Glenn Greenwald (a/k/a “Rick Ellensburg,†“Thomas Ellers,†“Ellison,†“Wilson†and “Ryanâ€Â) excoriates Barack Obama for endorsing Rep. John Barrow (D-GA) because Barrow wanted to vote on updating the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, an issue which has been stuck in Congress for most of the year:
For all of Obama’s talk about the wicked ways of Washington, these incumbent protection schemes — whereby Beltway power factions all help each other stay in power no matter their ideology or positions — are among the most vital instruments for perpetuating how Washington works. Democratic leaders pretend that they are forced continuously to capitulate to the Bush administration due to their “conservative” members, yet continuously work to keep those same members in power, even when it comes to supporting them against far better Democratic primary challengers.
Obama has made himself a central part of that rancid scheme…
The poor, poor man is discovering that in terms of issues and personnel, Obama is not nearly so full of Changeyness as the fringe Left had hoped after their own wacky candidates, like Mike Gravel and Dennis Kucinich, dropped out. (Greenwald liked Chris Dodd on the FISA issue, but it turns out he’s not so Changey otherwise.)
On the heels of that post came news that the FISA issues would soon be resolved:
Negotiators reached a deal Thursday morning on long-stalled electronic surveillance legislation, with a House vote likely to be held on the measure on Friday, Democratic leadership aides confirmed.
On the contentious issue of telco amnesty for assiting the government after 9/11, Section 201 of the bill essentially provides that if the telcos can show a federal district court judge “substantial evidence” they received a written request from the attorney general or head of an intelligence agency stating the president authorized the surveillance and determined it to be lawful, the cases against them will be dismissed.
Needless to say, Ellensburg is in complete meltdown at the moment:
I’ve now just read a copy of the final “compromise” bill. It’s even worse than expected. When you read it, it’s actually hard to believe that the Congress is about to make this into our law. Then again, this is the same Congress that abolished habeas corpus with the Military Commissions Act, and legalized George Bush’s warrantless eavesdropping program with the “Protect America Act,” so it shouldn’t be hard to believe at all. Seeing the words in print, though, adds a new dimension to appreciating just how corrupt and repugnant this is…
He’s busy compiling an enemies list, which includes House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Rep. Chris Carney (D-PA) and Rep. Barrow. Incidentally, Carney served at the Pentagon as an intelligence analyst and senior advisor on intelligence and counterterrorism issues after 9/11, and in all probability is more knowledgeable about how the system actually works than Ellensburg, but the latter knows who America’s real enemies are:
UPDATE: The rage level is going to be quite high today and will only get higher as the day progresses.
As Instapundit Glenn Reynolds might say, “Heh. Indeed.”
(h/t Memeorandum.)
Sigh.
If only he could remake the world into a truly conservative libertarian utopia by attracting the aid of honest — rather than pandering — liberal democrats…
Really. I don’t know how that’s not working out for him.
It would be nice if this sort of thing could be done without all the attached theater. I guess our reps need to keep up appearances, and more importantly, ensure that the needed re-election funds keep rolling in.
Jeff,
I think it has something to do with trying to overthrow the entire history of politics from the confines of a cabana in Brazil.
You mean … (lip quivering) … O!™ isn’t really about Hope and Change?
It’s a cruel, cruel world.
And just because it seems right:
RAGE!!!!
You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry.
SOCK SMASH!!!
gee, i hope y’all feel the same when a new dictator comes to town. let’s not hear y’all complain when the Democrats have unfettered and unchecked power. I’m sure y’all will take comfort in the fact that like the GOP, the Democratic Party will only use their new found power for benevolent purposes. Suckers.
So unfettered that the Supreme Court is free to overturn joint action by Congress and the President in the midst of war. So unchecked that the GOP Pres and the Dem-led Congress are compromising here.
IT’S A POLICE STATE!!!11!!!
Wait. We have a dictator?
Then WTF is the deal with the elections?
BTW, “Diktators” is actually someone who usually goes by the handle “po.” The sock-puppetry is a nice tie-in for an Ellensberg post.
