David, I don't blame you for feeling the way you do. Truthfully, I believe what you are doing is exactly what they want more people to do. They want people to become discouraged so that they can do what ever it is they want to do.

It is terribly disturbing that there isn't enough people in government to represent progressive values. As if lying, cheating, killing, etc., ever truly lends people to get ahead in life. In all dire honesty they are making fools of themselves.

Thanks Rebel Farmer for the link on senator votes. Well, being an Oregonian also, Smith's vote was as expected. We have our work cut out to get rid of this dude, but given the behavior of the Dems (majority?) to date, I'm wondering how much we will gain with one more vote when 36% of the party votes with Bush.
The House vote was no surprise. Look at the position the Dems have taken on impeachment! They won't even consider it although Bush & Cheney are criminals of the first order. Pelosi and Reid are simply scripted--but by whom?

hey speedster - i thought the terrorists wanted to kill us for the love of god? The government is already listening to the enemy, they are the enemy. Do some historical reading and you'll discover not one freedom we have today, or rather had prior to 9-11 (we still do not know whether the govt assisted in this or not) was given to the people by the govt. No, the people had to hit the streets and demand freedom from their own govt. right here in the US of a. do you really think this happened in Goose creek just because ABC covered it? I guess you missed the heroics of Pat Tillman and Jessica Lynch? That was covered on ABC, NBC, CNN, MSNBC & FOX.... Wake up man, wake up.

They are also listening to every opposition group out there just like they did in Vietnam and following them and harassing them. I guess you only are allowed the freedoms our military is supposedly fighting for unless you agree with the administration. Oh btw - do you think they listen to their political opponents private campaign conversations too? They are.

Those who are willing to sacrifice freedom to obtain security will have neither.

SHAMELESS!!! SHAMELESS!!! SHAMELESS!!!!!!!!!!! SHAMELESS!!!!

PROMOTOR OF DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD, HOW COME YOU HAVE BECOME A DICTATORSHIP?????????????????????????????????
ARE YOU CONFUSED WITH THE MEANING BETWEEN DEMOCRACY AND DICTATORSHIP??? THAT IS WHY EVEN YOUR FRIENDS ARE MUSHARAF, SAUDI KINGS, JORDAN KING...... (THE GUARDIANS OF DEMOCRACY?)!!!!!!

I agree with gandi completely. I also agree with those who are calling for the Democratic party to account for its apparent complicity in this rushed-through bill which appears to remove most of our civil rights protections. Bush [The Fascist Tyrant], Cheney [Bush's Iago] and Gonzalez [Poncho] have managed to use their culture of fear to cause otherwise thoughtful Democratic leaders into giving in. No explanation. No time for thought. No reflection on their oath to "protect and defend the Constitution . . . from all enemies, foreign and domestic." I never would have thought I would be writing and calling my Representative and Senators asking them to stop trampling on the constitution.

With the Democratic leadership's stated purpose of not impeaching these criminals because they don't want to cause such a divisive act to "tear our country apart. Thank you Gerald Ford. Your pardon set the stage for this and succeeding administrations to make a sham out of our historical liberal democracy.

We must accept the fact that "We the People" are the only ones left as "THE GUARDIANS OF DEMOCRACY!!!!!!"

It is amazing how the COngress is giving away the country and even more amazing at the average American's participation in his/her own destruction.

One note: You have to read between the lines a bit. The article says that Bush put the program before the FISA court in Jan. What it doesn't say is that they needed this bill because a judge found the program to be illegal.

I wish every time I did something illegal I could just go to Congress and get them to ok it for me.

This vote shows just what a phony little bit of theater the noise about Gonzales is. The Dems will make noise about how he lies and breaks the law, but then they turn around and give him the authority to spy on Americans without a warrant. Makes it clear that the noise is just political theater to let the Dems pretend they are doing something.

This shows we absolutely have to quit voting Dem. The Dems are not an opposition. They go right along with Bush on every key vote. If we want an opposition, it has to come from some party other than the Dems. WE MUST STOP VOTING DEMOCRATIC.

