I was going to ignore this, like the ramblings of a street person on the corner, but you just had to bring it up again didn't you. Since I can knock off two birds with one post, it is now worth the effort to review Paulpsd7's effort.

First, worrying about a government that can track domestic communication is supported by history. Throughout history, most if not every regime with this ability has used it to spy on their political opponents. Them's just the unfortunate facts. In fact, FISA was enacted as a direct response to the Nixon Admin's practice of doing precisely that.

Perhaps it's beyond your abilities to understand that we aren't talking about wiretapping or eavesdropping? I'd also be interested in hearing how computerized tracking of an entire networks worth of linkages goes back into history. Heh. Perhaps you should follow the conversations of POW WOW and Arne the Dick, to get an idea of the real questions involved.

Second, while I do believe there are terrorists in the world who wouldn't mind seeing me dead just for being an American, I acknowledge that the chances of me encountering one is somewhere far south of my chances of being struck by lightning. On the other hand, the danger of an abusive government to dismantle the freedoms that Americans have enjoyed for its entire history is clear and present;

Indeed it is true that he is more likely to encounter a radical Muslim that would like to see him dead for being a Christian, then a terrorist. And from the beginning there has always been the danger of an abusive government to dismantle the freedoms of Americans. The question here is whether seeing the patterns of one random number (phone number) interacting with other random numbers, is a loss of his freedom. Sorry I don't see it. Perhaps you can enlighten us as to what freedom this guy has lost.

Essentially this like the Swift banking NY Times leak to the world, where everyone thought the USA was actively tracking every penny spent in America. Needless to say that wasn't true, and ended up ruining an excellent method of pursuing terrorist finances.

Way to go guys. Maybe you can successfully expose every legitimate method of surveillance America has, because human intel is not happening. Keep up the good work and you can help gum up the system like Jamie Gorelick did to the FBI, and make sure flying lessons to nowhere, and terrorist laptops never see the light of day. Dumb and Dumber strike again.

It got me about two seconds of shocked silence, one cheer from the back of the room, and an angry rejoinder from Hillary's surrogate, who assured me that the estimable senator had been back to Washington twice last week, and was absolutely doing her job.

Hmm... I can relate to that, people really don't like questions which challenge their assumptions.

Anyhoo.. Since we have now determined that there is no substantive difference between a preemptive pardon and retroactive immunity and the Democrats rolled over for a preemptive pardon fifteen years ago..

What conclusion(s) can be inferred from these facts?

Remember, don't feed the troll..

To me it's to deny a remedy...

Who desires to eat husk with the vile hogs at the White House? Why not 'us' decide to avoid that?

That's a lifestyle that will mar anybody! Yuck.

The White House 'devil-boy' rings the doorbell. The residents are surely dismayed. It is not the stable boy Pizza Pie Gal Delivery Service? huh. heh. Worst.

The GOP troll writes a 'stooped' mark-scroll at UT and ask for an eraser but, calls the eraser a rubber? The neocon writers guild begin to set up shop at the public latrines, and shine

shoes for free outside the swinging toilet stalls?

What if the trolls wear Buster Brown Hush Puppies?

The Capital Hill kitchen cook serves hot chocolate with antifreeze and marshmallows on top for a brunch picker up?

The White House Hospice Caregiver Service Center Reids:

~Toeclip the creeps nails. The economy needs a boost and people must start more small business: So- Iron and Steal?

Turn hot iron off to save on electricity. Steal back the White House from DC's Deathbed Editorial Newsprint MSM's bored writers guilds?

~

Samuel Taylor Colridge referred to incremental healing

(replace terrible times and bloody Reid images with better realities)

"The little soon forgotten charities of kiss, a smile, a kind look...and countless other infinitesimals of pleasurable though and genial feeling." Oh, but first, get the GOPS out of our' site!"

That's my 2-cent (I waiver fees) worth pschological assessment.

Instead of Thomas Jefferson's 'ideal' of visualizing American landscapes speckled with backyard garden homesteads, filled with squads, platoons, and company size formations of green Kale...(ask RMP)...chocolate candy gumdrops, and Brussels sprouts...Who ain't Sad~To~Say with tears that we got a rotten Capital Hell Stink Bug Gang we need to dispel?

Excuse good 'ole C. Moseys while he/she burps into the foul politico's DC's polluted morn air. He/She just moussed along to the back porch to hiccup? Achoo. I blame the high-balls and Ohio social justice women's violence workshop that was

facilitated by 'Old Miss,

'Ole O-hi-O-P- 'de scientist?

Work? Herman Woulk? That Herman said, "In a eye blink the curtain is up. The stage is ablaze of the vast drama of our-self!" Yep.

~

Gads. Then Mr. Billy T. bunny hops to nibble on the carrots and speaks of the blind GOPS who lack green teeth grins?

He says the citizens need chlorophyll in their blood stream and healthy stools? Oh, Fools.

What's next? The Wall Street Mafia grants a dime to each struggling family so that the nations rural and urban neighborhoods will 'sprout' and economically flourish everywhere to compete with Wall-Mart CEO's whores?

The GOP's personnel Office, dressed in skeletal outfit costumes, hires more college grads of avowed arch neoconservative mentality? The FICA staff members and every government failing institution employee is ORDERED: Instruct middle class housewives to run successful small business.

Call Chaplain Pastor Hugglebunny @ 1-666-000-000 troll-free

prison-cell...scum-spirit. 2-4-2-Zero-o!

Dada # ain't busy if McCain is in bed?

~

The "happy" neighborhood Manicure Shop Owners become public? Wall Street shareholders invest in franchises with names such as: Cocktail Manicurist, Tunguska's High Standard Podiatry Company Foot Wash Services, and neo-Daughters of The American Revolution begin to quack on the lake like Daffy Duck?

I almost give up...I blame wonderful people for never, never, and never, duh, ever giving up. C Mosey? No upchuck on the keyboard. Do it in the outhouse if necessary. Listen to Mozart?

Reid W.S.'s 'As You Like it' or call Mr. Timberman's i-pod?

He subcontracts out the Wood-Slab Outdoor Furniture Corporation LTD? He is interviewing youth to employ floundering inner-city-boys in 'our' nation's parole and probation juvenile justice clogged "justice" system?

We be okay? Are we constipated or emasculated? We'll be okay before we get married? I best hush. Here comes the trash, all dressed in white...No Get Married and be free of strife...find a soft facsimile of a female goat tweet, bosom, treat, and we'll feel like a burp? Sigh. To emit a good sigh is alright?