A police state?!? Rich, rich, people. Perhaps I missed it, but where exactly is the SCOTUS hiding that police force / military it uses to to uphold its decisions? Last I checked the Unitary Executive was charged with upholding the law, so it’s up to it and it, you see, is the dictator.
Oh, and what’s the compromise? Seems to me that the Unitary Executive got what it wanted – immunity. What exactly did those Dems get? I called Hoyers office, it could really tell me. Since you believe there’s a compromise, what is it?
Diktators,
Get back to us when the Admin disobeys Bourdienne.
I don’t know that the Dems got anything. That’s their business. But they are a co-equal branch of government — which I shouldn’t have to explain, but clearly do to someone who uses the term “Unitary Executive” with no clue as to its history.
Then again, I did not refer to the bill as a compromise, which makes me question po’s reading comprehension.
I’m saving my rage for those Congress critters who got the “Friends of Angelo” loan treatment while regulating the mortgage industry.
Even a notorious paranoid like me is having trouble coming up with someone who was actually harmed as a result of this telco business. Well, except maybe for terrorists whose phone calls were listened to.
Hmmm… I still can’t see it. The Court said the rules set up by the Executive alone weren’t enough, so the Executive asked Congress to come up with some rules. They did, and the Executive agreed to them.
Then the Court looked at those rules — despite Congress (as is their Constitutional authority) telling them it was out of their jurisdiction — and said, “Nope. Still not good enough.”
And despite the fact that the Court didn’t have jurisdiction, the Executive has said they’ll abide by the decision.
Still can’t see the “dictator” angle in that. The closest comes from the Court, which ignored precedent, statutes, treaties, and the Constitution itself to reach its decision.
Now who’s being naive? DIEBOLD!!!1!!one!
And, really, with telecomm immunity, all that’s being done is holding back the trial-lawyer wolves. If you really want Stan Chesley to make $100,000 an hour, hire him yourself, don’t do it with the money from my taxes or my phone bill.
Then again, I did not refer to the bill as a compromise, which makes me question po’s reading comprehension.
po didn’t care what was written. S/He just wanted to insinuate that President Bush was a “dictator”. Another Chimpy Mckatrinaburton is a fucking idiot declaration. How refreshingly original!
Why do you bother with that twit, Karl? I mean, really:
…abolished habeas corpus with the Military Commissions Act
Uhhh, no… They pointed out (quite rightly) that habeas has NEVER applied to foreigners in foreign countries, who are making “acts of war” against us. Go figure.
Come on now, Rob! Glen said it best. Of course we have a Unitary dictatorship Executive ChimpHitler because … because … because … (wait for it) … IT’S BUSH!!!11ELEVENTY11!!
Weird and contrary beliefs that I will never understand:
1. Liberals who think the Bush Administration is a bunch of jack booted authoritarians who at any moment might storm into their home and herd them off to Guantanomo – yet they fight hard for gun control – you fantasize that the brownshirts are coming, but you scorn the very thing that might provide some resistance should a those wild paranoid fantasies ever come to pass….
2. Conservatives who are nervous about liberals and their persecutorial methods of dealing with people who say things they don’t like (and their penchant for using whatever power they possess to crush people whose views displease them) – but who champion branches of government having unfettered powers to go after its enemies in ways that don’t have reasonable oversight. Who is to say that a different admin won’t be less interested in creepy dudes from Morocco and more interested in “right wing purveyors of hate speech”….
Alas….
So much hate in this young boy’s life. And a cabana in Brazil?? How does he sustain those levels of rage and anger while sitting on the beach?
He’s a better man than I, that he is.
You leave my Gleen Gleen alone. He is a tiny and nervous man. But I like him.
As to conjecture 2, Lisa, maybe the answer lies in the conservatives confidence in 1, wherein you suggest they have enough guns and ammo to rectify the situation.
You leave my Gleen Gleen alone. He is a tiny and nervous man. But I like him
Tiny, nervous men compiling enemy lists never seems to work out to well, historically speaking!
You really should look into what the NSA does, Lisa.
#25: LOL. That is true. A tiny, nervous man and an enemies list is a marriage that will end in tears.
