1. Jeez, Ralph Nader was right! There isn't a nickle's worth of difference between the Repugnicans and the Democrats.

Randy at 6:19PM on Aug 9th 2007

2. How do you know if the American is "innocent" unless you know what they're doing? The only people who are worried about having their phone calls listened to are the ones BREAKING THE LAW!

Of course, if we're attacked again, the Dems and guys like Cenk will be yelling that the Republicans didn't protect us. LOL!

Troy at 7:23PM on Aug 9th 2007

3. Troy, last time I heard that argument was in high school. I had to explain to a mentally challenged kid as simply as I could. If every time I lost anything in a class room, (pen, pencil, change,etc.) I would demand everyone to be searched. If anyone objects then they MUST have stolen my item, right? I lose about 10 items a day, ur searched 10 times a day. NO questions asked, unless of course you're the thief. As I go through your bags, and pockets, I find very interesting things, but not my item. Oops, I just remembered I didn't lose it, I left it up your ass.

dken3rgy at 7:48PM on Aug 9th 2007

4. ANOTHER HOPELESS LIBERAL FASCIST TELLING US WHAT TO BELIEVE AND HOW HE IS READY TO FIGHT BACK. THANK GOD FOR THE SECOND AMENDMENT. BUT THEN AGAIN YOU COULD BEAT THIS WUSS OFF WITH A FOLDED NEWSPAPER.

IRONBLUEEYES at 9:18PM on Aug 9th 2007

5. It is increasingly sad to realize that so many Americans still think there is any bit of difference between a Democrat or Repulican. Both parties a bought and paid for by the same corperations and organizations. Neither gives a crap about you or your family. A few on both sides may but mostly none have any interest or the common sense to lead America out of the hole they have dug for it. If we can't stop being good democrats and good republicans and start being good Americans soon we will all be good slaves.

despondent at 9:35PM on Aug 9th 2007

6. That was good...well said ;-)

Matt at 10:01PM on Aug 9th 2007

7. I agree with despondent. Its also called divide and conquer. If there is a division amongst fellow Americans whatever ruling party is in office can conquer the people. I see nothing wrong with being called liberal. Do most of you even know what it means. It means you believe in what this country was founded on LIBERTY. You know that thing called freedom. The govt is supposed to work for the people not the other way. We are supposed to tell them what to do. We pay their damn salaries and we fund whatever stupid stuff they want to do like start wars and buy $300 dollar toilet seats and 500 dollar hammers. We give them this power. They dont get to decide what I do or say if I'm paying them from the sweat of my brow while I'm breaking my back.People need to realize that we are their boss not the other way around. I'm not guilty of anything, but this is how it starts. They create a panic among people so we are more easily swayed to give up our rights in exchange for their protection. B.S. thats how your liberties slowly get stripped away one tiny layer at a time until you turn around and you have a govt camera looking at what you do in your home. They couldnt even protect the pentagon. The most powerful military presence and intelligence in the world and you think we will be more protected by stupid listening of phone calls. Give me a break. Do you think our tax money is being well spent when there are hundreds of people sitting on there asses listening to telephone calls that can be used to deceive. How bout spending those man hours on gathering intelligence. I forget if they had any intelligence they wouldn't be proposing such a stupid idea.

truthingovt at 10:17PM on Aug 9th 2007

8. You gotta love that some imbecile liberal on this board (dken3rgy - post #3) is comparing losing his "pen, pencil, change,etc." as a child to having American cities obliterated and untold numbers of Americans murdered. It's such a perfect portrait of the liberal mindset.

Robert Byngham at 10:40PM on Aug 9th 2007

9. "Let them eat cake" on the "Animal Farm"
Happy Charles Manson day
The Prolitarian

Jack Faxx at 10:45PM on Aug 9th 2007

10. Just what the heck is wrong with having to get a warrant to evesdrop on conversations. Why is this administration so afraid to have ANY oversight of thier actions. I cannot fathom why in the world there is ANY provocation why we need to avoid getting proper search warrants. Hey, these guys appointed the judges - they OWN them - so why not just ask for some legal oversight and get a proper warrant? Because this administration just wants no impediments in the way it ignores the Bill of Rights and the Constitution - simple as pie. In their minds they have the right to spy on anyone at any time and for any purpose (including simple political advantage). Why is this any different than Watergate - Oh, they have not broken into a high-rise condo - these burglers just want to break into EVERYTHING and manipulate it for political advantage. Protect the country from terrorism? Ha! That is so far from the truth that it hurts.

A true Conservative that is DISGUSTED at 10:57PM on Aug 9th 2007

11. Troy...so you do not care if the governement listens in on your conversations, reads your e-mail, or comes into your home when you are not there and scans your computer. Well I care and what you are agreeable to should not be what the rest of us in this so called free country should have to put up with. I have done nothing wrong, but I expect to have my privacy and if I want to say something about the activities of my government that I do not approve of I should not have to worry they are listening and will sic the internal revenue on me because they listened in! Think outside the box. What way of life are we protecting if we give up voluntarily the freedoms that we supposedly value.

