FISA Follies

Obama may become the Nutroots heart throb du jour - he voted (and lost) with Chris Dodd to strip retroactive immunity from the new FISA bill; Hillary may be tough enough to battle Republicans but she wasn't tough enough to actually get to the Senate floor and get on the sinking ship - her vote was "Not present". 

Hmm, that was sort of my proposed Obama strategy.  Let's see, more votes to come, and Obama can spin the telecoms immunity as something other than civil rights for terrorists. 

Opposing the main bill will be trickier, from a general election perspective; supporting it will be trickier today. Let's see - if he supports the big bill having also supported the Dodd amendment, he can claim he worked for an even better bill but reluctantly settled for this as better than nothing.  The Nutroots will see through it like glass, and the rest of us can cry "waffle" - I say Obama needs to go all in and oppose the final bill.  It's suicide, but it's delayed suicide... unless he can get Dodd, or some suitably credible lefty Dem, to support the final bill as well.  Kennedy was with Dodd on this round - will Kennedy flip to cover Obama?

Right, who's waffling now?  OK - Obama either opposes the final bill or drags Kennedy, Dodd, or a Big Lefty into the same "Yes to Dodd, Yes to the bill" position and hides behind them [Wrong!  See below].  Ms. Clinton buffs her Kennedyesque appeal by posing somewhere reading "Profiles in Courage".

Ms. Malkin is following this.

MORE:  Re "See through this like glass" - the Metaphor Masher repair guy is racing to my rescue like a white knight on a gallant steed... and he better hurry.  Obviously.

THE AUDACITY OF VOTE:  Duh!  Obama could just scuttle into the night and, with Hillary, go with "Not Voting" on the final bill.  Does she have an extra copy of "Profiles in Courage" handy?  These two want to lead America but they can't even lead their own party.

NUTROOTS BONUS:  Sen. Jim Webb voted for the bill, the boot-licking Bush-kissing craven.

Comments

[kim]

The man in the black hat's phone conversation was intercepted and now he's being grilled by the secret service for Hillary's dinner.
=====================================

[anduril]

If Obama gets the nomination, this hands a potentially huge issue to the GOP. Most polls show Americans feels strongly about national security, especially when it comes to measures to help prevent terrorist attacks. Voting NO on this one would be very hard to explain to anyone but the nutroots. Even if he votes in favor of the final bill, the GOP should be able to makes lots of hay on this one. They may well be able to make a significant issue of Hillary's NOT PRESENT by tying it in to the general national security issue.

[anduril]

Oh, wait--did McCain show up?

[Topsecretk9]

anduril

Yes. He did. In favor.

[sbw]

Helga has arrived. Quick, Tom, call security. Threads from 2003 are being hijacked by the 'bots!

[Neo]

Democrats -- 31-18

Republicans -- 0-49

At least the Republicans are consistent.

[SteveMG]

Where's the "No difference between Obama/Clinton and McCain" brigade?

Yes, there's lots of legitimate criticism - indeed outrage - over McCain's record; but this "no difference" argument just can't withstand any examination.

As we see again today.

And hey, Senator Clinton, real profile in courage there, m'am.

[Jim Miller]

Well, there's always the phrase from Corinthians, "through a glass, darkly". but I don't think that fixes your metaphor.

Tom, you haven't been reading Frank Rich, by any chance? (For those not familiar with NYT columnist's way with words, let just say this: Rich has never met a metaphor he couldn't misuse. I am no longer surprised to find NYT columnists who can't think logically, or are innumerate, or are ignorant of history, but I am still mildly surprised to see that some of them can't -- or won't -- write clearly.)

[Rick Ballard]

"it will be as transparent as fine crystal"

It's the Nutroots part that screws it up. Gotta figure out a metaphor that works on a Happy Meal level when you're dealing with them. It's always crayons and butcher paper.

[kaz]

With roughly 4% of the Virginia vote in:

Huck ~7000
Mc ~6000
Paul 455
Mitt 329

Fox has already called it for BHO.

[Ralph L]

I think TM wants to fog Barry's windshield and point him to a cliff.

He won't be present for the final bill. Neither will she.

[SteveMG]

The audacity of nope.

Not gonna' vote.

