...should be grounds for impeachment. And as much as I despise the power-crazed Republicans who dreamed it up and are now trying to ram it down our throats, if the Democrats do not have the balls to stand up--FINALLY--after 5 years of cowering and say, "Enough!" then I will never vote Democrat again. Ever.

Clue in, people. This country is DYING, literally, for leaders of principle and intelligence and honor, all qualities that Bush cannot even spell, much less possess. For God's sake and the sake of this nation, do your damned duty!

...none of these bills have been enacted as of yet, correct? And if I am correct, then it's a little premature to condemn the Democrats for not stopping it, is it not?

Anybody listening?

Thanks Senator Leahy - at least now we know that there's at least one Senator who's actually read this bill and understood its implications. It's sad that his statement about this bill stands out in such stark contrast; that contrast demonstrates just how thoroughly the Democratic Party has abdicated any and all responsibility for protecting those of us who aren't quite ready to lie down as paving stones on the road to totalitarian dictatorship that the Bush administration is so busily building. I still don't see any hope of halting construction on that road, but at least Senator Leahy will have the comfort of having spoken out against tyranny. Let's just hope he doesn't end up with nothing to do but reflect on his words while he languishes in a concentration camp for enemies of the state.

...none of these bills have been enacted as of yet, correct?

That's correct.

And if I am correct, then it's a little premature to condemn the Democrats for not stopping it, is it not?

The only way for the Democrats to stop these bills is through a filibuster in which virtually the entire Democratic caucas participates. To do that, they would have had to have been laying the groundwork for weeks, if not months, by loudly and jointly condeming torture, detention, and warrantless eavesdropping powers.

They've done nothing of the sort. They disappeared from the tortue debate and relied on Sen. McCain as their proxy. All signals from the Democratic leadership in Congress is that filibuster is not even on the table; it is not even an option being considered.

The Democrats' unwillingness to oppose these bills in any meaningful way is crystal clear at this point. Does the theoretical possibility exist that they will filibuster them? Sure, it exists. But in the real world, that isn't going to happen, so what is the benefit of pretending otherwise? I would like nothing more than to see Democrats take a principled stand here - which, in my view, would not only be the right thing to do, but the smart thing politically - but it's clear that they aren't.

Last week the news was that the Cemocrats on the Armed Forces Committee voted against it as did Senator McCain and four other Republicans. I thought John McCain was bedrock where opposing torture and illegal detention was concerned, but evidently he experienced a tectonic plate shift in the President's favor. After that, McCain is CERTAINLY finished, where I'm concerned.

I definitely hope the bill will be defeated by an up or down full Senate vote, but at least the committe democrats voted for its defeat in committee. I hope they and enough Republicans will vote to defeat this on the Senate floor before the November election. It's an appalling bill. After November, I hope they won't have a prayer of passing it.

Bush and Cheney admit to FOURTEEN THOUSAND people now in non-legal detention.

They tortured him, of course.

"In other words, the bill would tell the millions of legal immigrants living in America, participating in American families, working for American businesses, and paying American taxes, that our government may at any minute pick them up and detain them indefinitely without charge, and without any access to the courts or even to military tribunals, unless and until the government determines that they are not enemy combatants."

Suddenly that Halliburton/KBR detention centers contract that was announced back in January is making a lot more sense. From Halliburton's own press release:

KBR announced today that its Government and Infrastructure division has been awarded an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to support the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities in the event of an emergency. ... With a maximum total value of $385 million over a five-year term, consisting of a one-year based period and four one-year options, the competitively awarded contract will be executed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District. KBR held the previous ICE contract from 2000 through 2005. ... The contract, which is effective immediately, provides for establishing temporary detention and processing capabilities to augment existing ICE Detention and Removal Operations (DRO) Program facilities in the event of an emergency influx of immigrants into the U.S., or to support the rapid development of new programs. ... The contract may also provide migrant detention support to other U.S. Government organizations in the event of an immigration emergency, as well as the development of a plan to react to a national emergency, such as a natural disaster.

I've been wondering for months just what the hell Bush was up to with these detention centers. Bravo to Pat Leahy for speaking up and speaking out but I'm not sure anybody's even listening. If Congress hands this kind of power to George Bush when they should be impeaching him instead, then I think I can finally stop wondering what those detention centers will be used for.

That's all you're worried about? Leahy's concern with immigrants just sounds like an attempt to swing a particular bloc of voters. What does this bill say about the rights of citizens of other free nations? We have already illegally abducted free people around the world, now this bill will officially condone this activity from the perspective of the United States government? What will the response of the rest of the world be? Will being an American still guaruntee that other free countries