#27: Oh don’t be a tight-sphincter, Prof. You know what I was musing about. Don’t you agree that on the face of it those appear to be a contradictory set of ideas (to a prole such as myself – who does not understand the NSA and the nuanced role of the intelligence community)?
Well, Lisa…here is where you go off the tracks:
“but who champion branches of government having unfettered powers to go after its enemies in ways that don’t have reasonable oversight.”
What’s the word..oh, yes: Bullshit.
I have an appointment with some people who need to yell at me for a half and hour. Then I am going home.
I am sure that this thread is going to have 400+ comments by the time I get back to it this evening. So I blanket-denounce all of them in advance, as I won’t have the energy to read all of the posts and individually denounce the ones I disagree with.
Cheers.
Lisa,
In addition to Jeff’s suggestion (particularly the mundane technical aspects thereof), the reality is that here — as with the interrogation issue — the Democratic leadership in Congress was briefed on this stuff, and effectively did nothing. Until it was leaked in the press, at which point they could have behaved in a bipartisan manner and explained their support for these measures, but chose instead to go the route of partisan posturing. I would have even given them credit had they said something like, “Hey we were all freaked out right after 9/11, maybe it’s time for us to revisit these issues,” but no such luck. Instead, we went right to the Chimpy McHitlerburton police state paranoia — of which Socky McSockerson is the official mascot.
#29: Since I haven’t left for my appointment yet and I still have a minute:
Consider yourself denounced.
“Democratic leaders pretend that they are forced continuously to capitulate to the Bush administration due to their “conservative†members, yet continuously work to keep those same members in power, even when it comes to supporting them against far better Democratic primary challengers.”
Yet it is those very same type of conservative member that gave them the wherewithal to with the 3 “special elections” that these same folks are convinced “prove, nay, PROVE!” that the Republican party is ultimately doomed.
I suspect that the ultra-lefty portion of the party that seems to be in ascendence now is going to seriously regret the presence of those conservative democrats in the very near future.
#31: True.
From Wikipedia regarding Chris Carney:
IOW, Democratic Congressman Carney is the guy who “cooked”, “fabricated”, “Cherry-picked”, and “stovepiped” that pre-war intelligence. Instead of trying him for war crimes the Dems elected him to Congress. Imagine that.
You see, Lisa, the enemies of the executive branch in this case are the enemies of the republic. Not of George Bush, Dick Cheney, or Karl Rove. They are the enemies of US.
Now if the airwaves soon fill with leaked recordings of Nancy Pelosi and Al Franken naughty time calls to each other–you’ll have a point. Otherwise, exhale the Greenwaldian helium and try to think of what you are going to do with your time around noon EDT next January 20th.
Also, to those who (like Lisa) see an inconsistency here —
Aside from the question of oversight (and there has been some), it’s not an inconsistency to balance civil liberties against the need to protect our lives and security interests. Nor is it a new struggle — been going on for over 200 years now. Moreover, to those like Diktators Unite, I would note that most on the “Right” in its broadest sense did not make a big stink about the Echelon program or even Carnivore during the Clinton era. Will there be some abuses? Almost certainly. Significantly more than the annual number of abuses of privacy by IRS employees? Probably not… and the Gleens of the world spend precious little time on that subject, despite claiming to be libertarian.
Plus, I denounce myself for not getting that last bit in before Lisa left.
– Lisa. A few salient facts so you can at least join the side that isn’t somewhere on mars, so badly off are their arguments.
– I would venture a guess (I am ex-NSA) that approximately 500 people at any given moment have a fucking clue as to what the NSA actually does.
– What the NSA does, it has done since its inception, and it will go on doing for its entire existence, and it doesn’t matter what bills or how much paper Whasington in all of its many power blocks stack on desks. It also doesn’t matter what the courts and lawyers bloviate over, its activities remain exactly the same with only continuous technological updates at state of the art pace.
– No case law exists of a single tort in regards to the civil rights of even one old lady living in an attic in Omaha. It has never happened, and it will never happen. I know foe which I speak.