[hit and run]

CNN calls VA for McCain with 64% reporting...

McCain 48
Huckabee 44

[Rick Ballard]

CNN has its exit poll for VA available.

BHO took 53% of the Hispanic vote and the Hispanic turn out at 5% compares very favorably to their total population percentage of 6%. That ain't good news in Witchland. Not if it carries on to TX.

Blacks constitute 20% of the population in VA and accounted for 30% of the vote, going for BHO at an 89% rate.

[Patrick Tyson]

Obama will be the Democratic nominee.

[clarice]

HHispanics in No Va are largely Central American and Peruvian--quite different than the Cubans in Miami and the Mexican-Americans in California and the SW. Just saying.

[MayBee]

My family and I amuse ourselves by picturing Hillary in a control room full of televisions watching returns, and reacting just as Snow White's stepmother does when the mirror says she is not the fairest of them all.

[richard mcenroe]

"Kennedy was with Dodd on this round - will Kennedy flip to cover Obama?"

I think the Secret Service are required to open fire if he tries...

[anduril]

OT? OT? OT? OT?

Maybe I'm jumping the gun a bit, but with the looming possibility of a President BHO it may not be too soon to look at all possible implications. Rowan Williams drew a lot of criticism and ridicule for his recent statement suggesting that Britain accommodate Sharia law, at least in some respects. I suspect most people here thinks that's the kind of thing that could only happen in obscure European banana republics. However, we know that 1) our elite law schools favor bringing US law into line with foreign law and that BHO is a product of such institutions. If he were able to get such minded people onto the Supreme Court we might well be in for a nasty surprise.

Perhaps that's what Rivkin & Casey had in mind when they penned their latest article, Toleration and Islamic Law

Some of you probably read that article, as well as this article by Richard Fernandez, which points out some of the practical consequences of Sharia law: All in the Family

It occurs to me that these two articles go very well in juxtaposition.

[kim]

I would really like to know if you have to have been an adult Muslim to become apostate. Most certainly, Obama repeated the catechism as a child. Is he subject to fatwah for falling away from the faith?

Remember, a fallen away Muslim is worse than an infidel. Well, in their eyes, anyway.
===============================

[hit and run]

With 78% reporting in VA

McCain 49
Huckabee 43

CNN has the Exit polls for the reps, too.

53% of the voters were male...interesting. McCain won 50% of each gender.

McCain won among Republicans 52-42
Huckabee won among Independents 40-38

McCain won among Moderates 70-24
McCain won among Somewhat Conservatives 50-37
Huckabee won among Very Conservatives 65-25

[clarice]

Just saw Hill in Texas--she is sounding increasingly desperate--

[PeterUK]

"Well they gave her her orders at Monroe, Virginia,
Said: "Hill, you're way behind time,
"This is not 38, this is Ol' 47,
"Put her into Spencer on time."

Then she turned around and said to her black, greasy fireman,
"Shovel on a little more coal.
"And when we cross that White Oak mountain,
"Watch Ol' '47 roll."

And then a telegram come from Washington station,
This is how it read:
"Oh that brave engineer that run ol 47,
"Is lyin in old Danville dead."

'Cos she was going down a grade making 90 miles an hour,
Hillary broke into a scream.
She was found in the wreck with her hand on the throttle,
Scalded to death by the steam."

[PeterUK]

"Rowan Williams drew a lot of criticism and ridicule for his recent statement suggesting that Britain accommodate Sharia law,"

A hurricane level shitstorm is more appropriate.No matter what the silly old hippy says after this,it will follow him for the rest of his life.

[vnjagvet]

According to Fox, Maryland is 2-1 for BHO. Rove (a great counter, BTW) says that at the end of the night, BHO will be as far ahead of RW as he was behind going into tonight.

Alert, Alert: Broom One, Broom One -- You're in a steep dive, I repeat, a steep dive. Pull up. Pull up. Oh Sh******.

[vnjagvet]

What happens to people when they become Archbishop of Canterbury, PUK?

[hit and run]

Byron York on the Corner:

What will be interesting to see is whether McCain can, for the first time, crack the 50 percent mark in a primary.

He's wrong with NY (51%), NJ (55%) and CT (52%).

I Blame Sue.

UPDATE: he just provided the update with the correction.