I'll check back later to run the gauntlet of comments from committed Democrats scolding that the rest of us should be committed for failing to keep faith in Harry Reid's shrewd realization that sometimes you have to take a couple of hundred steps backwards to take a step forward-- at some unidentified time in the future. Maybe. Unless it turns out we have to take another step backwards then too, in order to really take a step forward in the next future. Maybe. Unless it turns out...

dlnelson7 August 4th, 2007 11:35 am

There is nothing amazing about it. You're privileged to be present at a great moment in history. Sit back and watch the destruction of America and the rise of the North American Union. The empire isn't dying. It's spreading like a cancer.

Wow.. anyone know when the house votes on this? They're our last hope.

If the house approves of this I'm not voting democrat in 2008- and probably not in any other election as well.

60-28??? Putting that liar Gonzales in charge of warrantless spying on American citizens! What the hell is going on? That vote isn't even close. People should be outraged, I am stunned.

Insanity is said to consist of doing the same thing over and over, but still hoping for a different result each time!

STOP DEBATING TRIVIAL QUESTIONS!

THERE IS NO "SALVATION" IN ELECTING ANY SINGLE INDIVIDUAL FROM EITHER PARTY. Kucinich is a proven loser, completely cominated by the Democratic Party. (IF KUCINICH WERE TO CALL FOR THE FORMATION OF A NEW THIRD PARTY, THEN THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT!)

The Democratic Party is a CORPORATE OWNED AND CONTROLLLED party, as is the Republican party. Obama
and Hillary have each received TENS OF MILLIONS of dollars from corporations profiting from war, profiting from tax cuts, unrestrained polluters profiting, banks are profiting from the massive credit card debt held by the majority of working people, etc.

Both parties support the global imperialist march of U.S. multi-national capitalism, the Project for the New American Century, treaties such as NAFTA that has caused the flood of immigration in U.S. from LATIN AMERICA.

NEITHER PARTY GIVES A DAMN ABOUT THE DEATH OF HUMANITY FROM GLOBAL WARMING! WHY? AS BUSH SAYS, TRYING TO STOP POLLUTION AND GLOBAL WARMING MIGHT HURT BUSINESS PROFITS!

The "pre-emptive" unending and merciless global war against "terrorism" (itself a terrorism) is nothing but global euthansia, an ECONOMIC EUTHANASIA (Hitler's insanity was on racial euthanasia).

THIS WAR FOR PROFIT AND POWER IS WAR AGAINST THE UNPROFITABLE, A GENOCIDE AGAINST UNPROFITABLE "HUMAN RESOURCES".) If you live over oil, gas, rare earth minerals, strategic property, etc. YOU MIGHT AS WELL CONSIDER YOURSELF, YOUR FAMILY, YOUR CITY, YOUR NATION AS DEAD MEAT!

HERE IS WHAT WE MUST DO NOW.......

DUMP THE DEMOCRATS!
UNITE INTO A NEW THIRD PARTY NOW!

We the people, opposed to the destruction of the planet and it's peoples, now atomized and powerless in "grass roots" and "special interest" groups, must unite our efforts and resources into a new party to replace the corrupt Democratic Party! A new party that rejects corporate funding in order to end the corporate plunder of the federal government.

A new party explicitly opposed to the Project for the New American Century. Opposed to unending war for profit and power. Cut the military budget by 50%, shut down the 700 military bases around the world. Re-instate taxes cut by Bush gang.

A new party that commits the entire resources of the country to end global warming, end imperialist wars, implements true non-profit universal health care. promotes mass transportation, develops renewaable energy, and produces the essentials for human survival.

A new party that promotes an economy that works towards fulfilling the economic needs of all the people, not just to profit a tiny minority of super wealthy. No more people living on the streets! No more hospitalized people being dumped into the streets when they have no money or health insurance! (See the film SICKO)

A new party to unite all of the oppressed people of this country. A new party that cuts across all the false social and cultural divisions that keep us forever powerless (racial, ethnic, age, language, etc.). A new party to unite us against the unending destruction of peoples and planet.

A SOCIALIST PARTY to promote the end of gangster capitalism, run-amok capitalism, which is supported by both Democratic and Republican parties.

A new socialist party to support the labor movement and all working people. We urge the labor movement to stop supporting the Democratic Party (already besotted by corporate money), and to focus its precious resources to fund a new national radio and television network. By being on the air 24 hours a day the labor movement can provide the latest news, information, education and current affairs analysis desperately needed by all working people. This effort, combined with the formation of the new party, will be a bold step towards reviving the organized labor movement.

