tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134372208798387606.post-76364600306892236872008-01-23T12:12:00.000-05:002008-01-23T12:12:00.000-05:002008-01-23T12:12:00.000-05:00Brother Tim,<BR/><BR/>You’re right, none of the leading candidates would be worthy of holding the job of cleaning FDR’s cigarette holder. We can hope the person will at least draw a little inspiration from our own historical role model. <BR/><BR/>The new president will need to figure out how to get us out of a depression and back to working on our domestic needs. As the economy declines, the popular demand for New Deal style measures will rise. Fixing our collapsing infrastructure would provide an incredible job program. It doesn’t require that much vision, just a little sense of a unifying purpose for American workers. <BR/><BR/>I’ll bet there are a lot of unemployed former republican voters who would agree. <BR/><BR/>You won’t find any disagreement from me on the illegal wiretapping. That’s a done deal. We know from former AT&T technician Mark Klein that the entire data stream was tapped at the Folsom Street Facility in San Francisco. We can also assume the presence of untold numbers of Hoover clones secretly abusing that information. <BR/><BR/>Let’s hope someone comes out and exposes this soon. If enough people report this blackmail, it could be turned against the Hooverites. <BR/><BR/>The reason immunity for the telecoms is demanded, is because there was a crime. Merely debating this immunity could lead to a deal. The dems are arguing that in order to give immunity they want to see more of what the program has done. I think they are in a position to pull this off. It will take a little unity and nerve. Dodd has given them an example by preventing recess appointments. <BR/><BR/>How about an immunity deal for, not just the telecoms, but for everyone in the database? Prohibit any information that was data mined from being released or used unless there was a previous warrant for it. <BR/><BR/>As far as the blackmail is concerned, if a group of politicians came forward and said, “We are being threatened by the criminal wiretappers who will say anything to stop us. They have proven they can’t be trusted. We are now taking a stand to stop them from doing this to the rest of America.”<BR/><BR/>With the economy shattered by the Republicans, people will listen to the opposition.Dave Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03279370558997246976noreply@blogger.com