$80,000 dropped into a single Congressional district makes a huge splash. The same amount dropped into a national presidential race is akin to throwing a tiny pebble into the ocean.

-- GlennGreenwald

True, but three one-page ads could result in millions of free advertising through the M$M which is exactly how McSame survived until the other Repugs became their own worst enemies and left him the only one standing.

Gleen wrote:

One of the benefits from the protracted battle over telecom amnesty is that it is a perfect microcosm for how our government institutions work. And a casual review of the available evidence regarding how telecom amnesty is being pursued demonstrates what absurd, irrelevant distractions are the pro-amnesty justifications offered by the pundit class and the Bush administration.

... While we're subjected to all sorts of prattle from our pundit class and political leaders about how telecom amnesty is so urgent if we want to be Safe from the Terrorists, this is the sleaze that fuels how the process works. And the sleaze is spread around in a nice bipartisan way.

...None of this is particularly new, but it's still remarkable to be able to document it in such grotesque detail and see how transparent it all is. In one sense, it's just extraordinary how seamlessly and relentlessly the wheels of this dirty process churn. But in another sense, it's perhaps even more remarkable -- given the forces lined up behind telecom amnesty -- that those who have been working against it, with far fewer resources and relying largely on a series of disruptive tactics and ongoing efforts to mobilize citizen anger, have been able to stop it so far.

There is nothing new about both parties working behind the scenes to enrich themselves and violate the American people. Nothing new at all here. In fact, our system is set up to keep the two parties in power and prevent any third party or outsider politician from having half a chance to to really effect change to the system.

No matter which party dominates government over the next decade or so, there will be no relief for the American citizen because we are already lost. Proof? We will not even try to impeach Bush II. We will not even try.

The Democrats will have to work damn hard not to completely control the government after the next election. Will we see an end to our military killing people in foreign lands even though these people pose not threat to our citizens? I wager we will see blood, but in different lands.

Will we see the government stop inflating the money until it is worth a continental? Will we see the end to giveaways to corporations to the detriment of the working class? For example, and end to farm subsidies (welfare for the rich) that cost the poor man in taxes one time and costs him at the food store every trip.

Any chance of getting the police to turn in the military gear? Will we keep going until every backwater police department has fighter jets? (you laugh, but I would have laughed about the tanks 20 years ago)

I'll stop now. There is no way that Americans can control this government; and I don't think they want to do so. I think they all just want their cut of the pie.

Apparently, since no one ever has to leave, they get to act more like a PAC than a sub-caucus, all while wrapped in the cozy warmth of the Democratic Party.

Shouldn't it be illegal for a caucus (that somehow includes former congressional members) to act as a PAC within a party? Given that there are all of those rules about "non-collaboration" between third parties and political campaigns...

And here I was worried about all of the time that Lieberman spent in Dem strategy caucuses. But, it's a much more widely spread problem: adversarial moles ensconced in the party.

Time for Whack-a-Pac.

"I'll stop now. There is no way that Americans can control this government; and I don't think they want to do so. I think they all just want their cut of the pie."

Bucky, my friend, are you in good health?

You mistakenly think that those funds would have been available for other purposes. In fact, I gave somewhat generously to the specific ad campaign against Carney, and I would not have given that money to ads against McCain. I speak only for myself, of course. I do not plan to give money to anti-McCain ads until closer to the general election.

I will, however, donate generously to other campaigns against other Blue Dogs.

The money being spent by the telecoms to buy Congressional complicity hints at the scope of the "other" domestic spying programs which remain secret:

http://www.radaronline.com/from-the-magazine/2008/05/government_surveillance_homeland_security_main_core_01-print.php (or click on my signature)

Has this already been mentioned? It's absolutely bone-chilling.

Well, you're not dumb. Evil, maybe, but not dumb. ;-)

-- William Timberman

While I believe you were attempting to be pleasant and "taking the piss" as our British friends like to say, I lost any sense of humor I had about this stuff long ago. Perhaps you would care to elaborate on why you feel I might be "evil" for pointing out the obvious. I am truly curious.

Good Reporting Glenn, and thanks for being so focused on reality!

The big question to me is just how much of the Democratic Party has been bought. Or more accurately, just how many of them are more motivated by self interest than by national interest. I don't know that I believe that it's just the blue dogs at all.

The more excited people get about 'change' the more I worry about a repeat of 2006. See the thing is the Democratic Party has been playing 'Me Too' to the Republican parties excess for 50 years now. That's how american politics works. And see the thing is, I've heard the speech from hope before, and then I got downsized so they could send my engineering job to India. Color me as an unbeliever.

But it's worth noting I will be voting for whoever the democratic nominee is. Talk of voting for McShame is not just well beyond stupid -- it's the real problem.

See the real problem is all the voters who don't have the vaguest idea what matters in the real world, who thought invading Iraq was a great idea (80% I believe, more than have yet realized who GWB is. It's not just the Democratic Party's fault. It's the fault of the millions of americans who hear all this fear talk and run scared in to the arms of...