Wiretap tango...

NPR's All Thing's Considered recently aired a story on lawyers trying to get a hold of NSA evidence against their clients. It's really scary. Orwellian scary.

The long and the short of it is that the NSA/Fed. Gov't won't release any records that may have come from the warrant-less wiretaps. These records won't even be released to defense lawyers with the proper security clearance.

Take a listen, it's pretty good. So much for allowing defendants the right to a fair trial....

You spin me right 'round...

Can someone in the administration define "Civil War" for us, please?
'Cause I don't think they can.
And if you're unveiling a bold new vision, don't you think it should be, well, new?
And telling us you're listening to us isn't the same as actually doing it.

Ug, the last few weeks, Georgie's been on another popularity kick, trying to appease the base and win back, well everyone who's jumped ship since the beginning of the year. And lately it's been all about Iraq, big surprise. After former PM Ayad Allawi, called the current sectarian violence "civil war," Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld all rushed to the press podium to refute the claim. Only it doesn't seem like anyone's really listening anymore, with casualties amongst the Iraqis still on the rise, and the new gov't's seeming inability to even form a coherent government.

Yet, the Bush camp remains hopeful, and really they can't afford to seem anything else. We are almost back to the "everything's fine, please ignore the fanatic bombers behind the curtain" sunny-days of old.

Which is in stark contrast to the image The White House is trying to portray. While we haven't had any more "mistakes were made" admissions from the top, Georgie's been trying to show he's still listening, he's still in control, and he understands our concerns.

And one has to wonder if the resignation of CoS Andrew Card will have any effect, let alone the "shake-up" everyone's been hoping for.

Here's to more waiting and watching....

Ed. 4-2-06

Puppet theatre

Welcome to Constitution-trashing 101.

Our instructors for the day are the Republican members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, who have decided to toe the party line and allow Georgie to continue wiretapping for up to 45 days without a warrant. Then he has to go to FISA, OR convince members of congress that it's necessary. And since FISA was pretty darn compliant to begin with, and, well, Congress is Congress, AND no one is explicitly saying that Georgie was wrong and supporting what are, constitutionally illegal actions, or threatening action if Georgie doesn't comply, we're.... pretty much where we've been since the story broke.

What kills me is that this "accommodation" has no teeth whatsoever. While the members of Congress who voted down the Dem-led push for an investigation are claiming oversight privileges, the White House has yet to acknowledge them. Through the press office, Georgie is still claiming the authority for the wiretaps, with or without permission. What's an oversight committee going to do- call a press conference and say how disappointed they are? Been there, done that.

So, basically Congress is offering Georgie the ultimate out. If he acts like he's asking permission every 45 days or so, we're just going to let him continue on his merry way. No investigation into previous acts, and likely only a cursory investigation into any future requests. After all, we all know what a great job Congressional Oversight and Intelligence did in looking at pre-war intelligence.

And while Arlen Specter threatening to hold up funding until the Judiciary Committee gets some answers looks good on paper- we all saw/read the last round of Gonzales' testimony. There are no teeth there, either. Funding will come where it will come. They don't call them discresionary funds for nothing.

It's called the Bill of RIGHTS, folks.
Not the Bill of Perks-you-get-for-being-like-us-but-only-when-we're-not-looking-for-a-scapegoat.

Pro-Life Loophole

Slate's William Saletan finds the lovely little ethical/legal loophole in SD's new abortion ban.
Good food for thought.
Take the Fifth

No, no, no...

Photograph of Gov. Mike Rounds copyright Megan Meyers- ArgusLeader.com

The governor of South Dakota has signed the state's abortion ban law.

While the law will likely be suspended/unenforced until all legal challenges are addressed (see Supreme Court) it still sets a horrible precedent and encourages legislatures and governors in other states to follow suit. Supporters of the ban are banking on the Roberts court (with Alito toeing the line) to back the ban and overturn Roe v. Wade.

Not that there's a great deal of surprise here. Since Alito's confirmation, many have simply been counting the days until a state legislature passed an abortion ban. There are several winding their way through state politics, SD just hit the finish line first.

"In the history of the world, the true test of a civilization is how well people treat the most vulnerable and most helpless in their society. The sponsors and supporters of this bill believe that abortion is wrong because unborn children are the most vulnerable and most helpless persons in our society. I agree with them." Gov. Mike Rounds, who apparently does not think rape and incest victims are in any way "vulnerable" or "helpless" as the law makes no exception for victims of these crimes, just for the life of the mother.

Contact Gov. Rounds to voice your opinion. Whether you're a SD resident or not, this is going to hit the national consciousness like a sledgehammer.

Thanks to CNN.com for the quote.

Head in the sand... Approval numbers, what approval numbers?

Everyone on the left side of the aisle is having a field day with the new polling data that came out this week on our favorite ostritch, Georgie. Dropping to a new low, our President's approval rating sits at a paltry mid-30's (depending on which poll you're looking at).

President Bush is polling with Nixon's numbers. That's gotta hurt.

A sign? One would hope, but then this one's been hoping for awhile and has been sorely disappointed before. I, frankly, see no reason to hope that these numbers will permeate through the sand the President has shoved his head into (down to his waist, it seems sometimes). Why?

"If I worried about polls, I wouldn't be doing my job." Bush's own words in his interview with Elizabeth Vargas on Tuesday night. (Thanks, CNN.com!)

Oh, dear. Last time I checked, Mr. President, the people being polled were the people who elected you. Elected you to do a job. Elected you to protect us, shelter us, lead us, and support us. So if we don't think you're doing your job- why do you?

Yes, over-pandering to the whims of capricious polls is a BAD IDEA. Up, down, up, down, it would be chaos and irresponsible to quiver every time the wind changes direction.

But your numbers have been falling for months, Georgie. This is not a temporary dip. Your strongest numbers used to be your truthfulness and your security numbers. They used to withstand most of the fluctuations in your approval rating with steadfast triumph. Even if we thought you an idiot, we thought you meant well, were (more or less) honest with us, and would protect us as bet you could. No more.

More than half the country no longer trusts you. More than half the country no longer trusts your handling of Iraq. More than 70% of the country thinks you're a tool for big business and could care less about those of us who work for them. (OK, not the exact wording, but you're getting my point, right? Right? Damn. I used an actual number, I think I lost him.)

Georgie, how you gonna do that job we think you can't do when we remove you from it?