The comments section could use a more militant style of moderation to counter the discourse poisoning from the McCain trolls. It's absurd to "debate" them - they aren't thinking men and women who build a belief system from the bricks and mortar of logic and truth. Instead, they are indoctrinated into a belief system and they hammer and twist and deform logic and the truth to accomodate their belief system. These aren't the "moderate" McCain supporters who just aren't aware yet - they're bigmouths and dullards for whom war is a sport, the US is "their" team and they won't see their team "lose". They would rather American boys have their arms and legs blown off than have them "lose" their glorious game.

The blood of American soldiers is on their hands more than it is on the hands of those who lay the bombs and pull the triggers.

OK--last comment on this, I vow.

"I think we do a grave disservice if we try to convince people that Obama is really going to work to get amnesty out of the bill.

Couldn't disagree more. You do people--voters--a service. And, I'd add that you're not trying to convince anyone of anything. You are simply taking the man at his word, on a very critical issue. The poor voters have been deluged with lapel pins and crazy pastors for months now. This, by contrast, is a real issue. Couldn't be more real. Test him, and let the voters see it.

By building up what Obama has just said publicly anyway, you are making the cost of Kabuki much higher for him, and increasing the pressure he might actually do something.

It's so great to see such fortitude in the face of adversity from the activists on whose efforts our liberty and well-being depend. -- Amity

lol. Activists?? In the words of Inigo Montoya...

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

Yeah it is a positively revolutionary act to continue to bang one's head against the wall by voting and hoping for more and better democrats. It is the most rational thing one can do... hold on...oh crap -- Einstein disagrees):

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein

Ah WTF does he know anyway? More and better Democrats!!!11!1

Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Going onward to the next step - although I have heard of the government rendering lawsuits moot before, typically I have heard it done in relationship to some other alternative resolution so provided.

Is there any chance that this would qualify as violating the 'redress of grievances' clause in the first amendment? Surely stating the government can disarm a lawsuit with a piece of paper is insufficient to address this?

Not that I entirely trust the supreme court at this point anyway - given four members that claim to be originalists, yet eagerly argue to toss out habeas corpus that was only supposed to be suspendable in cases of invasion or rebellion, I think we have the worst court since Taney was a justice.

But given the Democratic Party's willingness to keep fighting this damn thing out till they lose, it's the only thing I see left to hold them accountable.

Jonnan

Just as I thought, niether Baldie or Kitt can provide any proof whatsoever.

-- bucks4mccain

If you "thought" at all you would have done your homework. Professing stupidity, and laziness, in the same thread is kind of like lying down and dying an ugly death only because you were too lazy and stupid to pluck a tick out of your dick. There seems to be no level of embarrassment too much to bear for trolls such as you.

And by God, Congressional reports aren't facts, they're opinions!

Heaven forfend we should learn from the past....

Since his statement, I read someone actually call him the lesser of two evils. This is what he is being reduced to - the lesser of two evils. If that becomes the mainstream analysis, then he is in big trouble.

But looking at this from another angle, for Obama to play this kabuki theater is to destroy almost every virtue that he claims to have over McCain. Think about it. If he "tries" to remove the immunity provision and subsequently fails, then how is he able to claim that he can take on special interests and win? That he can work with both sides to make things happen when others can't.

If this plays out as you suggest (and I have no reason to think it won't), then a huge seed is suddenly planted in people's minds that Obama might be a good guy, but he doesn't quite have what it takes to really shake things up. And his whole campaign really depends on maintaining his image. McCain's campaign may be incompetent, but Karl Rove isn't so stupid that he can't take that seed and make it sprout into full-blown doubt about Obama's lack of experience and leadership.

Obama is playing with fire, and I truly don't understand the calculus here. What's the payoff for him?

Still, I hope Obama wins, as he is the lesser of two evils, by far.

You are so naive. We were promised the Angel Obama, seraphim of heaven, and all we got was a lousy politician who only responds to constituents when they vigorously express their views. It's foolish to hope he wins — he, like all other people who seek political office, turns out to be a politician. So is John McCain! Therefore, there's no difference between the two of them, and no reason to favor Obama.

All my donations now go to ActBlue. Let's keep up the pressure!

That ActBlue thing will never amount to anything. We've already all lost. Doom!