Speaks Volumes

I'm sure everyone reading this has already seen any of a number of reports about Shrub authorizing domestic spying sans warrants--an order apparently so disgusting even Arlen Specter wants to hold hearings into the matter. Coming on top of another report about intelligence--in this case, how much more Team Shrub sees (and ignores) vis-a-vis Congress, it reveals quite a bit about the cabal of folks sometimes referred to as "our elected leaders."

A couple of days ago I caught some of the MacNeil Lehrer Hour, or whatever they're calling it these days, and saw an interview featuring Russ Feingold and Jeff Sessions. The issue in question was the renewal of Patriot Act provisions (I see Feingold's filibuster survived an initial cloture vote). I was struck by the degree to which Sessions, more or less unchallenged, showed his contempt for the general public--and the level to which he assumed the guilt thereof.

Today's revelations are merely the flip side of that coin: the federal government--at least the elected part--assumes a degree of guilt among those who elected it! Witness Trent "Flip-Flopping on 'Tort Reform' Lott":

Trent Lott, a Mississippi Republican, said he only glanced Times article. "If I were really concerned, I would have read it," he said.

Lott said some of his colleagues were overreacting to the potential for civil-liberties violations through this reported NSA program and the 2001 Patriot Act, which gives the FBI power to track terrorist suspects. The Patriot Act is up for renewal.

"I don't agree with the libertarians," Lott said. "I want my security first. I'll deal with all the details after that."

Aside: a statement like that makes ANY Lott comment re: Iraq and elections worthy of nothing but immediate dismissal. He so obviously doesn't get it.

Scott McClellan and Condoleezza Rice came to Shrubusto's defense, but between the two of them, they've got less credibility than a dustball under the couch. Both are confirmed liars.

The gang in Washington, never particularly good at hiding their true feelings towards the public, now reveals pretty much what any reasonable observer already knows: they view themselves as somehow better than the general public--a general public good for precious few things, like say, fodder for their wars, consumers of products manufactured by companies in which they hold stock, and perhaps providing the odd service or two--otherwise, they're mere numbers to be despised...and perhaps feared, hence the executive order.

Countdown has been out in the forefront on the domestic spying story. Their reports show that the folks being spied on AREN'T potential terrorists, but Americans exercising their constitutional rights of speech and assembly. Perhaps that's whats so frightening to this administration, given the zeal with which they tore up the Constitution post 9/11.

Then again, maybe we should be grateful, eh? (sarcasm alert). At least they're merely spying on us...feriners get rendered...but, like McClellan and Rice insist, they're acting "within the law."

Lord knows how they'd react if things were REALLY bad--like in Iraq, where their handiwork has produced a genuine boondoggle.