Kathryn at 11:05PM on Aug 9th 2007

12. "Al qaeda can never take your rights!" Yeah, ONLY your life. Moron.

Colin at 11:14PM on Aug 9th 2007

13. Nobody cares about your personal lives. Nobody in the government cares if you drinking, cheating, lying. They only care if you are planning on killing innocent Americans. "Oh and I don't want the big bad President to hear me say I don't like him because then he'll put me in prison or kill me." Yeah, good one. Grow up losers. There are many good politicians trying to save lives, but this rambling imbecile just hates Republicans, as well as honorable Democrats, and wants to convince the public that Bush & Co. are always wrong.

Colin at 11:19PM on Aug 9th 2007

14. There is absolutely no question that warrantless wiretapping, and those who support it, are wrong. The government having the power to spy on its own people at will is far scarier than any terrorist As Jefferson would say, those who would trade freedom for security end up with neither. Troy is absolutely wrong that only the guilty will be worried about their calls being tapped, rather, every person with a care for freedom and their civil liberties should be outraged, regardless of political affiliation.

Troy seems to believe that the government can inspect anyone they want, and then its the individuals job to prove their innocence. Nonsense. That is the exact reverse of the American justice system, where EVERYONE is innocent until proven guilty, where the goverment must provide significant evidence of guilt before it spies on you, or presses charges, not where it can spy on people in order to try and dig up dirt by going through their business. Byngham, once again you are very wrong. Dk3nergy was merely making an analogy, one that clearly flies right on over your simplistic intellectual reach. Furthermore, Byngham, based on your past writings, I am already surprised you can even spell the world liberal, and would truly be shocked if you had any real concept of what it meant to BE a liberal. To you, its just something you throw out there to try to insult people you disagree with, without any real understanding of what it means. Could you even define it? In your hands, it is nothing more than a big word you don't understand, and just repeat to try to discredit others. There are bad people out there, and rather than being restricted to investigating the people they have evidence against, the government wants to go through the lives of everyone, in direct violation of their rights and our justice system.

The biggest thing I have to say, to people like Troy and Byngham, or the foolish politicians who passed this, is HOW DARE YOU?? Maybe you guys want Bush and his cronies listen to you make phonecalls and snoop through your lives. Maybe that makes you feel safe and secure to be a sheep to this administration and give up your rights. That, afterall, is your choice. You can invite them into your home to do whatever you wish, really. What makes you think you can steal my rights? Or the rights of every other citizen in this country to be free from unwarranted goverment spying? This legislation violates the First Amendment gaurantee's of free speech, the 4th Amendment protection from illegal searches, Troy's statement seems to disregard the 5th Amendment's protection against self-incrimination (if you don't let them search you, you're guilty") as well as the 6th Amendment's gaurantee of court proceedings in criminal prosecutions. Course, as ironblue so eloquently put, it seems the only amendment you care about is the one that lets you shoot these oh so scary liberals, the ones who object to losing their Constitutional rights. Talk about inane and stupid, that one takes the cake.

What's really sad is these people, who probably feel they are ardently patriotic, are the least-American people of them all. They support laws that tear their own Constition to shreds, out of fear and ignorance, then smear their opponents as being un-American. America was founded by men and women who cared about civil liberties and freedom. Men and women who would give up their lives rather than give up their rights. Sadly, our country is filled by such fearful people that they would rather hand on a silver platter to the government, not only their own rights but the rights of all Americans, for a feeling of security, that the government will protect them just as long as they do what it wants. It is said that when the sheep courts the wolf to protect itself from the bear, or the bear to protect itself from the wolf, it merely chooses which it will be eaten by. In their rabid fear of terrorists, these people are giving their own government fearsome power over their lives. Perhaps the most un-American behavior of them all. I for one, see my rights and liberties as the greatest legacy of our American history, and I would much rather die than give any of them away. Innocent Americans dying as a result of terrorism would be horrible, but people, it seems, would rather protect themselves than protect than everything unique and important about America. Lost liberties are a far greater, far more real threat than the phantom fear of "obliterated cities," and spying on American citizens is a greater threat than any terrorist. America is a great nation only so long as we retain our great principles of freedom and civil liberty, and the moment we give into terror and steal those away, those terrorists have won. Our greatness doesn't reside in our military prowess or our economic strengh, but rather in the inalienable, natural rights of our citizens, at least until we give them up. When we start valuing our Constitution as less than our own lives, how can we still see ourselves as true Americans?
Eric

Eric Barlow at 11:33PM on Aug 9th 2007

15. I am amazed that if it is such a problem for the Damn - Rats (excuse me, Democrats) that the president or anyone is keeping our country safe then why do they not do anything about it. It seems that all Dingy Harry and Dingbat Nancy have done is complain and follow along the same route as before. Everything has to be a campaign issue for them. God forbid that they should worry about the next terrorist attack; an election is around the corner. As for the guy in the video, he is a typical Damn Rat and bully. When he can't make an original argument and speak brightly he reverts to the name calling and canned cliches. Republicans, unfortunately, get by with not being spectacular because Democrats make the mundane seem brilliant.

Eric Morgan at 11:46PM on Aug 9th 2007