Taking the day off (too much going on in the homefront, including having to attend a wedding later today), however, the largely heralded "Unity" dog-and-pony show yesterday bears a riff.
Cheney's Cheney was also before the committee yesterday, and, if you didn't think David Addington was a royal asshole before the day began, you couldn't avoid thinking that by the time the sun set.
The testimony from David S. Addington, chief of staff to Vice President Cheney, and John C. Yoo, a former senior Justice Department lawyer, was light on new details but heavy on rhetorical disputes with members of a House Judiciary subcommittee. Both witnesses avoided direct answers to a host of questions about their roles in preparing the legal ground for harsh interrogation tactics while arguing that such methods had been crucial in preventing another terrorist attack on U.S. soil after Sept. 11, 2001.
He had the grace of Gollum as he quarreled with his questioners. In response to one of the chairman's questions, he neither looked up nor spoke before finishing a note he was writing to himself. When Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) questioned his failure to remember conversations about interrogation techniques, he only looked at her and asked: "Is there a question pending, ma'am?" Finally, at the end of the hearing, Addington was asked whether he would meet privately to discuss classified matters. "You have my number," he said. "If you issue a subpoena, we'll go through this again."
Think of Addington as the id of the Bush White House. Though his hidden hand is often merely suspected -- in signing statements, torture policy and other brazen assertions of executive power -- Addington's unbridled hostility was live and unfiltered yesterday.
He looked like a small child, refusing to eat his broccoli, and was going to sit there at the table, glowering, being nasty, cleverly, without actually using the language, saying, over-and over "Fuck you, I'm not eating that fucking broccoli ...!" ... For as long as it took, before Mommy and Daddy caved (and if this 110th Congress will be known for one thing, it is caving).
Fundamentally, the reason why Bush officials like Yoo and Addington show such total contempt for Congress is also the answer to the question that Conyers asked John Yoo: a rule without a penalty is no rule at all. If Congress won’t enforce the law when the President breaks it, then why should he pretend the law is there? For all intents and purposes it isn’t. Yoo’s answer to Conyers, then, is to lean back, smirk and ask what are you going to do about it?
Both sides of that conversation know the answer: nothing. Maybe Conyers will hold another hearing and invite another Bush official to crap on his desk.
I hope, that journalists around the world, are on their toes, tonight, and over the next few days.
Especially those stationed, and working, in Iraq, Guantanamo, Poland, Thailand, and wherever the Bush Grindhouse is keeping detainees, and/or has secret prisons.
More specifically, in the desolate areas, out-of-way locations, forests, etc.
And that they have cameras.
It would be poetically (and, sadly) ironic, if they caught sight of details in U.S. Soldiers, maybe MP's or CIA-types, arriving, with picks, shovels and body bags, and they began unearthing, well ... something ...
"But then it was Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) turn to ask questions. And he went toe to toe with Yoo, the former DOJ attorney and torture-memo author extraordinaire:
Conyers: Could the President order a suspect buried alive?
Yoo: Uh, Mr. Chairman, I don't think I've ever given advice that the President could order someone buried alive. . .
Conyers: I didn't ask you if you ever gave him advice. I asked you thought the President could order a suspect buried alive.
Yoo: Well Chairman, my view right now is that I don't think a President . . . no American President would ever have to order that or feel it necessary to order that.
Conyers: I think we understand the games that are being played."
Considering the track record of these NeoNitwits, why shouldn't we think that they haven't already done this? ... That it was "authorized" and "legal" ... Just another tool in the bag of "Enhanced Interrogation".
Not an unheard of situation, but rare, as Barry Crimmins has a guest writer on his site this week.
John Joslin, Unemployed American Electrician from Detroit (who is rumored to be the designated tradesman that will turn off the lights on the Motor City when it does, finally, shut down), pens a most sincere, and cleverly amusing, note to the Iraqi War Orphans.
We can't risk cutting off the money for your war and take a chance on having all hell break loose where you are. For one thing, none of our soldiers in your country has a proper round- trip ticket to get back home. They would have to stay there if the money runs out. This way, by getting the war bill passed, we will have enough money to keep all the soldiers in your country for at least another 6-months. Guaranteed.
I am looking forward to the $362 bucks per week I'll be pulling down once this war paperwork is taken care of. To put it in perspective -- that's equal to one year's worth of income for the average household in Fallujah. That's near you, right? ( Hey, don't forget, stuff is expensive here in America. It's another world, kiddo ! )
The Garlic has been remiss in posting that Al Giordano has moved his on-the-money blog, The Field, away Rural Votes, to his own site, NarcoNews. You'll want to bookmark it and check in regularly on The Field - It is MUST READING for this election season.
