I think the WH is ratfucking Hastert and Specter. They are scared of them.

[originalpckelly]

These guys are horrible pukes who have let the WH gain too much power, but they are the only people who can really do anything to help our nation. That is the tedious nature of this relationship, we need them, and they only have selfish reasons to stand up and do the right thing.

We can only hope they understand their offices will soon become irrelevant if they don't do anything to stop this power grab.

The ratfucking is the weird press releases and leaks that in one case suggested Hastert was under investigation and that Specter was against having phone companies testify. Orin Hatch was the originator of the Specter bit, and it appears the DOJ is the source for the false information about Hastert.

The WH is manipulating our hatred of these men, so that we will bring them down, and they will loose whatever little credibility they have with the public.

We need to remember they aren't on our side, but we need them anyway. Be cautious with any criticism of them because you could be doing what the WH wants you to do.

All we need to look is the Plame affair to know how this administration discredits it opponents.

[TheDebbieDee]

1. They are being blackmailed with the info

obtained in the illegal wiretaps. That's why the FISA courts wouldn't approve the wiretaps - the subjects of the wiretaps were political enemies or potential political enemies of our rat-fucking president!

[Atman]

4. BINGO! Buy that poster a lovely beverage!

Why do you think they've had the taps going since BEFORE 9/11? They have the goods on everybody they need the goods on. And they're using 'em.

[KharmaTrain]

2. Hastert & Specter Aren't Going Anywhere

Looks like you've fallen for the Rove shell game...creating sham issues and boogie men to divert attention away from the real issues of corruption, Iraq, oil prices and things that are really destroying this country into an election based on class, racial and cultural lines.

Hastert will bitch about the immigration issue, but it's moot, since he'll still push through the Paris Hilton Tax cut, continue supporting the unlimited funding of this Iraq fiasco, make sure any corruption scandals are hushed up or diverted and vote with boosh 99.9% of the time. Specter isn't much different as even if he doesn't like the draconian nature of this regime, he's done nothing to stop them...all but rolling over for ScAlito, dismissing the Plame fiasco and will vote with booosh only 90% of the time.

Democrats are forming circular firing squads as the passions to defeat DLC'ers who we may disagree with 50% of time time rather than the Repugnicans. Rove's created this "beat boooosh" game...that makes him the boogie man in these local races that energize that base and keeps them from staying home. Meanwhile the "mainstream" Democrats in California stayed home yesterday.

Yes, people are mad...those are the Repugnicans...but most Democrats I talk to are depressed...a big difference. Mad people will be sure to vote, depressed people won't. People are looking for reasons to vote FOR a Democrat and they're not getting answers other than "we're not Repugnicans". It's time for the party to unite and develop a straight forward message that can be easily understood and hammered over and over again...then to work with existing organizations to find the votes and make sure they're at the polls in November.

The GOOP has already put their '06 game plan in motion and I'm seeing another replay of past elections where they've got their base ready to rock while Democrats are chasing ghosts and each other.

Peace...

[Atman]

3. Despite your lack of any support for your claims...

...I understand what you're saying (although some links would be nice).

Oddly, here is why...I just started reading The Da Vinci Code. Yeah, yeah, I'm the last person in America, but I wanted to know the "real thing" before I saw the movie. Anyway, the opening of the book sets up the whole history of the Catholic church, and how they made it a primary mission to take all of the villagers'/pagans' religious symbology and assigned demonic meanings to the various elements, such as the "pentacle" (star).

What BushCo is doing is the same thing, and can be traced back to their demonization of the words "LIBERAL" and "welfare" (look it up). Same shit, different era. It's manipulation of the public, nothing less.

I'd say your post about Hastert and Specter is the same thing, only different. They're trying to fuck with our heads. And my bet is, they'll ultimately succeed. At least in the short term.

[lindisfarne]

5. No, I will be the last person to read it ...n/t

[lindisfarne]

6. Specter makes strong statements but when the chance to act comes, does

nothing. He's not going to do anything (and Hastert is a republican shill).

There was that whole business when there was discussion over whether some Repub. should testify under oath before Congress or not. Specter played his chairman card and said it would not be under oath. (sorry; can't remember exactly what it was although if someone fills me in, i'll wonder how i could have forgotten).

Ah yes. Thank google and wikipedia. It was gonzales.
Specter has been very critical of President Bush's alleged wiretapping of people in the United States and abroad without warrants. When the story first broke, he called the effort "inappropriate" and "clearly and categorically wrong." He said he intended to hold hearings into the matter early in 2006, and had Alberto Gonzales appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee to answer for the program (though Specter declined to force Gonzales to testify under oath). On January 15, 2006, Specter mentioned impeachment and criminal prosecution as potential remedies if President Bush broke the law, though he downplayed the likelihood of such an outcome.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlen_Spector

[Mr_Spock]

7. What's a "ratfuck"?

Never seen that before :D

[Trajan]

9. Im with you .....

'Ratfuck' appears to be freshly coined .... though I suppose many a stuperous and cantankerous sots might have mumbled it accidently, on occasion ....

[gauguin57]

8. I can't imagine specter will want to run again in 4 years ... why doesn't

he just let loose and go back to being the Democrat he once was, and stand up against Bushco? If he decided now not to run again, he could spend his last years in the senate really accomplishing something for this country instead of chasing his tail.