My Fellow Citizens, To Keep You and All Americans Safe, I Lied to You -- AGAIN

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My Fellow Citizens, To Keep You and All Americans Safe, I Lied to You -- AGAIN

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I'm participating in a conference in Mexico City titled "Prospects for US-Mexico-Cuba E-Engagement" sponsored by the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT Austin, the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies, and ITAM.

There are a number of Cubans here, and I can't help but think that George Bush's rationalization for all that he does in terms of national security is an art Fidel Castro perfected long ago as well as lots of other illiberal leaders who talked the talk of democracy, but walked the walk of Orwell's nightmares and saw their citizens as the enemy.

How does George Bush tell American citizens, yet again, "I lied to save you"?

How will Republicans tell their base supporters that their worst fears about a big, unchecked government that intruded deeply into their private lives have come true -- but have come true at the ends of their own party leaders and not Democrats.

I don't see a way.

More later.

-- Steve Clemons

« Previous Article - Sidney Blumenthal: Bush Ruins His Dad's CIA
» Next Article - Bush Approval Level Falls to 29%: Let's Not Forget That Rove May Drive It Lower

Reader Comments (17) - post a comment

Posted by MNPundit, May 12 2006, 11:13AM - Link

Hmm I'm going to guess the base will say "thank you sir, may I have another?" and bend right over for ever more intrusion as long as their side stays in power. That's the bottom 25% or so anyhow.

So far it seems this thing is spinning Bush's way though, we've got to keep plugging away with the truth and rule of law.

Posted by semper fubar, May 12 2006, 11:26AM - Link

So far it seems this thing is spinning Bush's way though, we've got to keep plugging away with the truth and rule of law.

Do you think so? I sense some outrage. ( But maybe that's because I'M so outraged.)

I bet this will send his 29% down to 25% in the next week or so. My guess is many people who were OK with wiretapping and eavesdropping in the abstract are going to feel a lot more uneasy about it now that it's becoming clear that all of us are being swept up in the NSA's net.

Posted by linda, May 12 2006, 12:03PM - Link

the really interesting thing is to watch that video. his eyes are darting and at points where you KNOW he's lying, they blink uncontrollably.

Posted by Aunt Deb, May 12 2006, 12:35PM - Link

It was a very strange speech -- which I only heard and did not see. The premise appeared to be that 'after' September 11, 2001, it became vital to spy on as many people as possible in as many ways as conceivable simply in hopes that someone, somewhere would say something to an al Qaeda agent or fellow-traveler. Bush assured the audience several times that this spying was all about al Qaeda and he certainly made it sound like there were lots and lots of al Qaeda folks or wannabes out there, just waiting to be found by sifting through tons and tons of your phone calls, using magic key words. But rest assured and trust him; any and all spying being done on you is for your own damn good. Anyone who complains will be scrutinized and scrutinized severely.

What is clear is that this project was the product of fanatics who used other peoples' fears to justify the huge and illegal invasion of privacy it represented. That this administration saw fit to make supporting this sort of insane spying a political and patriotic litmus test is the mark of its inability to serve this country in an increasingly troubled and dangerous era.

Posted by Daniel DiRito, May 12 2006, 12:54PM - Link

So if I follow the logicÃ¢â‚¬Â¦gee, we aren't doing anything illegal even though we aren't using the FISA court systemÃ¢â‚¬Â¦and gee, we are talking to "some" members of congressÃ¢â‚¬Â¦but they can't tell you anything because the information is very limited and totally classifiedÃ¢â‚¬Â¦.and gee, we are ok with some investigative oversightÃ¢â‚¬Â¦but unfortunately we can't grant security clearance to the investigators.

GeeÃ¢â‚¬Â¦it looks to me like we have a dictator in charge. He breaks the rules, he rewrites the rules, he changes the rules, and he answers to no one.

I only hope we can finish the job of exporting what remains of our "democracy" to Iraq and the rest of the oppressed world so they can have the same rights that we do.

more observations here:

www.thoughttheater.com

Posted by steve duncan, May 12 2006, 12:58PM - Link

Discussions of this type of intrusion inevitably bring out the "I don't have anything to hide" crowd. Ceding the 4th Amendment comes so easy to many people. Ask them if they'd like glass walls on their houses. Nothing to hide, right? How about mailing a list to every household of every stop all their cars made the previous month. Dad gets mom's list and vice-versa. We'll just tag every car with a monitor and let everyone know all its travels. Nothing to hide, right? How about a high powered microphone by the watercooler at work. Nobody ever gossips or says anything untoward about the boss. Nothing to hide, right? Let's see, we'll publish on the internet everything you view on pay cable, a monthly summary accessible to all. Nothing to hide, right? Where do we stop? We don't, not until each of our daily lives are akin to the amoeba under the microscope, every undulation of its protoplasm noted and recorded. Happy monitoring!!

