The most remarkable thing about this post is that any Democrat, and any American, could possibly feel "cocky" about shamefully siding against the law, constitution, and western legal tradition to favor the powerful few over everyone else.

That's like feeling cocky about helping a hockey team beat up a cripple. It calls to mind Bush, at the beginning of the Iraq war, pumping his fist in the air, saying, "Feeling good." Is anything more revealing of an abusive, power-drunk personality than being proud, and exalted, to "win" a lopsided battle where others are clearly harmed, and the goal is so patently worthless and immoral?

High-fiving with Dick Cheney. Boy, that sure makes ya feel cocky.

is some kind of portable lie detector that would sound an alarm when the elected official or politician to whom it is pointed tells a lie.

Wait, didn't we used to have those? What were they called again?

Oh, yeah. Reporters.

Can someone please tell Jay Rockefeller that we don't actually live in a country where the President has the definitively dictatorial power to "compel" and "require" private actors to break the law by "ordering" them to do so?

In Jay Rockefeller's world, the President has that power. He's just trying to get the rest of us up to speed.

I am so ashamed of the government of my country.

It would appear that Harry's hometown paper has the one of the least misleading stories on the subject:

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/jan/24/reid-hot-seat-over-backing-spying-bill/

CarolynC makes a good point. But I think that the analog we face today is one that Germans experienced in the period 1866-1871. The main opposition to Bismarck and those who wanted a united Germany under Prussian control were the Liberals, mostly middle-class men from business, academia, the commercial class, especially in northern Germany. When confronted with the success of Bismarck's wars of unification, the Liberals split. The old-line Liberals remained, committed to a British-style representative government, maybe even a republic. The bigger bunch, however, transformed themselves into "National Liberals." They wanted a capitalist economy and basic human rights, but were happy to associate themselves with the new German nation, its Prussian Kaiser, and its great power status. Somehwere between the Berlin Blockade and 9/11, the vast majority of the Democratic Party's elected officials, big donors, and "wise men" became National Liberals. They are four-square for American hegemony, and whatever it takes to maintain and extend that hegemony. They still want to "create opportunity" in the economy and would like all citizens, even women and gays!, to have some rights, but their bottom-line commitment is to American military and corporate power and its extension around the globe. And that is why the crimes of Bush will remain unrevealed--to reveal them would force the Dems to repudiate the means by which our wealth and power are perpetuated. That they will not do.

This is a deliberate poke in the eye to the American people and a "thank you" to all of those AT&T and Verizon Veeps for their contributions: http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/10/dem-pushing-spy.html

It is intentional. He's running for re-election this year and has no primary opponent and no real threat from Republicans. Jay Rockefeller has no enemies except those who are weaker than him. He knows it, he exploits it, and he gets away with it. And it is not "unintentional".

Why doesn't Jay Rockefeller listen to some gentle Rackmaninoff music today?

Ravel is pleasant and soothing to play at a later funeral viewing?

~

I'd suggest if Jay Bluebird has got many cockroaches living in his kitchen pantry, spray those gross-144, or more cockroaches.

Jay R. etc., can call in the Pesky exterminator CEO's?

Or- distribute those brain-lookin'-curled green hedge row balls in the closets. The Orange tree hedge has stickers and use to be planted to keep cows penned up.

The green Osage Orange Balls (why they aren't called green Osage balls, who knows?) are soft-ball size and can be placed in the pantry and secret house-closets. The use of these natural green-balls really will Reid the Senate and House of lice, mice, and cockroaches.

Please read 'The Herb Quarterly' and stop wasting time writing the Federal Registry? huh.

~

I'd recommend....since these politicians aren't statesmen...

and are acting like proverbial maladies...why not suncontractor hire a lame farmer who is getting over-bored with the everyday chicken hawk LIES? Keep shining the light. It's snowing at the moment in my neighborhood. The weather in DC? It's dropping Slime Balls.

Oh, will someone please teach the barnyard foul-herd of white feathered chickens, who are penned-up in barbered-wire chicken coops....shivering up there on Capital Hill...honesty...because YOU all crappers are too flighty!

Why don't they retire or just take up a new vocation?

Why not Pelosi or Reid, ANYBODY, go teach the human creep chickens to play football, or kick a black and white soccer ball as a goal in Life, instead? Gads the politico's sold-out mentalities irk more respectable human peoples.

okay. I'll teach Pete the hen to pick at the pigskin.

Then I'll mind my own farm fussiness and watch the real good egg layer chickens kick manure with a backstroke feet-shuffle all day today, and hush up. huh. merci. O, no contradict anybody...skinny dip. In pig slop? Snap a bra strap? shush up.

It takes a particular mindset to be a Good Bushie. Fealty to Dear Leader is not enough. Positive results regardless of the cost to achieve those results, nay in spite of the cost, must be demonstrated to prove loyalty to this posse.

The key to success of Shrubbites appears to be willingness to flout the Rule of Law while providing services needed to further establish power and control. If your backside is exposed, another member of the posse will be squeezed if necessary to give you cover.

Even a "made man" like a Rockefeller can be brought to understand the needs of this emerging plutocracy. He will glibly do everything he can to protect the wealth of the families. Even when it means stepping on his oath of office. Even when it hurts America. Even when it removes every shred of credibility he may have once earned.

I too have a pitchfork and I'm ready to use it.