It's time for a Mighty Wind. Let's blow the Pelosi / Reid / Hoyer hacks out of office. I've never been angrier.

I almost can't read the post, my eyes get so crossed with anger and frustration.

Not only is our Democratic leadership craven, they are also apparently morons.

I fear that more of our civil liberties will get sold down the river. It sounds like a done deal. That said, just because we may lose this battle, there are good alternatives. Even if the telecoms don't pay in a court of law, I propose massive campaigns to educate people to vote with their pocketbooks. It may not be a court-levied fine, but we do have the ability to fine them. Walk away from their business. Take your business to those companies that protected you and your rights. They may not be nationwide, currently, but I am pretty sure that some of the other companies would love the chance to expand.

Just a thought.

It is not that I'm optimistic that this action will contribute to any change; just sheer rage needs a constructive outlet.

I keep asking why - why would the Democrats do this? Because they are afraid of being called weak - by a President with a 25% approval rating? I guess it comes down to money - just like all things do in Washington. Sad but true. I can only surmise that the telecom companies contribute huge amounts of dough to these particular Democrats reelection campaigns...? Or they have been spied on themselves and the Republicans have something on these folks...Glenn - your take on the "why" of all this...?

Olbermann last night was one of the few broadcast journalist to cover this and had a great guest (consitutional law proffessor I believe) on to discuss the issue. Other than that, its been media blackout city.

So I guess my question now, since the obvious one of why is the nation not up in arms about losing one of their most covetted and basic protections, is where do we go from here?

Is that it? Deal signed and this holds? Since this bill seems to be in direct opposition to the basic tenants of law, can this not be chanlleneged before the sunset clause of 2012?

Let's just quit dancing around the subject, the time is here for a second revolution. I'm willing to try and vote these pathetic worms out but if that doesn't work we need to start considering our next move. Just as the colonists 225 years ago had to wrestle with toppling their government, we need to start doing the same.

When the "opposition" party gleefully eviscerates all of the rights our founding fathers fought for and then has the gall and temerity to try and tell us how hard they're fighting for us then the time for talk is just about over.

They are corrupt, they are worthless and worst of all they think we're stupid. Any patriot worth his salt should pledge to fight these monsters BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.

Call me when we've taken to the streets to physically remove these clowns. I'll be there.

this is the "unity" that the fauxgressive blogosphere was praising in their blind support for Barack Obama.

Instead of an actual leader like Hillary Clinton, you all went with someone who clearly made promises to the pelosis and rockefellers that he wouldn't interfere with what they felt like doing. A "President Obama" will hand bare bones legislation to Congress, and let the Dems do what they want with it. A "President Clinton" would have been consulting with key members of Congress, then handing fully thought out legislative proposals to Congress, and insisting that the Party leadership get the bills passed with as few changes as possible.

Greenwald and the rest of the fauxgressives dug this grave, and now they are complaining as the dirt gets shovelled on their faces.

What is going on truly sucks, but its exactly what the Obama supporters were asking for...

I have been trying to get answers out of Hoyer's office for two days now about my privacy

I have an extra twist: I'm a separated parent, and my son lives in Quebec with his mother. I call them about 3-4 times a week, and each call is an international call. I asked Hoyer's office yesterday to find out how my phone calls, which discuss stuff like his development, medical issues, travel plans, etc., would be protected, and they said they'd call me back.

Well, that never happened so I called back again today, and the young woman who answered the phone told me "it's only been 8 hours". I had to correct her, since it had been more like 24 hours, and then she hung up on me. So I called back, only to get a lecture on respect from some snivelling little intern who needed to have his mouth washed out with soap.

Honestly, I'm thinking of taking a day off from work next week, driving down to DC and sitting in front of Hoyer's office until someone deals with me.

Just received this response to a letter I sent Obama:

Dear Bill,

Thank you for contacting me about the proposed legislation to give phone companies legal immunity for past wiretapping. I share both your strong opposition to this special interest provision and your frustration that the President and his supporters in Congress continue to push it. This fight is just one more example of why things in Washington must change.

I have consistently opposed this Administration's efforts to use debates about our national security to expand its own power, whether that was in regard to the conduct of the Iraq war or its restrictions on our civil liberties through domestic surveillance programs or suspension of habeas corpus. It is time to restore oversight and accountability in the FISA program, and rejecting this unprecedented grant of retroactive immunity is a good place to start.

Giving retroactive immunity to telecom companies is simply wrong. Thankfully, the most recent effort to pass this legislation at the end of the legislative year failed. I unequivocally oppose this grant of immunity and support the filibuster of it. I have cosponsored Senator Dodd’s proposal that would remove it from the current FISA bill and continue to follow this debate closely. In order to prevail, the proponents of retroactive immunity still have to convince 60 or more senators to vote to end a filibuster of this bill. I will not be one of them.

This Administration has put forward a false choice between the liberties we cherish and the security we demand. When I am president, there will be no more illegal wire-tapping of American citizens; no more national security letters to spy on citizens who are not suspected of a crime; no more tracking citizens who do nothing more than protest a misguided war. Our Constitution works, and so does the FISA court. By working with Congress and respecting our courts, I will provide our intelligence and law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to track and take out the terrorists without undermining our Constitution and our freedom.

Thank you again for contacting me. I look forward to continuing to wage this fight.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama

There is no mention of the current disaster, however, which makes the letter somewhat weird. I hope that he will indeed be part of a filibuster. But, once again, where is he in public?