Posted by Mary, May 12 2006, 1:18PM - Link

You are either with us or against us, and thus with the terrorists.

There are millions of al-Qaida sympathizers in the USA since they are against the Global War on Terror that is now being waged in Iraq.

It is necessary to monitor these potential terrorists in our midst who hate the leader of the free world and their country since they give aid and comfort to the enemy by undermining the national will to confront terror.

Names and numbers should be taken of those disaffected; an oath of allegiance should be administered to separate the wheat from the chaff. A clear cut view is needed to find out who is who so that, when the time comes, the good Americans can avoid being swept up in the cleansing of America's soul.

All praise goes to Jesus in these wonderous final days of Satan's reign on Earth. His minions are being identified and marked prior to thier being cast out and cut-off. The righteous wrath is n1gh upon YOU. God wills it.

Posted by Kathleen, May 12 2006, 1:48PM - Link

If the point of these warrantless wiretaps is to monitor people with KNOWN connections to Al Queada, I hope that includes the Bush family conversations with the Bin Laden family. That is a connection closer than any other American. Oh yeah, Osama is the wayward son, so I guess money is thicker than blood these days.

Maybe we should expect the color code to go up to Red Alert any day now, complete with Martial law. After all, Halliburton is building the "detention centers" as we speak.

Posted by red_neck_repub, May 12 2006, 2:52PM - Link

The "fanatics" mentioned in the above comment were none other than General Elmer Fudd and AG Abu Gonzales. Dumbya is too stupid and uninformed to have thought of this.

Posted by civitas, May 12 2006, 3:48PM - Link

"So far it seems this thing is spinning Bush's way though, we've got to keep plugging away with the truth and rule of law."

The polls do seem to indicate that people aren't hugely upset about it, maybe because there was no personal info attached to the phone records. And don't underestimate how important the fact that we have not been attacked since 9/11 is.

Posted by not stupid, May 13 2006, 2:54AM - Link

I have been upset since coming back from Europe in the 2002 and learned that bush was pushing for war in Iraq. I always felt that I knew that it was all a lie. I guess I was right as some others who did felt like me.
I usually get my real news from both Link TV and Free Speech TV, where I get Amy Goodman and other good program.
Today on the lighter site was a great little story!
The Yes Men Strike Again: Group Poses As Halliburton Reps At Ã¢â‚¬Å“Catastrophic LossÃ¢â‚¬Â Conference
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/05/12/1353258
Worth to see, unless! You might want to cry to see all those people not question them. I am glad I taped this segment, priceless!!!!. That so many there did not questioned a man in a big balloon?

I check with CNN later and was surprise to hear that the Washington Post today had a poll result that showed that people did not really mind what the NSA had done. But I check the polls and right away it strike me funny!

If you read the questions anyone would understand why 500 + persons response that way as the WP report!
See the questions? And now see if eliminating the bold part how different people would responses.

EX: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Bush is handling protecting Americans' privacy rights as the government investigates terrorism?

It changes everything.

I always dislike the way question are phrased on those polls because they are misleading.
Questions can always achieve the answers you hope for.

All the WP, has done was adding Terrorist, protect the American. When was the last time we had an ORANGE ALERT???? Not since the 2004 election result. Mission was accomplished. Getting the moron back in office was Carl RoveÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s wet dream. I hope he rot in jail, and the sooner the better.

I hope you all see Ã¢â‚¬Å“Bill MaherÃ¢â‚¬Â last show tonight. It is his best this time around. I will miss him till the end of August.

Posted by Rob, May 13 2006, 4:45PM - Link

Mary, please take the other half of your medication and go back to sleep.
As far as all those people who have nothing to hide crowd, wait till Dubya hands over these calling and email lists to his chums on the religious right and we get to see who's been visiting all those adult stores and web sites. We'll hear millions suddenly breath one big, collective. "uh-oh". Think it can't happen. Wait and see.

Posted by Pissed Off American, May 14 2006, 12:58AM - Link

"The polls do seem to indicate that people aren't hugely upset about it, maybe because there was no personal info attached to the phone records."

Another fantasy brought to us by the troll Civitas. I guess the damned fool thinks Bush's numbers are tanking becuase we are suffering from a short term national affliction of irritable bowels.

Posted by hogwild, May 14 2006, 9:56AM - Link

I'm with Civitas,
The American people do not care if their phone numbers are being used for intelligence operations because the American people are a stoooopid people, the basis for Republican power.

Posted by blog101, May 14 2006, 1:20PM - Link

TheyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re starting to fall like flies now. Could Cheney be next?
-----------------
blog101.org: http://www.blog101.org
myblogclub.org: http://www.myblogclub.org
-----------------

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Posted by hydrocodone, Sep 23 2006, 3:55AM - Link

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My Fellow Citizens, To Keep You and All Americans Safe, I Lied to You -- AGAIN

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