– Because this is true, watching the FISA arguments is like watching a barnyard full of Jackasses trying to screw each others feed bags.
– I gave up long ago trying to explain that to the general populace, and in particular the Left who NEED it as a wedge issue.
– Even if I take the time to explain things they will not listen, because its one of the holy urban legends, and the last thing they want is to get it right so they can STFU.
– Stuck on partisan, locked in illiterate.
I really enjoy it when the Democratic Left engages in cannibalism.
#13 Karl – the Dems are not a co-equal branch of government. They are merely a political party. The Legislature, the Executive, and the Judicial are the co-equal branches.
Just being picky.
Fine with me.
You guys wanted it on yourself, enjoy it.
Let’s just pray for no abuses of the one of the most insidious government power.
BTW, Swedes are doing something similar:
http://www.thelocal.se/12370.html
at least they lost soccer game, fuckers
may be I should join libertarians
http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2008/06/19/democrats-determined-to-capitulate-on-warrantless-spying/
– sashal, I will give 1K to the charity of any person that can show a clear undisputed case of a single instance where NSA used its data gathering powers in a way that proscribed a single citizens rights.
– (Clintons illegal breaks and entry do not count, nor acts of 3rd parties such as desperate lawyers.)
-Monopoly money make a man talk big
– Well then thor-ass, heres your chance to call my bluff. Knock yourself out.
This from the purportedly precise Greenwald.
Hunter, very good.
Now, to find out about it, this person should be some renegade NSA worker?
How else we would know what is going on in SECRET governmental program.
IIRC, Kim du Toit wrote a post on data-mining when this entire FISA thing came up. He explained, in terms of a supermarket trying to decide which items it should continue carrying, what cross-referencing all of these phone numbers meant. The cross-referencing, in his example, did not provide the name of the shopper, it merely looked at what the regular purchasers (found by the customer cards) were buying, and what the big purchasers were buying. The idea of stocking only what the major purchasers was buying was obvious, but he pointed out that it was worth a supermarket’s time to keep an item in stock that only a few regular customers bought, because if that customer did not find it that regular could become a customer of a rival.
It was the search for patterns; if a known bad guy overseas was getting a call from the US, then the number that called could then be searched for other calling patterns. If other calls were going to other known bad guys, then a warrant for a tap could be issued. It was a method of sifting down through a lot of chaff to find a few grains of wheat, and during the sifting nothing would be known other than phone numbers. Once a pattern was established that (313) 7xx-56xx was calling known bad guys, then there was enough to get a warrant and listen in (the information about which numbers a particular phone number was calling is not protected Fourth Amendment information because that data is given to a third party – the phone company – in order to make the call). The content of the call is protected, not the fact that a call is made. All the phone company wants to know is what number called what number, when, and for how long; and that is for billing purposes and is given up by any phone company customer in order to have service.
Only the content of the call is protected, and that is where FISA comes in. I wish I had a link to his original post, but I do not.
– You never will sashal because they obey the law. Get it?
So the President, once again, kicks reactionary leftist ass.
Heh. Indeed.
For a lame duck he is awfully spry.
Hunter, 50
I wish I had you BLIND trust in the inherent goodness of human nature….especially when you put someone in the position of SECRET power.
BTW I am sure my calls are fine,even when I call my friends overseas. Presumably nobody is listening in, though I’m sure it would be legal, so long as the President said so (check the text of the compromise granting telecoms immunity).
Who watches those who watch those who obey the law?
“- Because this is true, watching the FISA arguments is like watching a barnyard full of Jackasses trying to screw each others feed bags.”
First. A lot like watching morons who can’t even keep a straight face while trying to tell me that drilling for our own oil is useless. Talk about jackasses trying to screw each other’s feed bags! I have been yelling “ASSHOLE! ASSHOLE!” at my TV for two days straight, now.
Secondly. It’s a good thing that I bought a case of new keyboards, because that comment took out ANOTHER one. Just part of the price we pay to read PW, I guess.
#41:
Mikey,
Yeah, I thought about editing that comment, except that in this context I am referring to Dems in Congress, which is a co-equal branch. That it’s now controlled by Dems adds to the safeguardiness.