For years we have listened to radio programs like DEMOCRACY NOW! that has discussed with numerous "grass roots" groups desperately struggling to make a positive change in society. Anti-war protest groups, civil rights groups, union struggles, affordable housing groups, teachers unions, health care access, seniors about Social Security, have involved millions of people. Now is the time to unite the energy and resources of the people into a new party.

The new socialist party provides a means of uniting the "special interest" agendas of each group into the platform of the new party. The new party candidates, selected from the various individuals and groups, would become the candidates representing their cause and the new party. The new party will contest for office at every level of government in order to take power. The new party will provide the new leadership and new programs this country desperately needs.

There is still time before November 2008 elections to start this process. Even the announcement and preparation for a founding convention of such a new party will shock both Democrats and Republican incumbents. They will know that their days are numbered!

The needs of all previous "minority" and "special interests" people now become the platform of the new party representing the vast majority of people. Can the existing activists of so-called "minority" and "special interest" groups overcome their existing powerlessness, and link up with each other to start this new party?

This all-inclusive struggle will attract millions of atomized working people, often non-voters and uninvolved people, who have been atomized, exploited, brain-washed by corporate media and ultimately destroyed by gangster capitalism.

Try reading the WORLD SOCIALIST WEB SITE for mental liberation... break out the box of corporate media!

http://www.wsws.org

The power of fear in politics wins again.

Yet another reason to not vote Democrat. Support Kucinich, and if/when he's defeated, vote for the best independent or Green.

Diane Feinstein once again joins the Republicans and sells out our Civil Liberties to fear.

Ruling-Class Fascism is alive and kicking in the U.S. Government!

We might as well be under British Imperial rule.

This allows them to put massive control over any suspected adversary.

How easy it would be to set someone up using esoteric information to make the facts fit the story.

"We've worked hard and in good faith with the Democrats to find a solution, but we are not going to put our national security at risk," Bush said after meeting with counterterror and homeland security officials at FBI headquarters Friday morning. "Time is short." - W.P.

Our "open borders", NAFTA highway president who doesn't demand inspection on hundreds of millions of containers entering this country is once again trying to scare the s**t out of Americans to "surrender" their liberties and give more power to the Executive Branch of this government.

"The rule of law is still critical in this country," said Rep. John Tierney, D-Mass.,....We can have security and our civil liberties".

Yes, we can! And that's why our dictatorial president wanted Congress to rush through a permanent bill before they go on vacation; to give the Executive Branch power over congressional checks & balances and to perpetuate the erosion of the Bill Of Rights and the United States Constitution.

The goal of the New World Order is for international corporations and the super-wealthy to control everything on earth including trade, finances, resources, communications, populations, etc......and it can't be done unless Democratic governments are willing to destroy the inherent rights of the people under the constitutiions of those governments.

As we have experienced over the last 30 years, the benefits of this perverted ideology have been going primarilty to the super-wealthy. It is an ideology of trickle-up economics. "Those who have the gold make the rules".

This spy legislation is not pointed at AlQaeda but at the American people. When Cheney/Bush arrange the next terrorist attack and declare martial law they will have the legal authority to arrest anyone they deem a threat to their dictatorship. The reason so many Democrats voted for it is because they know they would be arrested if they didn't, not today, but immediately following Cheney/Bush's assumption of emergency powers.

Don't vote for dems? What is your alternative? To throw your vote away on a party that has NO chance of even getting 5% of the vote, and throw the thing back to the republicans? Look, the thing to do is to GET INVOLVED and take the freaking party back from the big money bribe takers. Cindy Sheehan has the right idea. She is putting her money where her mouth is, and DOING something. Those of you who just want to run away are NOT the solution.

If you don't like who is representing you, then RUN AGAINST THEM. If you are even CLOSE to reasonable, then chances are that those who are ALSO disgusted with the way things are would vote for YOU. Or back whoever has the balls to run against them.

