Digby has two posts, here on the Democrats' cowardly capitulation on the FISA legislation, and here on a Jane Meyer piece in The New Yorker detailing our non-torture of detainees. Both should be read and digested in full, although be prepared to step outside and breathe deeply due to raised blood-pressure levels.
As to the whole FISA betrayal, my only comments center of the destructive role of Dianne Feinstein, fake Democratic Senator from California. I must admit I have never quite trusted her; there was always something about the way she seemed to fake left then run right that reminded me of mediocre running backs. Except, of course, mediocre running backs get tackled, and Feinstein keeps running, first her mouth, then for the Senate. Bill Nelson of Florida is Joe Lieberman Lite; a fairly conservative guy from a fairly conservative state who doesn't appear on television showing the world what a doofus he is. Feinstein, however, likes to have her mug on the networks. That she has failed to do her duty to uphold the Constitution, and for no reason I can fathom by any stretch of reason or unreason is clear.
As an aside, I think digby takes Arthur's comments on her role as a useful idiot too hard. Arthur has long denied any merit to the American political system; like quite a lot of us, digby assumed that the Democrats understood that victory in last November's election, along with the massive shift in public opinion over the previous nine months to a year, actually meant something. Cowardly, craven, self-destructive to a fault, the Democrats have shown themselves singularly inept at governance. With a tin ear for the public mood, their radar kept within the boundaries of I-495, they have failed to do what they were elected to do. At the moment, I am not sure what recourse we have to fix the unholy mess we currently have, so don't look for constructive answers here, folks.
As to the piece on the Jane Meyer article, all I can say is - God Damn Them All. From the President and Vice-President on down to those who bind, strip, gag, give suppositories, and sleep deprive those whom we have illegally detained and held incommunicado. All of them. Anyone who tries to tell me there is some justification for this is aiding and abetting crimes against humanity. Anyone who tells me that this is necessary even if evil is aiding and abetting crimes against humanity. Again, there seems to be no way to stop it, and ranting about it just gets me even more upset, but I don't know what else to do.
