Feb 6, 2006

Speak into the mic, please

Many diligent bloggers whose jobs apparently allow (or are) to watch C-SPAN all day, have done tremendously valuable work in liveblogging today's NSA hearings with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Like the ever-faithful bitch/lap dog he is, Gonzales refused to answer pertinent questions and elevated stonewalling to an art form. Shocker. I'm convinced everyone in the GOP has got to be put through some sort of 6-week intensive "how to avoid direct lines of questioning" boot camp before being elevated to office, I swear. They are so good at this.

From what I gather, today's hearing didn't really accomplish much to those who look at it from the surface, but I think that if the administration's passive-aggressive, absurd --- and quite frankly, mind-numbingly repetitive by now --- denial of any wrongdoing continues (wrongdoing? where to begin?), mainstream America's GOT to sit up and take notice eventually. Like, to the point that it'll be so obvious to even someone with a 3rd-grade reading skill level and/or severe neurological deficits. I mean, like, SO obvious that even freakin' chimpanzees will start talking about it via sign language, asking us why we haven't put the miscreants in jail already.

Hopefully soon. Jah, I really, really, hope so.

Because watching this process unfold (and I was at work all day!)- and with new examples coming up every day about how corrupt and dishonest this administration is - is excruciatingly painful and frustrating to endure, as evidenced by some of the remarks some senators made while questioning Gonzales. For example:
During often testy proceedings, Gonzales fielded scores of questions but repeatedly rebuffed lawmakers' attempts to elicit facts of the program, saying the disclosure of operational details could ruin the government's ability to monitor contacts between militants and their affiliates.

Gonzales refused to discuss the scope of the program that Bush authorized in 2002, any successes, possible abuses or any safeguards in place.

Visibly frustrated, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, abruptly broke in at one point: "Of course, I'm sorry, Mr. Attorney General, I forgot you can't answer any questions that might be relevant to this."

Leahy accused the administration of acting "illegally without safeguards."

New York Democrat Charles Schumer told Gonzales: "I know it's been a long day for you. Especially with all that bobbing and weaving, it's not so easy."

Word.

In yet another example of how far the Bush Administration will go to ensure that their absolute power fucks us all over, absolutely:

The White House has been twisting arms to ensure that no Republican member votes against President Bush in the Senate Judiciary Committee’s investigation of the administration's unauthorized wiretapping.

Congressional sources said Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove has threatened to blacklist any Republican who votes against the president. The sources said the blacklist would mean a halt in any White House political or financial support of senators running for re-election in November.

"It's hardball all the way," a senior GOP congressional aide said.

Jah help us, we live in a nation run by thugs.

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