– People that argue this issue are on safe ground when they discuss the possible actions of any other org, and posible abuses, although even there the chances are so low for the average citizen ever noticing the security people even exist is vanishingly small (your chances of getting trampled by a herd of elephants in your back yard is probably orders of magnitude greater), when their arguments slide over into the NSA they might as well be speaking Venusian.
– But thats because they don’t have a clue as to just whats involved or the actual process. My offer is not nearly as generous as it looks.
thoratlas,
This month? James Johnson. It rotates.
– And thor-ass. We’ll meet back here in 30 days and you can give me a list of the tort case load. That should be enough time to research a goodly pile of cases if, as you say, citizens rights are being stamped on, on a widespread basis.
– One proviso. If you can’t name any such cases in court records where NSA law breaking has occured, you give 1K to my favorite charity. Only fair, and I’m going to trust you that when you lose your ass you won’t be paying with monopoly paper.
– I also assume the Left will be wanting to stop making asses of themselves, but thats up to you.
James Johnson? You mean Obama’s Johnson? Can’t be. Obama has already stepped away from his Johnson. I distinctly remember that him saying that James wasn’t the Johnson that he knew. Or something like that.
When will we be seeing a post on the profound depth of Obama’s executive perspicacity as demonstrated by his quickly stepping on unknown Johnsons?
– Obama just reversed himself on public financing.
CHANGEFLIPFLOPS YOU CAN BELIEVE IN !!!thor-ass likes the FISA program.
Anyway, you probably need that $1000 to purchase more inflatibles to pump up, so keep it.
O no
Change your position and Hope nobody notices
For all the Hope and Change, he is a politician, and he seems to be focusing on the short term – getting elected – and not the long term – what do I do once elected. Should make things interesting if he does become POTUS – a series of ad hoc responses as opposed to picking a long-term policy and adapting to it. See ‘Containment’ as a long term policy – several presidents kept to that policy despite their tactical maneuvering.
Sen. Obama seems to be all tactics, but no strategy, let alone logistics.
Thor-ass performs a “9.5” rated dicktuck.
Well executed, sir.
The fun never stops :)…
I come home this evening after a busy afternoon at the 8-5, started catching up on the news shortly thereafter, and haven’t been able to stop laughing since Why? Well, it all centers around the story about the agreement reached today between De…
“Comment by sashal on 6/19 @ 4:22 pm #
Hunter, 50
I wish I had you BLIND trust in the inherent goodness of human nature….especially when you put someone in the position of SECRET power.”
But I’m sure your brown shirted friends will be TOTALLY trustworthy, right?
– The next shoe to drop for Obama will be his position on Iraq. McCain is pounding his ass on that issue on a daily basis, and he needs to stem the bleeding badly.
With todays Congressional Iraq funding vote Pelosi looked like she was trying to say it without saying it, and didn’t want to say it, but sorta kinda said it, a little. Too funny. I thought she was going to litterilly cry.
– Obama has already started edging sideways with his call to Maliki. Afterwards Maliki talked to both him and McCain he said that the two camps are essentially the same. Of course the Obama people denied it vehemently, what choice do they really have faced with massive alienation of the moonbat brigade, but Maliki stuck to his guns, saying that there was no real difference in the to candidates stated intentions, vis a vis the pullout schedule and security precautions both men advanced.
– Todays war bill vote set funding support in place through next summer, which gives Obama lots of wiggling room to shift the tone of his rhetoric between now and the debates.
– Look for it. Flip-Flopiness you can believe in !!!
– That Denver convention is shaping up more and more to be veddy interesting.
Mercy, now that that the Dems have all but caved on FISA, and Obama has triple back-flipped on public campaign financing, we’ll all have to wear rain coats because the mess from exploding moonbat heads will be worse than at a Gallagher show.
This month? James Johnson. It rotates.
If he’s planning to do anything fishy, I’d suggest waiting for Warren Christopher’s turn. I hear he takes a lot of naps these days.
Warren. By God. Christopher.
