Yes, the Constitution IS optional. What are you going to do about it? Elect more Blue Dogs like last time? Well, that sounds like a plan, doesn't it? Go right ahead. Yes, the Rule of Law DOES apply only to the Little People, and then only to some of them based on race and gender. What are you going to do about it? Elect more pseudo-Progressives and Blue Dogs? Go right ahead. They're begging you to.

Yes, the Presidency has been turned into a competitve monarchy, and yes it can operate very effectively as an Autocracy. What are you going to do about it? Call and fax and write stern letters? Elect more Blue Dogs? Please! By all means! Have at it!

They see their job as protecting and defending The Government, not the Constitution. And they think they're doing a pretty good job. Too bad radical extremists don't appreciate the job they're doing.

Your job, in fact the job of all ordinary Americans, is to keep on consuming the economic, political, and social products they believe you deserve. -- Ché Pasa

Aha! So that's what you meant! Apparently I misunderstood you. So you want all those things, the mass demonstrations, boycotts, the big puppets, without any threat of violence. Okay, glad we got that straight.

And with your kind of persuasion and rhetoric behind it, how could it fail!?!

Just change your name to Ghandi, but skip the loincloth. Try a leather vest and chaps, instead.

adnoto:

those advocating the peaceful and historically proven direct action tactics of mass demonstration, sit-ins, boycotts, marches

I didn't realize you'd organized any of these. When are they? I'll go!

I'm not entirely sure that you earnestly mean this point, because it seems like many people here have pointed out what's wrong with it(wiretaps in the US require warrants) and yet you keep making it.

My whole idea in all this is that the semantics involved hasn't been made clear by the parties responsible for doing so. Would you feel better if I said wiretaps....
* Initiated in the US
* On US phones
* By US agencies
require a warrant?

Why would we have a "warrantless wiretapping" scandal if warrants aren't required domestically?
Why is the FISC issuing warrants if not required? If you can explain why warrants are not required - for actual wiretaps - initiated on US phones - in the US - by US agencies, have at it. Or....

Are these people jumping to the conclusion that because the NSA can hear an American in virtual Belarus, it's warrantless wiretapping? To which I say tough noogies because the FISA has no jurisdiction in Belarus.

Or possibly is the objection that because the virtual Belarus is routed through the US, it's equivalent to warrantless wiretaps in the US? To which I say more tough noogies because virtual Belarus is equivalent to real Belarus, just like that while their US embassy may be on DC dirt, it's still officially the sovereign territory of Belarus.

Now, if you can clarify what out of that, is wrong, please do.

---------------------------------

Regarding your analogy of not being able to see only one team on the field, I understand, and so did the original FISA act. To remedy that, are procedures called minimization where accidental overhearing of US calls was declared not to have happened by the persons overhearing. Sound stupid? Sure. But when dealing with the juncture of abstract rights versus real practicalities, that often happens.

@adnoto

Are you trying to tell us you can hit a moving motorcade several times from a book-depository window? I love target shooting (bottles even better) but my eyesight ain't so good no more, so I'll gues I'll just have to vote and send money, or walk around with a sign. You could always stick a rag in an aquavit bottle full of gas. I bet that's your favorite cocktail!

Viva La Revolucion

It took a while to get ourselves into this, it'll be a while before we get out, if ever. Isn't that awful?-- Derbig Mooser

More hyperbole from another comfortable coward who is not interested in real change.

Everyone take note how they use the extreme in an effort to marginalize those advocating the peaceful and historically proven direct action tactics of mass demonstration, sit-ins, boycotts, marches, etc. Notice how they raise the specter of assassination and murderous DFH's carrying Molotov cocktails. Notice how they beg for more time to implement their already failed strategy simply because they are unwilling to suffer one moment of discomfort in order to bring about change.

Stay comfortable everyone. That is all that matters.

Would that one day I too might spend my days wishing for a magic pony. -- DCLaw1

If wishes were horses, beggars would have blogs!

Hit on 'em again Bamage! Maybe this time you'll click! (or just get a few of those aquavit Mary's into 'em, and they'll do anything, or maybe you will.

Anyway, if Ash likes it, and I'm gonna try it, too, we could maybe call it a "slutty Mary"? Just spitballing here, I'm not married to that name.

Are you trying to tell us you can hit a moving motorcade several times from a book-depository window? I love target shooting (bottles even better) but my eyesight ain't so good no more, so I'll gues I'll just have to vote and send money, or walk around with a sign. You could always stick a rag in an aquavit bottle full of gas. I bet that's your favorite cocktail!

Viva La Revolucion

It took a while to get ourselves into this, it'll be a while before we get out, if ever. Isn't that awful?

Would that one day I too might spend my days wishing for a magic pony. -- DCLaw1

You already are. You and those like you are only fooling yourselves.

Oh well, I don't know why a guy spends $30,000 to ride around in the "fuck me" riding position and dress up as a gay icon from the Village people.

Excuse me, pal, but where the hell did you get the idea I ever said anything like that about HELOC, Whoops, I mean Harley-Davidson riders. Those guys are All-American. Wasn't me, Kitt, LWM made me say it!