[clarice]

It's the Curse of Henry Tudor.

[MikeS]

It's looking more and more like Obama will be the nominee. I hope he puts a woman on the ticket with him. Is that nice Kathleen Blanco still available?

[hit and run]

CNN calls MD for McCain.

[sb5109]

The second plane crash was the guy who was wearing th zoot suit, so he had to die well. Yes, the assassin was at the gate. I really don't like the time travel part of the game, but, I guess, that's why it's the game.

[MikeS]

Whoa! Ground control to Major Long Gone. Flip the oxygen switch to the ON position Dude.

[vnjagvet]

BHO:

We need to change the mindset that got us into the war.

I hope this clip goes out all to everyone who cares about our security over the next 20 years.

[Ralph L]

Is lyin in old Danville dead
I've been to old Danville recently, and yeah, it's dead.

[Jane]

Obama is really playing to the far left. It will backfire.

Put your hands back into your pockets Barack.

[Jane]

Actually that should be, "Put your hands back in your pockets folks.

[MayBee]

His few throwaway lines kind of knocking McCain didn't go over that well. Not until he finished with an anti-Iraq screed.

[MayBee]

What will Hillary find to be outraged about tonight, so she can control the news cycle tomorrow?

[Rick Ballard]

"Obama is really playing to the far left."

He's not playing. He's into Alinsky and the commie model deeper than RW ever thought of being.

[hit and run]

Geraghty:

It is floating around that it is now mathematically impossible for Huckabee to win the nomination.

Of course, Huckabee is impervious to math.

[hit and run]

Geraghty:

It is floating around that it is now mathematically impossible for Huckabee to win the nomination.

Of course, Huckabee is impervious to math.

[centralcal]

You're right Hit and Run, it is all about "miracles."

[Sue]

I Blame Sue.

Hey!

[SteveMG]

We need to change the mindset that got us into the war.

The men and women of the US military are doing that in Iraq as you speak, sir.

Along with tens of thousands of Iraqis.

It's the Sunni Baathist mindset, the al-Qaeda mindset, the radical Shi'a mindset that's being changed.

Get with the program; its 2008 and not 2003.

[Sue]

See what happens when you blame Sue? I sic typepad on ya'!

[centralcal]

Well...we've come (on Fox News) from the Obamamessiah on the mountain top, down to the valley of McCain - speechwise.

What are we gonna do? I know, I know, substance, substance.

Let us pray (oops, that would be a Huckster line).

[Sue]

UPDATE: I should have noted that McCain has broken the 50 percent mark in some big blue states. I should have specified that he has had that 50 percent problem in the more conservative states.

Something freaky is going on. Byron sounds like me. When he's wrong and when he corrects himself. So...the question is...is Byron here tonight?

[hit and run]

Wjhahhtt?EW?#W??

I don'tarejn have df cee4any h';apromrfdbcllemms wiihtrhf trytypedxppad.

[Sue]

Do any of you remember when Bush first started reading of teleprompters? Disasterous. Bush did much better when he spoke off the cuff. McCain has the same problem. He'll get better. I hope. He is our firewall.

[PeterUK]

vnjagvet ,
This one was always a fully paid up member of the loony left add to that we have a hippy who is a Druid who dresses up like this.As you can see anything can happen,I think the human trowel should stop digging.

[Porchlight]

So...the question is...is Byron here tonight?

I wouldn't be surprised, Sue. He covered Plame/Libby pretty closely - if he kept up with the blogs at all during that period, he surely would have ended up here at some point. JOM is addictive. And you're smart. :)

[hrtshpdbox]

Well, as a Huckabee supporter, as someone who feels his political skills would've allowed him to run better against Obama than any of the other Republicans, I'm naturally disappointed that he didn't carry Virginia. Virginia would've kept him the race, but now I feel he's got no shot at Texas, and no chance of forcing a brokered convention. I'll guess that he drops out tomorrow and also that he's not even on McCain's short list for VP. Still, I think he's got a much larger future presence in the Republican party than any of the other Republican candidates (save McCain, obviously). I'll also predict that Obama will run so far to the left (at least he's honest about it) that everyone here will be pulling the McCain lever come November - I know I will. With these choices, GWB's administration is bound to grow in stature as time goes on.