Hope. Change. As in he hopes he can make it through a speech without needing to change his Depends.
Heh.
I almost wish nishi hadn’t disappeared. I wanted to ask her and the rest of the “youth vote” how the view was down there underneath Barry’s bus, and to say hello to his grandma and Rev. Wright while she was there.
BBH @39: Might there be a Cliffs Notes version you can share for the lurkers?
I think I have a very broad idea of what NSA does, but I’m interested in the education.
– Spies, you left out ladies in scarves, and reporters named “sweetie”.
Spies, you left out ladies in scarves, and reporters named “sweetieâ€Â.
Good point. It’s getting sort of crowded under there, innit?
– I’ll give it some thought Bob, and if I decide it would be of interest, I may ask Jeff to do a guest post on the parts of NSA’s operations that are declassified. I was planning on doing one on the story of the RatherGate investigation blogger team as soon as Rathers case is decided. I typically do not have the predigious writing drive of a Jeff, or Karl, Darleen, or the crazy Irish guy, tending more to the Indianna Jones type writing.
…tending more to the Indianna Jones type writing.
When the swordsman comes out and starts whriling the blades around you just shoot him and go on?
Sounds like a plan to me.
LOL! The moonbats over at Salon are advocating armed insurrection if the “traitors” pass the FISA bill. Exploding heads, indeed!
If getting the FISA re-established weren’t such an important issue, the entertainment value of Gleen(s) frothing parade over there would be off-the-scale. As it is, I’m chuckling in my mug of G2, wondering where such painful idiocy resides (and multiplies).
I keep telling people, a progg’s head can’t explode because there’s nothing in them.
When was the last time you saw a progg kept off a commercial airliner due to explosion risk?
They can’t quite take it that they’ve been taken to the Cleaners by Mr. Fabulous.
Understand that they’ve poured their hearts and souls into the new Jack. They will rationalize the fact that they’ve been lied to until the Cows come home. They’re all schmucks.
– But since you expressed an interest, let me give you a little tease of the sort of information that, along with a little imagination, will let you fill in the blanks if I have the occasion to do such a post.
– Back in the earliest days of the startup of the modern NSA era, circa mid 60’s when computer technology was in its practical infancy, NSA contracted industry to do the first “mass data” intercept system, referred to in the jargon as ELINT hardware.
– The first ideas were based on the initial intercept, and storage of all communication to and from the North American continent, supplemented with similar data gathering centers in all American possessions, and critical strategic intercept sites all over the world.
– The “System” in these cases was a program called “TENNIS”, which is now officially declassified. Appropriate broadband ELINT radios were also included in all diplomatic pouches carryed to and from embassies across the world.
– The concept was to gather all active transmissions and store the data for future parsing and analysis. All fine and good.
– A situation room was set up to receive the inflow of data, The exact nature of said data is still classified, but the main point was the storage medium at the time was the venerable “punch card”. Some of you may be too young to be familiar with that particular archaic form of storage, but believe it, we did actually at one time effectively store mighty blocks of 256 bytes on cardboard cards with holes in them to encode the information.
– Long story short, after the first 12 hours every square inch of free space in the situation room was stacked with ceiling high library files of punch cards, making it obvious that a more realistic process, and much improved hardware would be needed if the idea were ever to be practical.
– Fast forward to today when recording rates are up 100 million times the speed of that time, and the typical days worth of transmission gets into the many billions of bytes, and let you mind consider4 the task of analyzing that monsterous mountain of data, and every day of the wek it starts all over again.
– Now think about an agent being assigned to eavesdrop on sashal talking to his cousin about Falafal recipes, and that gives you some idea of just how impossible it would be, even if some evil maverick insider wanted to do such a thing.
– Security in NSA is so tight you couldn’t blow a fart without some sensor somewhere duly recording the need to open a window. You can’t gain access to any portion of the complex without a mean looking Marine and his scout dog, leading you in, and when you get in, if you’re a industry Rep, even with proper clearances and ID, a rotating red lights on several walls are automatically set in operation, and stay that way til you leave. In other words tighter than a midgets ass.
