Far better to sit back and chuckle complacently in the fact of this outbreak of useless effort and inability to accomplish any goals.

-- Amity

Huh? You mean life goes on and we have to keep speaking and writing and calling and emailing? Guns, pitchforks and torches and really tough guy rhetoric won't help? Dang.

I honestly thought that he wouldn't roll on this. I EXPECTED that he wouldn't roll on this. It's too big an issue and way to much of a loaded gun pointed at the 'enemies of the Bushies'...

Christ, this will make the movie 'Enemy of the State' look like a historical retrospective!

For those of us who HOPEd, but did not really expect, that Obama really would, on principle, fulfill his oath to defend our Constitutional rights, this is simply his declaration that, just like many if not most other Democrats and just about all Republicans, principle will always come second to political expediency.

I guess that's a load of monkey shit smeared under my nose... Pardon me while I wipe it off and stumble back to my cage...

Nice to see the Senate's "most liberal member" inaction (one wrod intended).

Just like Hillary lost me with Kyl-Lieberman, Obama loses me the second this passes the Senate. The lesser of two evils is still evil. Relying on the SCOTUS to save us? Good luck with that. I'm gone, Dumbocraps. Good luck with your reign. Given the past two years, I don't expect much to change. I'm going Green from now on. And before other Dems get their panties reflexively in a bunch, keep in mind that Obama will easily carry my state of Illinois -- just not with my support. Time to put my energies towards starting something that actually might make a difference instead of just selling out to grab the brass power ring.

Don't forget it was just a day ago that Barack issued a statement which seemingly condemned the compromise:

"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"

He's said much to that effect before as well. The question now is, how long will Barack have been in office before he concludes that "given the grave threats that we face", pulling out of Iraq is no longer in the best interest of national security?

He has squandered my confidence. I was wavering between 3rd party and Obama, but had decided to vote Democrat. I am no longer sure that's the way to go, and may vote LP again.

The retroactive immunity wasn't THE controversial part, it was just the "rub your face in monkey manure you total cowards" part.'

You're absolutely right, nearly everyone agrees that retroactive amnesty to lawbreaking telecom companies was really just a stunt designed to taunt liberals. It has no actual substance, and no real consequences in terms of justice, civil rights, and the rule of law. The civil liberties organizations that have been opposing the telecom immunity effort haven't given the amnesty provisions more than a passing thought.

I look forward to the day when Antonin Scalia explains to us how this grotesque abrogation of our liberties is exactly what the Founding Pussies had in mind all those years ago. -- flagwaiver

I gotta say... this is the funniest thing I have ever read in the comments section of UT. I am still laughing.

Well done sir (or madame as the case may be).

"REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS WE CAN BELIEVE IN!"

Wait a minute---that's redundant---oh, I see. That always WAS what that meant.

Fair enough.

"Thanks, Hotpotatomash, as I watch the 4th Amendment circle the drain"

Let's hope the d's are smarter than the average bear. Hasn't been teh first time he chose covering his people's as* over the american people. Let's show teh world what these fascsits are about. If the spineless senate dem's have brain, they will do it and put the onance on bush.

"If the Senate were to prevail in removing telecom immunity from the current bill, then it would function as a poison pill, and my money says Bush would veto it.

If the Senate is successful in moving the telecom immunity provision into a separate bill ... then, maybe, it buys some time.

Am I hopelessly over the edge?

-- bystander

If the Senate takes the immunity out then it has to go back to the House (or a conference committee (think back room, no lights)) because it's not the same bill. IF the senate does take immunity out of the piece of shit, it will be a while before Bush can have another one 'produced' by the house.

At this point, if I remember my government classes, the senate either 'fish's or cuts bait'. They either pass the bill as-is or they take out the knives. One way and we could have a 'law' in days, the other and it'll start stinking like a bait shop with no air conditioning pretty quick...

SOME military people.

One could conclude based on the political cowardice and truly debased conduct the Congressional DC DEMs have demonstrated since November 2006 DEM election upswing and with todays fully spineless show of no valid public interest voting there must be something buried somewhere. A truly odorous complicity somewhere along this telecom snoop and peep trail that the DC DEMs had a hand in and direct links to and now must run from.

The Decider when viewed earlier today on one of Americas best propaganda "news" cable channels surely had a noticeable smirk showing to one side of his mouth. What does he know we do not(as yet anyway)? Was it about this DC DEM cave-in or that Israeli "attack demo" showcasing American F-16 fighter jets and other American supplied human killing wartoys? Surely the peoples of the Middle East and parts east know full well who is backing the Israeli gunslingers as Israel careens around Middle East sacking and laying to ruin Lebanon and likely Iran now too.

Barack Obama should be more mindful and careful of how cavalier he chooses to be with the idealism and enthusiasim of his core backers and supporters.

Is it really going to be "Yes-we can" Barack or is it going to be "Maybe-depends-principles?what about em'?

As for the current DC DEM roster of "leadership" in Congress the smell from this political/constitutional debacle is damn high.

Just what the hell did the DC DEMs knowingly sign onto or let Bush/Cheney regime run with despite clear risks of doing so?