Barry has two posts - Here and Here - with all the dramatic details of the relocation (and they were dramatic)
How is it, exactly, "speaking volumes", being a "master of cloakroom politics who can use his friendships across the aisle to strike deals" to simply cave-in and give the Bush Grindhouse what it wants, like the FISA Bill they gift wrapped last week?
If you read the Politico (I assumed, as I begin reading, that the artice was written by the one who always drops to his kness, Mike Allen, but, alas, it is not), and the hummer they give to Stench Hoyer today, you'll think the slime ball just saved the world, or something
And Stench Hoyer is thinking pretty high of himself;
In an interview with Politico on Monday, Hoyer called the FISA legislation a “significant victory” for the Democratic Party — one that neutralized an issue Republicans might have been able to use against Democrats in November while still, in his view, protecting the civil liberties of American citizens.
Hoyer said that House Democrats succeeded in dialing back some of the provisions contained in the earlier, Senate-passed version of the FISA legislation. While the Senate bill provided retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies that participated in President Bush’s warrantless surveillance program, Hoyer noted that the House version mandates judicial review of the companies’ actions. Legal experts and congressional opponents argue that such review will ultimately be meaningless.
[Make a note - send dictionary to Stench Hoyer, with Post-It tag on page defining "significant"]
The legendary football coach Paul Brown used to tell his players that, when they got to the end zone, "act like you've been there before".
What would he ever make of Stench Hoyer (and the table-less Nancy Pelosi), taking victory laps - after giving away the store!
Just astounding, that they would go out and brag about their caving in.
Considering they beat back the bill the last time they had it, with the recent Supreme Court decision to restore Habaes Corpus to detainees, and, let's throw in the overwhelming majority of American citizens against Illegal Wiretapping, and Immunity for the crony Telecom companies that conducted it, why on earth did they not stand tall, and emphatically reemphasize the LAME in Lame Duck President?
Do read the whole Politico article, which doesn't bother to spend even one paragraph describing why people were opposed to the bill. For that matter it doesn't bother to tell us why the other side was so adamant that it get passed either. The fact that it wasn't some typical congressional agenda item which might naturally be "horse traded" but rather a matter of fundamental constitutional principle, isn't worth mentioning. Even the fact that the whole thing stinks to high heaven of financial corruption gets no mention.
This one is sweeter than most because he managed to capitulate to the congressional minority and the most unpopular president in history on an issue of fundamental constitutional principle which contained little political risk to uphold. A truly bravura performance. In fact, it's worthy of a lifetime achievement award.
In other words, Democrats achieved a "significant victory" because -- by giving Republicans everything they demanded -- Republicans are no longer able to criticize Democrats on this issue. What a shrewd strategy: "if we comply with all their demands, then they can't criticize us for anything." That's the Democratic Party's plan for winning, according to Hoyer.
Regarding Pelosi's claim that the Democrats won "significant concessions" -- a claim repeated by Hoyer in the Politico article -- Ponnuru says: "If that's what they want to tell themselves, fine. It sure looks like they got rolled." It looks that way because that's what happened. Who exactly do Pelosi and Hoyer think they're fooling with these self-glorifying claims that they stood down the Republicans and extracted concessions?
The Congressional Leadership of Stench Hoyer, and the table-challenged Nancy Pelosi, is bankrupt, and devoid of principles.
Like so many - and most in, or attached to, the Bush Grindhouse - that has turned their backs on the Constitution, so has this dynamic duo, and they compound their sins by urging their membership to follow their lead.
Was last week, the one time, once-per-year, the House is not allowed to debate a bill?
Did some mysterious vapor overcome Hoyer and Pelosi, causing them to forget all the arcane rules that they could have delayed, tabled, or otherwise, killed this bill off?
Since they've been throwing confetti on themselves, what happens if the Senate does manage to beat this bill back?
How can they celebrate the Senate saving our Civil Liberties, when they, themselves, advocated, lobbied and voted against them?
This strategy, of caving into the Bush Grindhouse, and minority Republicans, as some sort of election strategy should fast-track them, zoom them, up to the top of the Darwin Awards(presumably, Pelosi will find a table to place the award on).
And, if the Senate doesn't beat the FISA Bill back this week, they can sit in the same clown bus as Hoyer and Pelosi, who, undoubtedly, will be patting each other on the back, for the great job, for their "significant victories" - as the bus drives over the cliff.