– That should give you an idea of how ridiculous the comments of some people would seem to me. Its like children standing on their tiptoes trying to peek in the window on Christmas morning. They just don’t have a clue. But it makes a great wedge issue, because the average person isn’t armed with enough information to challend the perfidy.
Another Bob:
Nice nick, by the way.
Try this for starters: “Body of Secrets” by James Bamford; (Anchor Books). I’d be interested in hearing BBH’s take on the book as well, if he’s read it or ever plans to read it. And if your are interested in Cold War history, try “The Mitrokhin Archive” by Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin, (Basic Books) for an interesting view of the Cold War from the Soviet/KGB perspective.
“your are” supposed to be “you’re”, but ya’ll know that.
Oh and sorry, the title of that second book is “The Sword and the Shield” with the subtitle “The Mitrokhin Archive and the Secret History of the KGB”. I’m not hittin’ nothin’ rite tonite.
Ultimately, everyone thinks their lives are just so darn interesting that others might care. Trust me, no one cares. They are all too busy trying to take care of their own lives.
However, I think anyone who conducts any kind of private business over the phone is pretty much a fool, so maybe I’m paranoid too.
The moonbats over at Salon are advocating armed insurrection if the “traitors†pass the FISA bill.
Which page of the comments is it on, if you happen to have it handy?
That, BBH, was what Kim du Toit was getting on about. It wasn’t the sheer content of the data, it was sifting down to connections, to patterns. Once a pattern is established, once the chaff is sorted from the wheat, then a tap would be necessary, which would invovle a warrant. One does not care about (313) 7xx-56xx except if that number called a known number. After that sifting continues until another known number is involved.
After that, then a tap can be applied for. The sheer amount of data argues against doing else, unless this is East Germsny with the Stasi, and if the Stasi were presented with the totalamount of data for one day they would despair – even they would have to pare down what this country uses for telecommunications. The Stasi model is truly built on a 1940’s expectation of telecommunications – limited, tightly controlled. Today we are so far beyond 1980, let alone 1940, that such a tight control is damn near impossible – there aren’t enough guys to listen in on each conversation unless a sifting is done first.
Awww, Greenwald has just realized that Obama is a politician.
The endorphines must have worn off.
Can you believe he was actually stupid enough to Believe(tm) a politician?
– Thanks Bob, I’ll check it out. Since I lived through that entire era, I’m always interested in comparing what we thought they thought. compared to what they actually were thinking, and the same from their standpoint about us.
That darn diktator, sending his mind rays to the House, via Reuters:
House Passes Iraq War Funds Bill Backed by President Bush
The House of Representatives on Thursday approved enough new money to wage wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for another year, while abandoning attempts to set deadlines opposed by President George W. Bush for withdrawing American combat troops.
By a wide margin, the House approved $165.4 billion for the two wars, with most of the money going to Iraq.
#85
Page 20, commenter named Blunderdog.
“To adnoto, Tempus, and a few others
I read several of the posts.
Sounds to me like you two (at least) are now properly motivated.
Please pick up a rifle, drive to DC, and begin shooting the “undesirable” members of Congress. Heck, go for the administration members you might see, too.
As you two have made quite clear, it is ONLY through direct action that the US government can be influenced and changed for the better.
Voting in a booth is pointless.
Vote with a bullet, and make a REAL change.
Thank you. We’ll be rooting for ya.”
His post came across originally as snarky… but a page later, a response from Tone in DC:
“Blunderdog, I admit I am angry enough to resort to violence if this bill becomes law in its current form.” He tries to tone down it down later… but a few of the frothing left pick up the banner.
There are a few others later scattered around Gleen(s) comments.
Pop goes teh moonbat!
#85
This one was on page 24, from a frother named Tideswimmer:
“The ultimate irony of all this
This is being done, supposedly, to protect us from “Terrorism.”
Oddly, in a system designed to squash and deter all other legal and legitimate recourse, illegal and illegitimate acts of terror seem to be the only method left in which injured parties can speak in a manner that will make their grievances heard.”
Et tu, Brutus?
