Not that I can do anything about it

And so, the Congress of a nation once known for its principled rule of law, once thought of as a Shining City on a Hill, a pattern of freedom and humanity for the world to follow, tosses that heritage into the sewer and becomes just one more despotism seeking power, wealth and ever-expanding ego inflation through secret-police raids, perpetual imprisonment without cause, and sadistic torture. The self-proclaimed Decider-in-Chief is now officially authorized by our noble legislature to seize, "detain" and torture random individuals indefinitely in secret prisons without ever allowing them to ask why, denying them a right which has been the foundation of western political freedom for 800 years.

(Other links here, here, here, here.)

Forget turning back the clock to the 1800's. This adminstration wants to turn the clock back to the 800's, when kings ruled by "divine right", the peasants were not consulted, and Royal Torturer was an honored profession.

The Halliburton machine must have one of John McCain's children locked up in a basement room with a gun at her head. Otherwise why would someone who survived treatment as a prisoner of war favor the establishment of perpetual torture of prisoners as a standard policy? And why would someone who actually served courageously in the *real* military during a war kowtow to someone who instead spent the time swilling liquor, swerving drunkenly down the street, and using his daddy's political apron-strings to dodge military service?

Unless, of course, he's simply a venal hypocrite who simply doesn't give a damn about anything except begging for whatever pathetic scraps of privilege the boardroom boys are willing to toss his way while they chow down at the adults' table.

It's now up to a Supreme Court packed with Bush appointees to save what's left of the founders' Noble Experiment.

The November elections? Well, there's plenty of time for scripted October Surpises to stampede the sheep between now and then. And with Diebold counting the votes, well, ya know, the self-proclaimed Party of God may just have an extra ace or two up its sleeve. KnowwhatImean, Vern? *wink, wink.*

May Providence protect us.