Bushed Again, 'New Rules'

Post this in the 'Like-I-don't-have-enough-to-think-about department.' From SadButTrue, one of the Unruly Mob over at Les Enragés.org, who picked up the story from Crooks and Liars: New and Disturbing Rules Sought--it's looking like telecom immunity may happen afterall. A brief summation from SBT's post:

1) - If you're 'with us', you can get away with whatever the hell you like, including murder. Think of the KBR/Halliburton thugs that gang-raped Jamie Leigh Jones. Or the contractors involved in the black-site interrogation TO DEATH of dozens of alleged terrorists. Or the $10 BILLION in cash that went missing in Iraq under Paul Bremer's watch - and nobody even bothered to look for it. Etc, etc, etc...

2) If you're not 'with us', you are by explicit definition 'with the terrorists', so you are guilty regardless of any evidence that a crime being committed. Think of Don Siegelman, or once again of those dozens of alleged terrorists who've been tortured to death.

Above all think of the appointment of the most partisan group of hacks to ever inhabit the Supreme Court, and the Prosecutors' Purge that has created what amounts to a Department of Injustice in America. The march toward a full-blown fascist state continues unimpeded.

I would add to SBT's #2 that under The Patriot Act, Habeus Corpus has been suspended, so good luck with getting a lawyer and a court appearance or having anyone know where you are. Don Seigelman is a perfect example; he was unable to talk to the public for over a year as he rotted away in jail.

I hate these fucking people. I'm left with the fear that the election won't happen or will be flipped. After all BushCo has accomplished in so far as their power-grab, will these people really turn all that power over to Democrats?

Regarding Spines

Digby's got a Hull-ab-lot to say about the FISA court and congress' unwillingness to find a spine. She says, "It's Not a Tough Call."

The New Gestapo

Cheney looking comfortable while visiting Auschwitz


PBS' Frontline broadcast last night, 'Cheney's Law', was utterly jaw dropping in its reporting of the "dark side" of the Cheney/Bush collaboration to undermine the U.S. Constitution and the freedom of not only Americans, but the entire world. I'm still in shock from the assault on my sensibilities and the horrific damage done to our system of government portrayed in this stunning documentary. If you have not seen it, do so now. If you are not frightened by the depth of secret police-like tactics and operations of Cheney's decisions since in power, you are asleep. The parallels between Hitler's SS and the Gestapo are uncanny and terrifying. Watch it.

An Unconscionable Act of Cowardice

I speak of the democratic leadership, 41 house members and 16 senators giving carte blanche to the criminal enterprise in the white house, in its ability to wiretap without a warrant, ANYBODY, American, foreign or domestic. They gave the chimp-in-charge the ability to undermine the 4th amendment to the constitution, to whit:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

This 'new' law is unconstitutional, but it will survive in spite of that fact. It will unless we DEMAND that our representatives rescind this new law. They will not unless we hound them. If we choose to rely on the "sunsetting" of this law in six months, recall the "Patriot Act" which has the sunset provision built in. Not only did the patriot act survive, but had more restrictions of our freedoms built into the new version.

This craven act has gives the only oversight of wiretaps to the corrupt liar, Alberto Gonzales. How can the dems do this? They clearly care more for how they appear than what we think. The shock is still palpable.

That fact that the MSM barely reported this to the American people is no shock but how many more of of constitutionally protected freedoms will we let fall by the wayside until we say "NO MORE"? Call or write your rep or senator, especially if they are on the rollcall of traitors. Tell them you will not support them in the future. Tell them you will encourage all those in your sphere of influence to do the same. Tell them it is UNAMERICAN to undermine our basic rights. If you have outrage fatigue, buck up and do your duty to the nation by voicing your opinion.

It's no accident the MSM concentrates on the yo-yoing of the stock market, the bubble burst of the housing market, back to school sale and the mine tragedy in Utah; they want you distracted and exhausted, then you can't fight back. This can't wait. Do it now. Vigilance to the Constitution is more important now than since its very inception. Your nation is counting on you.

The "Lost" Weapons of Iraq -- Will they be' found' in the hands of insurgents?