– Not to worry Dew. the SecProggs have proven, beyond doubt, their profligate cowardice. The only thing they’re likely to ever pick up a weapon against is a fetus.
Please pick up a rifle, drive to DC, and begin shooting the “undesirable†members of Congress. Heck, go for the administration members you might see, too.
Telling a prog to grab his rifle is like telling a fish to grab his bicycle.
Heh. I was thinking the same. Even if they do manage to secure weaponry, they are more apt to shoot themselves in the groin then lead armed rebellion.
– Or in keeping with the post topic: “A sock to grab his banjo”
OOOOOOoooooooo…. (O!)
Gleen(s) went a courtin’, he did ride
Uh hmmmm, uh hmmmm….
Maybe your just not fetus enough to pick up a weapon against. Worry not, in a few months maybe you’ll start to grow toenails.
Thanks BBH. I read Bamford’s “Puzzle Palace” some years ago and took an interest. As my degrees are in CompSci I briefly considered an NSA career until I saw the several inch thick application. A former coworker was employed there for a while and dropped some hints as to the scale.
I’d look forward to that guest post.
And I thought the Rather business was long over?
HEY!! Thor-assless recovered from his terminal dicktuck and returned to SNARK!!
Heckuva job, twatwaffle.
Lookout, all. The Gleen(s)ers are investing their hopes in the fact that HERR OLBERMANN and J. Turley are ON THE CASE!!111!!ONE!1
It’s like a hilarious episode of the “A” Team….
… only sadder.
–“And I thought the Rather business was long over?”
– Well the CBS people found Haywood and Mapes level of threshold of silence, ans shes completely bullet-proof for now, knowing as she does where each and every skeleton is burried.
– But they’re still having to deal with a highly unpredictable Rather in a case thats still being discussed.
– But the post would take you through that volitile four weeks, telling the stort of how the whole scam slowly unwound, until all the players simply went quiet to ride out the storm, throwing out chaff like the sudden emergence of several so-calle TANG officials, as well as Texas Leftwing legislators that kept popping up with smoke screens to cover their retreat when the whole Texas/Burkett story fell apart. A lot of details of what actually went on that never reached the press or public. That sort of thing.
Given the response over at Salon, one thing I will be very interested in is if Hillary makes a very big vocal case against this bill when it goes to the Senate. As the superdelegates aren’t locked in until the convention, she may have the desire to outflank Obama from the left and stoke the insurrection of the netroots.
Might need me some more popcorn if that happens.
Given the response over at Salon, one thing I will be very interested in is if Hillary makes a very big vocal case against this bill when it goes to the Senate.
No shit, Gleens is stirring it up pretty good over there. This could get real fun.
Pop goes teh moonbat!
Thanks! I really, really didn’t want to have to wade through all that fucknuttery to find it.
The only thing they’re likely to ever pick up a weapon against is a fetus.
Hey, let’s have some respect. Fetuses can be dangerous when they’re only wounded, you know.
No prob, SBP… I rather enjoy watching irrational dopes rise in united, frothey FUUUURY. It makes my leg all tingly.
It also reinforces why my belief set is right for me. A bigger collection of twatwaffles has ne’er been seen.
Ooh! Ooh! Were there pretty vicious rants and important action alerts lined up about this?
“Sen. Obama seems to be all tactics, but no strategy, let alone logistics.”
In other words, he’s an amateur.
Wow, Salon is freaking hysterical! Talk about retreads! It’s like watching Rude Awakening, without Cheech Marin. Oh, the horror, the horror…wait…no milk for my Cheerios, gtg!
[…] (more) unhinged. Mr. Sock Puppet has taken yet another dive into the deep end of the pool. Karl at protein wisdom dissects the Sock […]
Homophobes.
Comment by not Mona on 6/20 @ 6:42 am #
Homophobes.
Spit out that cock in your mouth. There, now it has some relevance to this thread!
And the thing passes the House with nearly 300 votes. I knew I should have invested in dudgeon a year ago.
My God, the Gleen(s) disciples are blowing blood vessels left and right over at Salon over the house vote.
I’m not sure my leg can take all the tingly-ness. ;)
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