But good God, didn't you people learn ANYTHING from 2000 and 2004? Vote for someone that doesn't have a chance, and you make it THAT MUCH easier for the republicans to pull their theivery. They can't steal a landslide, they can only steal close elections, and the more you dilute your vote, then the easier you make it for them. In 2006 Rove "had the numbers" and KNEW they would win, but he had the pre Foley numbers, and they were close enough that he could fix it so they would win. Post Foley, and that was just a month different, those numbers had changed to where the fix was no longer enough to keep the election stolen. WE NEED NUMBERS!

The problem isn't that people are running away from parties, it's that they aren't getting involved THEMSELVES. Quit WAITING for others to do what you want, because they WON'T. Didn't your parents ever teach you that running away won't solve anything? There are times to ignore things, there are times to complain, and there are times to roll up your sleeves, pick up a shovel, and start digging. Right now our political system is like a huge pile of shit, and we don't need people standing around and complaining, we need people with shovels.

Either help to take our country back from big money, or just sit down and shut up. Your negativity doesn't help anyone but the republicans. Either pick up a shovel or go away. Be part of the solution, and not part of the problem.

"The Democratic-led U.S. Senate, amid warnings of further ATTACKS on the United States...."

"Naturally, the common people don't want war, but after all, it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy along whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a parliament or a communist dictatorship….Voice or no voice, people can always be brought to do the bidding of the leaders…This is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being ATTACKED and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country."

HERMAN GOERING: Hitlers Reich-Marshall at the NUREMBERG TRIALS after WWII

IT WORKED FOR THE NAZIS
AND IT HAS WORKED WELL FOR BUSH...

NMBill August 4th, 2007 12:41 pm

"This allows them to put massive control over any suspected adversary.
How easy it would be to set someone up using esoteric information to make the facts fit the story."

Good point, Bill. This administration has already shown us many examples of their expertise at cherry-picking, distorting, and hiding information.

Good job, "representatives." Doing the people's will once again. Obviously responding to the tens of millions of free American citizens begging to be spied on more without our knowledge for still unexplained reasons. With history's worst liar and most incompetent gov official Gonzo as the sign-off.

Time for a massive show of total discontent. SWITCH YOUR DEM REGISTRATION ASAP! They need to feel the pain of their corrupt decisions and actions. NO MORE MR. NICE PROGRESSIVE. The only two things they respond to are cash and votes. This week, millions of us need to show them which one they'll lose first.

SWITCH YOUR REGISTRATION - TEACH THE LOYALBUSHIEDEMS A LESSON!!!!!!!!

The idea that there is a Democrat majority in either house is a farce. Not much has changed since that last election. Bush [or whoever is really running things]still get's everything he wants and we the citizen's don't even get much lip service anymore.
Most of the Dems have thrown in with Bush. Our government has bet all their chips on the wrong pony. Our leader's seem to be suffering from mass insanity. It's getting a little bit scary.

Everyone needs to watch the BBC series,
"The Power Of Nightmares"
It's on Google video in three parts.

Mass education is the only answer.

Direct democracy. Let the people decide, not politicians:

http://www.gravel2008.us/national_initiative

WJM, FYI Cindy Sheehan plans to run as an independent but it is safe to do so in SF because the Dems comprise 75%-80% of the vote, thus even if the Dem vote were split 50-50, both liberal candidates would still come in ahead of the Republican candidate.

Please check http://www.sheehanforcongress.us and http://cindyforcongress.org to get involved with her campaign!

WJM, I sure hope you're hectoring "Give 'em Hype" Harry Reid with the same beet-red-faced enthusiasm you're showing here.

Nothing like being chased like a moneylender from the Temple with Jesus on his heels! And swinging a cat o'nine tails made of platitudes to boot!

But I do appreciate your leaving "You stink" off at the end; I know how much you must have wanted to include it. Good luck with the mission.

As per the last 7 years, and really the last few decades...whats most disturbing; It's right in front of our faces. Before the corperate government would just lie and fuck us over behind our backs, and in secret. Now they do it publically, and even laugh about it. Even more disturbing is they, the 1% and their corperate oligarchy, have duped (brainwashed), i dunno, maybe 70-75% of this country into thinking whats good for the 1% is actually good for everyone, so every law so every law the government passes has to give direct benefits and handouts to the 1%- they pass self serving laws. If it doesn't stand to greatly benefit the 1%, the law doesn't get passed. Also disturbing is, maybe 30% of our country would welcome a fascist centralized corperate government- though of course, not under the name of fascism, it would always be under the name of democracy.