[Sue]

And you're smart. :)

I've been called a smart alec before. Does that count? ::grin::

[Porchlight]

I've been called a smart alec before. Does that count?

Sure does! ;)

Seriously, though, the women of JOM amaze me. (And the men - but I do think this place is remarkable in its concentration of intelligent females.)

[Sue]

Via Drudge

In the Chesapeake Rout, according to exit polls in Maryland, Obama won: Latino Voters By Six Points: 53-47 All Religions (Including Catholics) All Age Groups (Including Seniors) All Regions All Education Levels And Women by TWENTY ONE POINTS...

My goodness.

[hit and run]

Byron's been here before, as in down in the bowels of the comments.

And Sue knows it

::grin::

[Topsecretk9]

Jeralyn at Talk Left says that both Hill and Obama missed the final FISA vote

Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton missed the final FISA vote today -- they were the only Senators to miss it. It occurred between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. The vote was 68 to 29, so it wouldn't have mattered had they been there. Both were present to vote with Sen. Dodd against cloture a few weeks ago.

[hit and run]

UPDATE: AND FOR THE RECORD...it was Tops' work that Byron was posting on in the Corner.

[PaulV]

From IowaHawk

Heere Bigynneth the Tale of the Asse-Hatte.
An Archbishop of Canterbury Tale

With apologies to Geoffrey Chaucer

1 Whan in Februar, withe hise global warmynge

2 Midst unseasonabyl rain and stormynge

3 Gaia in hyr heat encourages

4 Englande folke to goon pilgrimages.

5 Frome everiches farme and shire

6 Frome London Towne and Lancanshire

7 The pilgryms toward Canterbury wended

8 Wyth fyve weke holiday leave extended

9 In hybryd Prius and Subaru

10 Off the Boughton Bypasse, east on M2.

11 Fouer and Twyntie theye came to seke

12 The Arche-Bishop, wyse and meke

13 Labouryte and hippye, Gaye and Greene

14 Anti-warre and libertyne

15 All sondry folke urbayne and progressyve

16 Vexed by Musselmans aggressyve.

17 Hie and thither to the Arche-Bishop's manse

18 The pilgryms ryde and fynde perchance

19 The hooly Bishop takynge tea

20 Whilste watching himselfe on BBC.

21 Heere was a hooly manne of peace

22 Withe bearyd of snow and wyld brows of fleece

23 Whilhom stoode athwart the Bush crusades

24 Withe peace march papier-mache paraydes.

25 Sayeth the pilgryms to Bishop Rowan,

26 "Father, we do not like howe thynges are goin'.