Stumblin' Bumblin' John McCain put on his Dr. Emmett Brown lab coat yesterday and firmly aligned his possible presidency with Monty Hall, and "Let's Make A Deal", offering a $300-million prize for someone to develop a battery for electric and/or hybrid cars.
Man, you knew that McCain has always been low rent, but a carny?
Is he planning on replacing the Rose Garden with a Midway?
VP Choice? ... No problem, it's gotta be the Bearded Lady!
In a speech today at Fresno State University in California, the Republican presidential candidate outlined his proposal for a $300 million prize for new technology that would be 30% cheaper than current batteries and have "the size, capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars." He did not offer any technical specifics.
McCain called the taxpayer-funded prize — $1 for every man, woman and child — "a small price to pay for helping to break the back of our oil dependency."
"Step right up here ... Only one-dollar ... One, American greenback ... Step right up here ... You sir, you look like you could develop a battery ... Only one-dollar ... One-dollar gets you $300-Million ... I like those chances! ... Step right up here ... Build a battery and win a prize ... Step right up here ..."
I don't know about you, but I'm bettin' on the Bug Shit ...
At a breakfast with "Republican insiders" Monday morning, ABC News reports, Rove said of Obama: "Even if you never met him, you know this guy. He's the guy at the country club with the beautiful date, holding a martini and a cigarette, that stands against the wall and makes snide comments about everyone who passes by."
Yes, Karl, and you watched, didn't you ... You stared ...
And it burned you, didn't it.
Maybe, helping them with their homework, their tests, only to see them lip-locked with Joe Jock after school.
Or going to your prom, stag, sitting at the geek table, with all the other little dateless geeks.
But now, years later, your at the club, watching "him" ... Again ...
Being the doughy, spectacled geek, living in someone else's shadow, downing shots of hard liquor, bitterly making cutting, angry comments, from the other side of the room, at the family's legacy table, your perch, on everyone else in the room - especially the Muffys and the Biffs - smug in self-praise, that your bile musings are the vindication that you won, you came out on top, not them, so take that all you cheerleaders, all you football heroes ...
Lighting and reflections are one issue, but they were issues when we landed on the moon too. However, check out the angle in that shot -- it looks like Mrs. Coleman is either embedded into the counter, or wasn't actually in this shot, especially when you consider that the height difference between the two isn't that big
Watch the video, it's rather hysterical.
The green-screen thing is bad enough, but why on earth would they have Coleman opening up a trash can and throwing away a bag of garbage?
How many punchlines can you get out of that?
Throwing away his career ... Auditioning for his next gig ... He should have jumped in, and the garbage bag approve the commercial ...
Pressed again on McCain's tech savvy, he defends his candidate.
"You don’t actually have to use a computer to understand how it shapes the country," he says.
"You actually do," former Edwards blogger Tracy Russo responds, suggesting he try to explain Twitter to his grandmother and then ask her how that applies to governing.
"John McCain is aware of the Internet," says Soohoo. "This is a man who has a very long history of understanding on a range of issues."
He may be "aware of the Internet", but is he hip to "The Google"?
If we extend this out, to the differences between his campaign, and Barack Obama's, we may have to lean towards the direction that SB John is a "The Yahoo" man.
I believe we need an immediate investigation. Yes, conspiracy.
George Carlin dead, at the beginning of the biggest, most important election in decades?
Before the Summer TV Reality shows?
Before gasoline goes over $5/gallon?
A mere coincidence?
Strap on your tinfoil hats and here's where to start.
What was the eighth word you can't say on television doing last evening? ... Does it have a alibi? ... You might as well round-up the ninth and tenth words as well ... This would have been too big a job for just the eighth word to pull off by itself ...
It's long been rumored that they were jealous, even bitter, that Carlin didn't include them.
And, you have to look at any other words that may have been acting suspicious lately.
This has to be a pretty big operation, so, maybe, the words had some help.
Better haul in the Multiplication Tables, and Periodic Charts, for grilling, as well.
Considering they beat back the bill the last time they had it, with the recent Supreme Court decision to restore Habeas Corpus to detainees, and, let's throw in the overwhelming majority of American citizens against Illegal Wiretapping, and Immunity for the crony Telecom companies that conducted it, why on earth did they not stand tall, and emphatically reemphasize the LAME in Lame Duck President?
Aside from the destruction of practical things, like civil liberties, the Constitution, the 4th Amendment, etc, they're handing Stumblin' Bumblin' John McCain a gift, for his trumped up National Security credentials, as well as ammunition to the GOP for the Fall Election.
Couldn't you just hear Obama, at one of the upcoming debates, hammering Stumblin' Bumblin' John McCain, asking him pointedly, yet calmly, why he wants to illegally spy on American citizens, and give the telecom companies that do it a free pass?