WaPo is reporting: Weapons Given by U.S. To Iraq Are Missing

The Pentagon has lost track of about 190,000 AK-47 assault rifles and pistols given to Iraqi security forces in 2004 and 2005, report shows. The United States has spent $19.2 billion trying to develop Iraqi security forces since 2003, the GAO said, including at least $2.8 billion to buy and deliver equipment. But the GAO said weapons distribution was haphazard and rushed and failed to follow established procedures, particularly from 2004 to 2005, when security training was led by Gen. David H. Petraeus, who now commands all U.S. forces in Iraq.

Of course we know Betray-us is now LEADING the US troops as CenCom commander. Petraeus wrote the book , literally, on how to defend against an insurgency and has thrown out that manual in favor of whatever little Georgie says.

This comes on the heels of the 13 billion dollar Saudi Arabian weapons deal and the folding of the chickenshit congress giving the president broader powers to wiretap the American public without a warrant. Did I mention Gonzo has the last word about whether the tap is legal or not? The hits just keep on coming.

The Root of All Evil

The terribly smart, caustically clever crew over at Les Enragés.org posted about the federal government's latest computer prying into private citizens computers. Read KVATCH's post on what you can do to protect yourself from prying eyes.

Gonzo, meet John Mitchell--Dubya, meet Nixon

In light of the discovery of Gonzo's bedside-burgling of John Ashcroft, and the president's own words in regard to the wiretapping of millions of Americans (without a warrant), Ive dug up a post from last year on the blog Empire Burlesque. This blogger, Chris Floyd, has compiled a brilliant article detailing the chimp-offenses during the time period this story had its first incarnation (which was ignored). I reprise it today (while the MSM continues to ignore it).

In 20004, on April 20th, Junior Bush stood in front of television cameras and apparently unawares of concept of videotape, (scroll down to 'wiretap') made this statement:

"Now, by the way, anytime you hear the government talking about wiretap, it requires--a wiretap requires a court-order. Nothing has changed, by the way. [ ]

It's important for our fellow citizens to understand when you think Patriot Act, Constitution guarantees are in place. When it comes to doing what is necessary to protect our fatherland homeland because we value the constitution."

In the words of the ACLU, "Why did we bother to debate the Patriot Act if Bush could make up his own rules about spying on U.S. citizens?" I would add, and then lie about it...

Truthdig's Marie Cocco brings us the USA-scandal-meets-Watergate and some of the implications.

The most shocking thing to me about this debacle in its entirety, is not the blatant corruption, or even the total disrespect for the law by these criminals, that is to be expected with this gang-that-couldn't-shoot-straight. What rouses my ire is the fluffing-over it gets from the mainstream media, which should really be called, to borrow from a great blog with real news, crooks and liars--corporate style. All I can say is let the impeachment games begin!!

Update 10:45 PM: Still no mention of Comey's testimony on ABC or CBS, imagine that.

Wiretapping for Dummies

Yesterday's testimony from former Deputy AG James Comey had some bombshells in it. Cryptic, but telling new info about Chimpy&Co's illegal wiretapping free-for-all. (If you didn't see the C-SPAN broadcast, it's linked here.) Josh Marshall of TPM gives great insight and links with additional commentary by Knowledgeable TPM Reader:

Trust the Washington press corps to lunge for the process story, and ignore the substance.

When the warrantless wiretap surveillance program came up for review in March of 2004, it had been running for two and a half years. We still don't know precisely what form the program took in that period, although some details have been leaked. But we now know, courtesy of Comey, that the program was so odious, so thoroughly at odds with any conception of constitutional liberties, that not a single senior official in the Bush administration's own Department of Justice was willing to sign off on it. In fact, Comey reveals, the entire top echelon of the Justice Department was prepared to resign rather than see the program reauthorized, even if its approval wasn't required. They just didn't want to be part of an administration that was running such a program.

This wasn't an emergency program; more than two years had elapsed, ample time to correct any initial deficiencies. It wasn’t a last minute crisis; Ashcroft and Comey had both been saying, for weeks, that they would withhold
approval. But at the eleventh hour, the President made one final push, dispatching his most senior aides to try to secure approval for a continuation of the program, unaltered.

H/T to Lotus for the heads-up.

KagroX of DKOS adds some video and context to the bedside bullying of Ashcroft.