We live under the illusion of democracy, sorry to say. By and large we're controlled and manipulated by the corperate oligarchy that is our government. The word Democracy is just a glittering generality, a rhetorical term, they use to make us feel like we have voice and influence when in fact we have none. And they falsly invoke this term in order to dupe us into thinking everything they do is for our benefit, when in fact, it stands only to benefit the 1% and actually fucks over the rest of us. Collectively, though, we tell ourselves that we control the government, and that our government represents us so we can sleep better at night. Denial and delusions at their worst.

And you really have to feel bad for Bush and his presidency....

when you look at the past several presidents, they all fit one of two bills.

1-They're impressionable, insecure, easily manipulated and controlled morons (Bush jr, Clinton, Reagen, Carter). Like puppets, they are very easily controlled by the corperate olichargy- that's the only reason they became president. Just look at all the pictures of Bush; it's no coincidence that nearly everytime, there are several oligarchy members behind him.

or

2- They're a direct member of the Oligarchy. (Bush sr, Nixon, Ford, LBJ, Truman.)

and That's ultimately why Kennedy was killed. He wasn't either of those, nor was he a freemason, illuminati, and his bloodline was Irish, not Anglo-Saxon british like literally every other president. He was a poor politician who tried to counter the oligarchy, and got killed for it.

So I feel bad for Bush, in a way, because he is just a mere puppet in the grand scheme of things. Look at the next line of frontrunner canidates for 2008- They all fit one of the two groups of presidents. All the obscure canidates, like Kucinich, Gravel, Paul etc don't fit any of those molds- They're not the oligarchy, and they can't be peddled like all the others. Gravel had the best line during the last debate, something like "If you want to know who the 2008 canidates are going to represent, all you have to do is follow the money, look at their donations. They wont serve the American people, they're going to serve their monetary intrests."

I hate to sound despondent. But get used to oligarchal-fascist rule if you haven't already. We live in no different times than 3-4000 years ago. The wealthy corperate oligarchy have always controlled and easily manipulated the 99% of us, and they always will. They always will because as soon as you replace their power with people, say like us, inevitably it's going to develop into the same oppressive oligarchy that we claim to be against. Basically the problem is replacement- people think we can remove greed and hunger for power, but we can't. As soon as you replace the oligarchy, you're just going to get another greedy oligarchy. It's the Iron Law of oligarchy, and it's the way the world works.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_law_of_oligarchy

Best thing to do is just hang on for the ride. It's like you're in a cop car, the cop is driving and he's drunk. your doors are locked- you can't escape. The barrier from the front seat to the back prevents you from touching in, and all you can do is kick and scream. Kick and scream too loud and the cop will put a bullet in your head. Either way, you can't do anything but hang on for dear life, as this drunk cop is taking you for this ride. Have fun...

Seig Heil, Herr Bush! Wir machen alles, das Sie wuenschen! Auslaender raus! Tod zu den Terroristen!

Dumbfuckistan indeed.

According to the article which is very vague...so vague it nearly conveys little cogent beyond news of the yea vote...after 9/11 Bush authorized wire taps without FISA Court ok (against the rule) but that in Jan of this yr [?] he put the whole thing back under strict FISA. Am I reading that right? I seem to have forgotten why he did so, and there is nothing in the article that tells me.

Nothing in the article says anything about exactly when the House vote will take place. I take it before the recess, soon??? [I have emailed my Rep]

"Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid criticized the Senate-passed bill, saying it 'authorizes warrantless searches and surveillance of American phone calls, e-mails, homes, offices and personal records for however long (it takes for) an appeal to a court of review.'"

That seems logical. Without the FISA court to approve it...where is the gaurantee that any particular wire tap has something to do with a foreigner? Is that the real question here, or is Reid's problem with it the fact that it eavesdrops without the '78 mandated approval...on American citizens EVEN IF in fact they're communicating with parties beyond the borders. I don't get it.