27 You know we are as Lefte as thee,

28 But of layte have beyn chaunced to see

29 From Edinburgh to London-towne

30 The Musslemans in burnoose gowne

31 Who beat theyr ownselfs with theyr knyves

32 Than goon home and beat theyr wyves

33 And slaye theyr daughtyrs in honour killlynge

34 Howe do we stoppe the bloode fromme spillynge?"

35 The Bishop sipped upon hys tea

36 And sayed, "an open mind must we

37 Keep, for know thee well the Mussel-man

38 Has hys own laws for hys own clan

39 So question not hys Muslim reason

40 And presaerve ye well social cohesion."

41 Sayth the libertine, "'tis well and goode

42 But sharia goes now where nae it should;

43 I liketh bigge buttes and I cannot lye,

44 You othere faelows can't denye,

45 But the council closed my wenching pub,

46 To please the Imams, aye thaere's the rub."

47 Sayeth the Bishop, strokynge his chin,

48 "To the Mosque-man, sexe is sinne

49 So as to staye in his goode-graces

50 Cover well thy wenches' faces

51 And abstain ye Chavs from ribaldry

52 Welcome him to our communitie."

53 "But Father Williams," sayed the Gaye-manne

54 "Though I am but a layman

55 The Mussleman youthes hath smyte me so

56 Whan on streets I saunter wyth my beau."

57 Sayed the Bishop in a curt replye

58 "I am as toolrant as anye oothere guy,

59 But if Mussleman law sayes no packynge fudge,

60 Really nowe, who are we to judge?"

61 Then bespake the Po-Mo artist,

62 "My last skulptyure was hailed as smartest

63 Bye sondry criticks at the Tate

64 Whom called it genius, brillyant, greate

65 A Jesus skulpted out of dunge

66 Earned four starres in the Guardian;

67 But now the same schtick withe Mo-ha-med

68 Has earned a bountye on my hed."

69 Sayed the Bishop, "that's quyte impressyve

70 To crafte a Jesus so transgressyve

71 But to do so with the Muslim Prophet

72 Doomed thy neck to lose whats off it.

73 Thou should have showen mor chivalrie

74 In committynge such a blasphemie."

75 And so it went, the pilgryms all

76 Complaynynge of the Muslim thrall;

77 To eaches same the Bishop lectured

78 About the cultur fabrick textured

79 With rainbow threyds from everie nation

80 With rainbow laws for all situations.

81 "But Father Rowan, we bathyr nae one

82 We onlye want to hav our funne!"

83 "But the Musselman is sure to see

84 Thy funne as Western hegemony.

85 'Tis not Cristian for Cristians to cause

86 The Moor to live by Cristendom's laws

87 Whan he has hise sovereyn culture

88 Crist bade us put ours in sepulture.

89 To be divyne we must first be diverse

90 So cheer thee well, thynges could be wors

91 Sharia is Englishe as tea and scones,

92 So everybody muste get stoned."

93 The pilgryms shuffled for the door

94 To face the rule of the Moor;

95 Poets, Professors, Starbucks workers

96 Donning turbans, veils and burqqas.

97 As they face theyr fynal curtan

98 Of Englande folk, one thynge is certan:

99 Dying by theyr own thousande cuts,

100 The Englande folk are folking nuts.

101 BURMA SHAVE

[kim]

The man who covets

More than one wife

Is scraped with sharp edge

All his short life.

BURMA SHAVE
=================

[clarice]

Gos--That is fantastic! Iowahawk is a genius.

[clarice]

**GosH**

[Topsecretk9]

it was Tops' work

If you call google work.

[Pofarmer]

I blame it on lack of teaching recent history. Obama will make Carter's term look like genius.

[Topsecretk9]

looks like another bogus beheading story - blackeye for Reuters - this is like 6 or 10 or something. Sheesh. Thanks goodness for the internet - think of all the bogus stories the esteemed media ran before it.

http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/02/busted-another-bogus-headless-story.html

[Patrick Tyson]

Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) will not win a 10th term in November.

[emlak ilan]

Obama will make Carter's term look like genius.

[PaulL]

Obama has a brilliant idea--I'm sure he's the first to have ever come up with it: We'll spend money on schools and hospitals instead of wars.

[davod]

"I'll also predict that Obama will run so far to the left (at least he's honest about it)"

Obama is smarter, or more devious, than you think. With the MSM supporting him he could quite easily beat the likes of McCain.

Whether Hillary or Obama, the US is in for a rough four years.

[davod]

PS:

I agree with those who say we need to vote conservatives into Congress in November.

However, never forget how much damage can be done by the injudicious use of the Presidents power over the government. The basic powe to direct the wheels of government can be turned in directions none of us would want.

This is my problem with McCain. He can achieve much of his liberal agenda by the ue of Administrative power. You wouldn't know it was happening until after it had been implimente.

Until yesterday, I could the Clinton's use of adminstrative power in the way they loosened the immigration check guidelines to enable lots more people to be approved fo citizenship before the next election. This is still a good example, only we now find that the Bush administration is doing the same thing.

[davod]

PS:

I agree with those who say we need to vote conservatives into Congress in November.

However, never forget how much damage can be done by the injudicious use of the Presidents power over the government. The basic powe to direct the wheels of government can be turned in directions none of us would want.

This is my problem with McCain. He can achieve much of his liberal agenda by the ue of Administrative power. You wouldn't know it was happening until after it had been implimente.

Until yesterday, I could the Clinton's use of adminstrative power in the way they loosened the immigration check guidelines to enable lots more people to be approved fo citizenship before the next election. This is still a good example, only we now find that the Bush administration is doing the same thing.

[jimmyk]

Obama has a brilliant idea

Speaking of 'brilliant' ideas from Obama, have you all seen his Patriot Corporation Act? Very scary stuff. Some mix of genuine fascism and Jesse Jackson-style protection racket.