Let's face it, SB John would only be able to stutter back some unreality-based, jingoistic, rehashed Commander Guy-speak
This helps the Republican establish the talking point of how "they" are the ones leading the fight on terror. That, it is because of "them" that we are "safe" and, only "they" can keep us safe, and only "they" can fight this war on terror.
Oh, if they blocked or voted down the bill, the Republicans would call them sissies, appeasers, and soft on terror.
Really?
You mean the Swiss-cheese brains of the Democratic Leadership can't figure that out? That they have to sit there, cowering over such school-yard taunting?
Maybe they could remind their counterparts across the aisle, of the tsunami of material that has been released recently, between Scott McClellan's book, the Senate Intelligence Committee's report (and not to mention the classified material they are privileged to see) on how much (if not all) of what the Bush Grindhouse put out there was over-hyped lies.
Remind those across the aisle that the existing FISA law adequately protects us, that it is unnecessary to trample the Constitution and conduct illegal activities to do so.
Yes, this is a change year, a change election, and what the American people are hungering for is representatives that work for the people, that stand up to injustice, that protect our civil liberties and the Constitution.
Hoyer and Pelosi just led the Democrat-controlled Congress in parroting a Dick-Cheney-like "SO!", ignoring the will and wishes of a majority of the country.
While it could play out that Chris Dodd will rally the Senate troops to squash this injustice, or, perhaps Leahy and Feingold.
That would be fine, but the one person, the one Senator, that should be leading the charge, whose voice should be bone-hoarse come Monday, is Barack Obama.
He is now the flag carrier for the Democrats and it is egregious that he is buying into this capitulation.
If Only ... Obama's Frank Capra Moment (That we won't likely see)
Think of the soaring speech he could give, say, from the floor of the Senate, one in which he challenges his colleagues -no, make that shames his colleagues, to stand up for America, to protect our rights, to end the treacherous evil that has suppressed us for the past seven-years, to rise up and reclaim our country, our ideals, our principles.
Christ, the way he can fire it up, even the networks would likely break into the daily soaps to beam this out.
The country comes to a slow stop.
Mass gridlock, as vehicles stop, their occupants leaning over to listen ....
People huddled in front of television store windows ... The Times Square Jumbotron ... Cellphones ... iPods ...Any device that can pick up the speech.
Word reaches the Senate floor that the Senates computer system has crashed, from the millions of emails sent, telling the Senate to follow Obama and kill the bill ...
Fired up, hoarse and haggard, exhausted and in pain, from the injustice that this bill represents, Obama, down to a whisper, extorting his colleagues, perhaps to the point of passing out, ala Jimmy Stewart in 'Mr. Smith Goes To Washington'.
The money shot coming with Stumblin' Bumblin' John McCain, sunken and sullen, embarrassed, places his vote against the measure, unleashing enough of the other rubberstamp Republicans to follow suit and kill this off.
If Obama isn't going to give the speech, and kill the bill, someone needs to ...
"This Is A Very Frightening Bill"
It's likely that a significant portion of the country doesn't have any idea what going on with this FISA Bill, or the implications awaiting upon its' passage.
TURLEY: Yes. This is a very frightening bill. What people have to understand is that FISA itself is controversial. This court issued tens of thousands of warrants granted applications for surveillance without turning down any. Only recently did they turn down two.
So, the standard is already so low that they have virtually never refused a request. That standard, however, was too high for the Bush administration.
And, so, people need to be very, very much aware of this bill. What you‘re seeing in this bill is an evisceration of the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution. It is something that allows the president and the government to go in to law-abiding homes on their word alone, their suspicion alone, and to engage in warrantless surveillance. That‘s what the framers that drafted the Fourth Amendment wanted to prevent.
Do let happen to you, what happened to Dr. Miles Bennell, in 'The Invasion of the Body Snatchers'; "Listen to me! Please listen! If you don't, if you won't, if you fail to understand, then the same incredible terror that's menacing me WILL STRIKE AT YOU!"
J. Thomas Duffy created and lauched 'The Garlic in 2005.
Mr. Duffy is an accomplished writer, with experience as a newspaper reporter, radio writer, comedy and stand-up writer, the author of three children's books (unpublished, so far) and, and, through a good number of his writing experience, actually received payment for it.
Mr. Duffy is also a Contributing Editor on the blog, 'The Reaction' and a Contributing Writer to the blog 'The Moderate Voice.
In his spare time, Mr. Duffy likes to promulgate that is actually the dog salivating that caused Pavlov to ring the bell.
