"How centrists could they possibly be when they are to the right of John Ashcroft?"

[ProSense]

The NSA warrantless surveillance program had been one of the strongest and clearest grounds on which to impeach Bush. The program violated then-existing law, and Bush admitted it. What had been illegal is now fully legal -- thanks to a Congress controlled by the Democrats.

It is now impossible for Bush to be impeached on this basis. How exactly would that argument go? "This heinous and illegal program was so blatantly unconstitutional that it merits impeachment as a high crime and misdemeanor. In fact, it's so heinous that we've now made it legal!" Yeah. That'll work.

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Posted at HuffPo:

UPDATE -- I just remembered that John Ashcroft fought this illegal FISA program from his hospital bed in 2004. In fact, the entire top echelon of the Justice Department and the head of the FBI all threatened to resign because of how illegal this progam was. The law they just passed appears to be broader than the one Ashcroft's Justice Department fought against.

So, these Blue Dog Democrats (the fake centrists I talk about above) won't fight nearly as hard as John Ashcroft and some of the most conservative lawyers in the country against George W. Bush. How centrists could they possibly be when they are to the right of John Ashcroft? This is really sickening. It is a callous disregard of their voters and their constitutional responsibility.

Maybe they just wanted to take impeachment off the table for good!

Warrantless Surrender

[Solly Mack]

1. I'm reminded of a quote by MLK, Jr

but far be it from me to shatter the illusions of others

snicker

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Chickenshit bastards

[MuseRider]

3. I fear they may have

taken a lot of things off the table for good.

[originalpckelly]

4. It's because I think at some level, even though he's all religious, weird and stuff...

Ashcroft was interested in doing the right thing, while these "centrists" are just interested in doing the politically expedient thing.

Imagine how much pressure Ashcroft and Comey were under to not object, yet they did so anyway, that's kind of courageous if you really think about it. I can't even believe I'm talking about John Ashcroft like this, but now that I know more about him, I think we kind of owe him an apology. However bad the Patriot Act is, this stuff is way worse.

Imagine how hard it must have been to be protested everywhere you went, yet object and in his own way, stand up for the USA. It's got to be very hard.

[mmonk]

5. I guess the battle for democracy

in America will have to shift now. Candidates that support extra-constitutional powers need to be identified and a slate of patriots need to challenge them in primaries across the US in 08 and 2010. The road back to freedom will be long and hard and possibly unsuccessful, but must be engaged.

[EFerrari]

6. That hurts. n/t