[kim]

Yes, jk, chilling. What's good for General Motors is good for the USA.
================================

[kim]

Check out Lehrer's interview with Mukasey. Waterboarding, er, baptism, is back in the news.
======================

[kim]

It works, it helped, it's humane; it must be regulated.
=================================

[Appalled Moderate]

jimmyk:

Beyond calling a good company a "patriot employer" (bletch!), how s this different from any other bill that uses the tax code as an incentive?

I'm not good with the act -- administering its provisions relating to wage rates would be difficult, and I wonder how this complies with GATT and our other treaty obligatons. But fascist and Jesse Jackson-ish? I don't see it.

[kim]

Let me reword that slightly. For waterboarding to be humane, it must be regulated. I'll grant that gaining the co-operation of the captive is the most effective technique, except when time is of the essence.

I had a long argument with some of the captive birds at Belgravia Dispatch about this, last May. JMHanes participated some, also.
===================================

[Valentine]

Wonder Woman(Plame, OOps) went to spy town(Cigar City, Tampa) and got a new movie contract. The 'Jumper' director has hired Nichole Kid man. It's like CIA is the jumper. They 'jump' back in time to the pharohs when there were luciferian spaceships and luciferian space aliens interacting with a society that just disappeared. Of course, they never go forward.

I guess they took over from Air Force, but it's no one's fault they're not the real cultural experts.

[anduril]

How good was Obama at running the Harvard Law Review?

[Sue]

And Sue knows it.

I do not remember that.

[kim]

I see Steve understands an excellent grammatical use of the term 'Bill James'. Bill James lost a job as a nightwatchman at a bean factory because he was so distracted by his statistical cogitations that he failed to make his rounds and check in at the keyboxes.
=================================

[kim]

What Steve fails to account for is that Obama doesn't even have to hit the ball. He just has to point to where it will land, and the crowd sees it go there.

Obama, is, out, of, the ballpark.

He could be, he might be, he IS, a loon for the ages.
======================

[kim]

Better; the sports announcer tells the audience that it was a homerun, and they disbelieve their own eyes.
=============================

[glasater]

Speaking of baseball--Roger Clemens is testifying right now--watching CNBC.

[kim]

I think today is the day Svensmark reads a paper to the Swedish Academy of Science, too.
==================================

[kim]

Let's see, uh, the ref will discover spittle on the orb Hansen is serving up.
=============

[kim]

I don't know, Appalled; a 'neutral card check' seems pretty fascist to me.
====================

[Appalled Moderate]

kim:

"neutral card check" is unionese for the following language in the act that would require an employer wanting the patriot employer tax credit to:

"ha[ve} in effect, and operate in accordance with, a policy requiring neutrality in employee organizing drives"

Yes, this is very AFL-CIO. But it's not at all Mussolini like.

[Porchlight]

He just has to point to where it will land, and the crowd sees it go there.

Heh...I love this image.

[clarice]

Is this related to the unions' effort to override or nullify Landrum Griffin which requires a secret ballot for union representation? If so, it means a great deal to unions which never could organize the big private companies (all the techniques used to organize the steel, auto and mine workers --like sit ins--have long been declared illegal) ever since the secret ballot was introduced.

[Other Tom]

Sounds to me like The Rocket is in for a rough time.

[kim]

Yeah, Porchlight, it's one of those shivery things; funny and scary as Hell.
=============================

[kim]

Appalled, C's right, authoritarians, those with the bundle of sticks, don't like secret ballots.
===================

[clarice]

Well, what's Bush going to do. Queen Nancy has departed and the Act expires at midnight. Were I he, I'd extend it by executive order and dare the House to impeach him for doing his best to protect us against our enemies and the Dems' fecklessness.

[MayBee]

agreed, clarice. And he should announce his decision wearing a t-shirt that says "FASCIST".

[clarice]

Of course, as CIC he could simply order the Air Force to return her plane to DC until this is resolved. %)

[MayBee]

What is the default, if the act expires?
Does the absence of the Act limit him or does it leave no limits?

[Ann]

Nancy had to rush home for her daughter's wedding. She has her priorities, don'tchaknow.