I don't seem to find words in the article describing the mandate (with the Senate version) that the Attorney General gets more authority in authorizing surveillance. Does he? The article only sez that under the House version the AG will have to submit surveillance procedures to the court for approval. Have mercy, is there a link to another article on this bill at Common Dreams? What more was it the DNI demanded?

Wikipedia article on the DNI

Well, now it is official. My dog, Buster, is more intelligent than BOTH Houses of Congress.
I got to get to the liquor store. Strong drink is called for after reading this.

The only logical reason for giving Cheney/bush total power of
surveillance is the Repugs have phone taps, data on shady deals
or they caught Dems in bed with a dead person or a preteen boy
or girl or both. There is no other analysis that fits.

What will the Dems do next year when Cheney/bush "postpone" the
election due to a "national security emergency" e.g. Pakistan,
Iran, N. Korea. Hell, with the Repugs what's one more lie or two.

Remember Dandy Don Meredith on Monday night football? When one team would be slaughtering its opponent he'd burst into the song
"The Partys Over." Methinks with the likes of Conyers & Pelosi
buckling our democracy party is over. There are not enough
Leahys and Feingolds to save it.

I'm changing my votor registration, from the Democratic Party to INDEPENDENT or GREEN (For all its raved-about mountains and rivers, I don't think our state even has a Green Party.) I'm not just sick of the Democrats. The Democrats and Republicans are all one and the same. I'm not a radical, I'm just fed up. See you at the county courthouse, voting registration.

If people have questions like mine logged in above at 3:46 see links in today's Glenn Greenwald article from Salon.com.

Go here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070804/ap_on_go_co/senate_rollcall_terrorism_1
to find out how YOUR Senator voted on S. 1927. Mine got an earfull (Smith from Oregon). Because of their vote on this issue, they ain't goin' back to the Senate - EVER! Doesn't matter if they are Dem or Repug. They are gone if we have an election in '08.

The House is supposed to vote on this tonight. I tried to call my Rep. but their offices are closed. I did casll yesterday, but I don't know how to find out what is going on right now. Anybody got any ideas?

DailyKos seems to be on top of this. And boy are they pissed! I've never heard them be so anti-Democratic party before. The Dem's may have just cut their own throat on this one.

Go here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070804/ap_on_go_co/senate_rollcall_terrorism_1
to find out how YOUR Senator voted on S. 1927. Mine got an earfull (Smith from Oregon). Because of their vote on this issue, they ain't goin' back to the Senate - EVER! Doesn't matter if they are Dem or Repug. They are gone if we have an election in '08.

The House is supposed to vote on this tonight. I tried to call my Rep. but their offices are closed. I did call yesterday, but I don't know how to find out what is going on right now. Anybody got any ideas?

DailyKos seems to be on top of this. And boy are they pissed! I've never heard them be so anti-Democratic party before. The Dem's may have just cut their own throat on this one.

We are making a list and cheking it twice. Red list blue list. You liberals better accept Jesus and Bush now your time is running out. The mother of all battles is coming, and we're not going to let a bunch liberal cowards lose it for us.Fema camps you Victory for us. Hail Bush

Iron Law of oligarchy, Huh....I'm not surprised. With all this wiretapping going to some office somewhere I'll bet they have every brokers phone and computer tapped in some closed door switch board room. For years the nsa has been tapping phones in the back room of every phone company office. Its just the way things have been run Reagan onward. If you want to get a untappable phone, Get a pink noise generator from your local spy shop or canada. As a ex corporate maintenance man, I can tell you for sure every politician has them installed into every room he works or lives in, every phone he talks on. It makes recording impossible. Fun stuff!

"Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has approved a new law allowing the security services to intercept postal, internet and telephone communications."
.
Now all we need is hyper stagflation (a GOP specialty) and we will be just like Zimbabwe. I wonder who's face will be on our $200,000 bill.

No Republicans voted against the bill.

The following Democrats voted for it: Evan Bayh (Indiana); Tom Carper (Delaware); Bob Casey (Pennsylvania); Kent Conrad (North Dakota); Dianne Feinstein (California); Daniel Inouye (Hawai'i); Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota); Nancy Mary Landrieu (Louisiana); Blanche Lincoln (Arkansas); Claire McCaskill (Missouri); Barbara Mikulski (Maryland); Bill Nelson (Florida); Ben Nelson (Nebraska); Mark Pryor (Arkansas); Ken Salazar (Colorado); Jim Webb (Virginia).

Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Christopher Dodd and Barack Obama opposed the bill, as did 23 other Democrats and Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont.

Joe Lieberman voted as you'd expect, with the busheviks.

bush and his boyfriends (General Rove, the master propagandist, at the top of the boyfriend list) know that FEAR IS A RENEWABLE RESOURCE.

They pull out the fear card and even some Dems fall into line.

I really wonder if this governmenr signed into law that politicians have the right to buttfuck your daughters if then you'd withhold your money from these hijackers. I seriously doubt it. Keep up the good pouting, it surely will get their attention soon.

The Democratic Party is not a democracy. You can work at the local level and pass all sorts of resolutions, and it won't mean a thing. The primaries are rigged, when you even get one. For instance, one of the traitor Dems who voted for this is Salazar from CO. He was basically chosen for the job by the party hacks in a closed room. That's how the candidate was picked. There was a progressive candidate who tried to run against him, but like I said its a rigged game.

The Dems could easily run rules such as the Clean Election rules on their primary races. As long as they stay under the limits in federal law, the general rule is that a party can do what they want in their internal contests. So what do the Dems do. They open their party up as wide as possible to big money and let the biggest possible 'donations'/'bribes' come in. Add to this the way the party hacks and the corporate media team up to double team any challenge, and its a pretty hopeless race.

I've been hearing this crap about working within the Democratic party since at least 1999 now. Lots of people have been trying it. How's it working out? Isn't this like the 100th vote by this crappy Democratic congress that tells us its all a big waste of time and effort. Trying to compete inside the rigged game that's the Democratic party is a waste of time, money and energy.

That time, money and energy needs to go towards building an alternative party that truly represents the people of this country. And the first goal of that party needs to be to cause the defeat of as many Democrats as possible. Inflict some pain. Then maybe they'll start to take us seriously.

Hey Jeremy Wells.
I'm ready to join such a party. Your statement would make a pretty good platform to run with. What's should the name of the party be?

Tens if not hundreds of thousands of us have been sending messages and calling our alleged representatives telling them to vote NO on the so called "FISA Modernization Act."

Most of our alleged representatives have swum to the bottom of the DC Cesspool to join the rest of the bottom feeders. They've gone so deep and they're slurping so hard they don't hear us anymore, if they ever did.

This gives the Cheney/Bush Gang a little more power to ID those who disagree with them before the Black Op and martial law commences. Halliburton/KBR's new camps will start to fill rapidly.

Heil Bush! Pfffftttt!

A fascist government's dream come true. This will help them spy on their own people to weed out anyone who is a dissenter and doesn't goose-step along with them. Sieg Heil!

COMarc is right. It's time for the Democratic Party to be held accountable for its failures, and the best way to do that is for progressives to start voting Republican.

I am not being facetious.

For years, supporters of the Democratic establishment have claimed that we live in a two-party system, and that a vote for a third party candidate is a waste. They're right, a vote for a third party candidate in a rigged system is a waste, but given that most Democratic voters can no longer tolerate Republi-crats either, then it follows that the only logical alternative is to install Republicans in place of these pseudo-Democrats. It isn't like there's much difference between Dianne Feinstein, Bill Nelson, Blanche Lincoln, etc. and a Republican anyway, so replacing them with the real thing will have basically no effect on the outcome of votes. What it will do is allow the American people to see the true political makeup of Congress, which may in turn lead to real political change.

Right now, the Dems are in nominal control of both Houses, but it's clear from the voting record that - on a wide range of issues - Bush and the GOP really control more like 2/3 of Congress. If you got rid of the half of Democrats who are Bush supporters and replaced them with genuine Republicans, then everyone could see how much power the GOP really has in this country, and perhaps then the American people will come to their senses and start looking for real alternatives. In fact, I have no doubt that it wouldn't be long at all before the 1/3 of Congress consisting of honest Democrats expanded in size and became the majority. The Democratic Party will then have re-established itself as a legitimate political party.

I realize of course that voting for Republicans may be hard to stomach for many people, but face it folks, we are never going to win until we start thinking more than one step ahead.