Glen Greenwald shows that Senator Byrd is really fighting for us....

[KoKo]

(for those who are still angry with Byrd for Bankruptcy bill and Alito confirmation...please go to the link and read what this is all about)

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Sen. Byrd yesterday introduced legislation to create an independent Commission to investigate, among other things, the law-breaking issues raised by the NSA scandal. He issued an extremely potent and on-point statement explaining why such an investigation was urgently needed.

Comments from Senator Byrd:
"In a climate of fear, liberties have been sacrificed time and again under the guise of keeping the Nation from harm. Fear is a powerful tool for manipulation, useful for easing the American people out of their liberties and into submission. When the public is confronted with a situation, real or imagined, that inspires fear, they rightfully look to their leaders for protection from foreboding consequences. The claim of wartime necessity always strengthens a President. And often facts are sealed from the prying eyes of Congress by a purported need for secrecy."

-snip-
Sen. Byrd is facing a tough re-election fight in a purple state. That fact has led him this year to take prominent stands which were popular in his state that he might not otherwise have taken -- such as his vigorous opposition to the Alito filibuster and ultimate support for Alito's ascension to the Court. And here, he has chosen to take a very principled and aggressive stand on the NSA issue. Democrats in Washington: does that tell you anything?

There are people, including many prominent conservatives and, increasingly, Democrats in Washington, who understand why this scandal constitutes such a profound threat to the principles on which our system of government is based. They are starting to be heard from more and more, and as I’ve said many times, the more stonewalling the Administration engages in, the more "strained and tenuous justifications, or claims of the dire need for secrecy" they make in order to impede investigations and conceal what they did, the more this scandal will grow.
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More about this and action we can take........

http://glenngreenwald.blogspot.com/2006/03/more-conservatives-jump-ship-other.html

[Totally Committed]

1. His behavior in the Alito Vote was Shameful.

He is dead to me now. F*ck him.

TC

[KoKo]

2. I can understand your anger and bitterness...I had it myself but...

he did try to stop the Iraq Invasion and he has a very conservative state to deal with. He broke my heart with Alito and Bankruptcy bill....but he's fighting for the Constitution on this one..

His efforts to press for hearings and bringing Gonzalez to heel are good and that he's speaking out will get others involved. I wouldn't thrown him under the bus yet...

[Totally Committed]

3. F*ck him...

The Alito appointment means this country will never be the same again... not for us and certainly not for our children and grandchildren. ANYONE who had a hand in that shameful and disgusting debacle is dead to me. There is NOTHING he or any of the Democratic colluders can do now to redeem themselves in my eyes. N O T H I N G. F*ck the all!

I never fully trusted Byrd's transformation to "Party Statesman" because of his racist background, and can only imagine how I would feel now about him if I had.

TC

[KoKo]

5. I'm angry with all of them, too...but it's just what the Repugs want...for

us to give up on Government and throw our hands up saying "F**K 'em!

Bush and his Repug Thugs have been working day and night to show people that Government doesn't work...and YES some Dems (too many)have been willing allies.

We have to clean Govt. up...and Glen Greenwald is pointing out that there are some who are willing to do that. They need our support....even though I know we've been ignored.

Those of us still here on DU can just sit around wringing our hands or leave it. Go back to our lives and figure it will sort out in the end. It's better to leave it than to be as filled with so much anger and frustration that we can't function. :shrug:

Just saying....and I've had many days when I think that it's not worth my sanity to watch this implosion...but it's what the Bushies want...and just out of spite to them...I keep at it.

[European Socialist]

4. Alito should have been held hostage to the NSA issue. They gave ...

away their bargaining chip and now they want to get tough??

[KoKo]

6. I think they thought that there was still enough of a majority on the

Court that he wouldn't turn it. The NEXT ONE will be the KEY. I don't agree with that philosophy and think our Dems should have walked out rather than vote for him.

But...we have what we have and we need to get to work to try to get Scalito and Thomas off the court for ethics charges. Certainly Scalito and Thomas have taken money and perks they shouldn't have. Scalito is tied to Cheney..it's possible something can be down down the road to impeach one or both of them.