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The Power of the Imperial Pageant Narrative

Mon, 01/19/2009 - 10:49am — herb the verb

For those (few) not taking part in the current mad, frenzied humping leading up to the explosive Obamagasm (could someone please get this dog off my leg?), that will historically change history for all of history, take heart that Arthur Silber feels your pain.

Is there an Obama Coronation Festivus?

Oh, and while contributing to good, deserving bloggers, who more deserving than he? The conscious person's Cassandra?

And now, speaking for myself only (as BTD would say).

I don't begrudge Obama and everyone enthusiastic about his election a good old-fashioned endzone dance, and to the extent that it is about ending Bushism or Reaganism, or embarking on a new, progressive future, I would join in on the humpfest too. But it isn't about that, except in the slightest. Instead it's about a pony. Bush is "a nice guy", that's what we get. Social Security, Medicare, etc., etc. are all on the table. The weakest in our society are going to have to have "skin in the game" (whatever skin they have left). We have to look forward, not back. We need FISA, Gitmo will be closed by 2012, on and on. The only thing we are supposed to "Soak up and Be Happy" about isn't exactly said like I'm going to say it, but we all know what it is, we are going to have our first black president, which will absolve our past sins of racism forever (we can't be a racist country anymore if we have a black president, right?), and that is it. Symbolic symbolism. Oh, and it comes with a pony, because what party is complete without a pony?

Certainly that symbolism isn't nothing, but whatever happened to having the audacity to hope? Can't we hope for a little more than that? I know, I know, simple answers, but being hispanic, I hope that when we have our first hispanic president (cause lordy knows we ain't going to be getting no woman president any time soon, because as I heard Gwen Ifill say on "Today" this morning, they are busy having families and have "other priorities"), we won't be focused on the ethnicity, but instead on the leadership and direction our country is going.

I'm guessing the above makes me a racist. Well, some may say that, but I think it makes me more like this guy.

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And Eric Holder said library warrants are back on agenda, per

By jawbone on Mon, 01/19/2009 - 11:52am

his testimony at his confirmation hearing, according to this article in the San Francisco Chronicle:

President-elect Barack Obama's nominee for attorney general has endorsed an extension of the law that allows federal agents to demand Americans' library and bookstore records as part of terrorism probes, dismaying a national group of independent booksellers.

Eric Holder said at his confirmation hearing Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee that he supports renewing a section of the USA Patriot Act that allows FBI agents investigating international terrorism or espionage to seek records from businesses, libraries and bookstores. If not renewed by Congress, the provision will expire at the end of 2009.

SNIP
Holder said he realizes the provision has been controversial and he will seek more information from department staff before making a final decision, if confirmed as attorney general. He didn't elaborate on his support for the law, but said at another point in the hearing that his top priority would be to protect Americans from terrorism, using "every available tactic ... within the letter and spirit of the Constitution."

Uh, more info just from department staff, Mr. Holder??

"I was disappointed" that Holder supports the bookstore and library searches, "although maybe not entirely surprised," Chris Finan, spokesman for the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, said Friday.

The provision Holder wants Congress to renew, known as Section 215, "gives the government far too much power to conduct fishing expeditions in the records of bookstore customers and library patrons," Finan said. "We never expected that the change of administration would mean we had any less of a fight on our hands."

Are we beginning to see whether Obama will roll back the executive power BushCo added to the executive? Or keep it bcz he knows "how" to use it....

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If you thought he'd roll back the powers,

By Sarah on Mon, 01/19/2009 - 12:03pm

at least without a fight, you were mistaken.

As you would have been in the case of any President-Elect.

What must happen now is that the Patriot Act must be repealed by law.

Completely and posthaste.

—


We can admit that we’re killers … but we’re not going to kill today. That’s all it takes! ~ Captain James T. Kirk, Stardate 3193.0

1 John 4:18

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If you thought he'd roll back the powers,

By Sarah on Mon, 01/19/2009 - 12:03pm

at least without a fight, you were mistaken.

As you would have been in the case of any President-Elect.

What must happen now is that the Patriot Act must be repealed by law.

Completely and posthaste.

—


We can admit that we’re killers … but we’re not going to kill today. That’s all it takes! ~ Captain James T. Kirk, Stardate 3193.0

1 John 4:18

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The Gwen Ifill tidbit is just too precious, Herb--thnx...I guess

By jawbone on Mon, 01/19/2009 - 1:30pm

...cause lordy knows we ain't going to be getting no woman president any time soon, because as I heard Gwen Ifill say on "Today" this morning, they are busy having families and have "other priorities")

Oh, my. Hope there's a transcript of this!

Here's the video of the Ifill segment. Nope, that's a Warren Buffett interview on how Obama will be good for the economy.

This should be it.

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