)
One of my cats is nicknamed Smeagol.
Likes raw fish, eh?
Cheers,
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@ Aycharaych
Who is Grima Wormtongue?
Take your pick: Either Rove, Novak, or any of the FauxSnooze anchormen/W.P. press secretaries (same thing) we've had....
Cheers,
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Superb fighting words from Senator Kennedy
Here's a devastating bit of rhetoric for everyone to use in the lead-up to the February re-match on telco immunity. From Senator Edward Kennedy:
"The President has said that American lives will be sacrificed if Congress does not change FISA. But he has also said that he will veto any bill that does not grant retroactive immunity. No immunity. No FISA bill. So, if we take the President at his word, he's willing to let Americans die to protect the phone companies"
As Jonathon Zasloff (The Reality Based Community)comments:
"The Presdident would rather protect the phone companies than the American people. Say it. Again and again and again and again."
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Was Qwest punished? Magic eight ball sez: signs point to yes.
azdirk :
Re-entering the Fray
Why was Qwest not punished for refusing to pariticipate?
- - azdirkNYTimes Sunday 16 December 2007:
http://nytimes.com/2007/12/16/washington/16nsa.htmlWider Spying Fuels Aid Plan for Telecom Industry
By ERIC LICHTBLAU, JAMES RISEN and SCOTT SHANE
Published: December 16, 2007[...] In a separate N.S.A. project, executives at a Denver phone carrier, Qwest, refused in early 2001 to give the agency access to their most localized communications switches, which primarily carry domestic calls, according to people aware of the request, which has not been previously reported. They say the arrangement could have permitted neighborhood-by-neighborhood surveillance of phone traffic without a court order, which alarmed them. [...]
[...] N.S.A. officials met with the Qwest executives in February 2001 and asked for more access to their phone system for surveillance operations, according to people familiar with the episode. The company declined, expressing concerns that the request was illegal without a court order. While Qwest’s refusal was disclosed two months ago in court papers, the details of the N.S.A.’s request were not. The agency, those knowledgeable about the incident said, wanted to install monitoring equipment on Qwest’s “Class 5” switching facilities, which transmit the most localized calls. Limited international traffic also passes through the switches. A government official said the N.S.A. intended to single out only foreigners on Qwest’s network, and added that the agency believed Joseph Nacchio, then the chief executive of Qwest, and other company officials misunderstood the agency’s proposal. [...]
- - NYTimes, Sunday 16 December 2007
Scott Horton :
http://harpers.org/archive/2007/12/hbc-90001937One telecom company said “no.” It was Qwest. The Qwest response to overtures was simple: “We’d love to work with you on this. But you do need to change the law so we can do it legally.” Apparently as soon as that happened, Qwest lost a series of important government contracts.
[WHICH DROVE DOWN THEIR STOCK PRICE]
And the next thing you know, the Justice Department was feverishly working on a criminal investigation looking at Qwest’s CEO on insider trading allegations—amidst very strange dealings between the Justice Department and the federal judge hearing the case. Of course, this is all the purest coincidence.
- - Scott Horton, December 17, 2007