Josh Meyer of the LA Times has a story up today that shows how the criminal (30 felonies) Bush regime's surveillance really is worse than anybody, except Corrente, ever imagined. (And we'll get to the Softwood Lumber Agreement, I promise.)

Now we know why the NSA is running out of electrical power.

And the surveillance really is domestic, and targets Americans. (as we said back in May).

They're breaking into your home:

FBI agents are also using what are known as "sneak and peek" warrants on a wider scale, entering hundreds of homes clandestinely to gather intelligence and copy files and computer drives, again without notification. And they have conducted surveillance on antiwar, religious, civil rights and environmental groups, including Greenpeace and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

They're tracking your politics:

Authorities and private data brokers now have easy access to a digitized footprint of their activities and interests. Phone records, political preferences and purchasing habits are now only mouse clicks away from government agents.

They're even surveilling your Blackberry. (We'll get to the Softwood Lumber Agreement!) Read more…

As we speculated, Canada's Parti Quebecois will vote in favor of the Softwood Lumber Agreement, making a $450 million slush fund available to Bush well before November 7. Sweet! Bloomberg:

The Bloc Quebecois, Canada's second- largest opposition party, plans to back an accord to end a four- year dispute with the U.S. over softwood lumber tariffs because Quebec companies support it.

The Bloc's support guarantees that legislation on the accord will pass.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said last month that he'll introduce the law in the parliamentary session that starts Sept. 18.

Maybe the mysteriously unavailable list of "meritorious initiatives" which were to be "determined" September 1, according to the agreement, will shake loose in today's Friday document dump.

Because "meritorious initiatives"--loophole, meet truck--are where the $450 million are going. No congressional oversight, a board appointed by Bush... And guesses where the money will go? Read more…

Have you heard about the curious incident of the international agreement that did not bark in the nighttime?

Yes, I'm talking about the Softwood Lumber Agreement, whose "meritorious initiatives" were to be determined today--All $450 million smackeroos of meritoriousness. But the dog didn't bark. No announcement.

I know, I know. Meritorious, WTF? [Yawn] ""Softwood Lumber Agreement"? Honestly, MEGO (My Eyes Glaze Over). B-o-r-i-n-g.

But that's what they're counting on, you fools! Some may find $450 million dull, dull, dull. Even if it's a $450 million slush fund controlled by the Bush administration. Personally, I don't. Nor should any progressive, on either side of the border.

For those who came in late, the Softwood Lumber Agreement:

1. Sets aside $450 million for “meritorious initiatives.”

2. The nature of “meritorious initiatives" is not specified, and is therefore up to Bush.

3. How Bush spends of the $450 million is not subject to Congressional oversight.

4. No qualifications of any kind are required for the members of the board that will implement the SLA and disburse the $450 million, so Bush can appoint anybody he wants.

5. The beneficiaries for the “meritorious initiatives" are to be listed by September 1 (tomorrow today).

6. The mechanics for disbursing the $450 million may already be in place, and any cash flow problems could be solved by a compliant banker, so Bush can use the money now.

Can you say "slush fund"? I thought you could. (And the Canadians already have.)

Now, if you've been asking yourself what a cornered and desperate Republican administration that will do anything, anything at all to win would consider "meritorious" in an election year... Well, you're thinking like I do.

What's more, the text of the SLA explicitly states that the list of "meritorious initiatives" must be "determined" September 1: today.

But the list hasn't been published. Not on Google or Yahoo (regular and news, US and Canada), Reuters, Bloomberg, whitehouse.gov, www.commerce.gov, or PR Newswire.

Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Nothing. But why? Read more…

Yes, it seems that Bush has indeed wangled himself and Unka Karl $450 million smackeroos in a slush fund they can get their paws on right now and do anything they want with. Surprise! The story has a lot of detail, but the bottom line is simple: The terms of the Softwood Lumber Agreement with Canada will give Bush complete control of an escrow account with $450 million in it, controlled by a board that Bush appoints, and which can be used for any purpose whatever, with no Congressional oversight.

Hats off to the Kossacks for frontpaging this story, which I'm going to analyze below. (The cocktail weenie-scarfing SCLM, of course, has missed the story completely.) Is the story "interesting, if true"? Let's see.

If the story is true, the scope and audacity of this Republican maneuver is mind-boggling. And before we say "$450 million?? They would never do that!" let's remember that what we've laughingly called Iraq "reconstruction" was funded with suitcases full of cash, and $8.6 billion is missing, presumed stolen.) As usual, I'm never cynical enough about the Republicans, no matter how hard I try. And I do try.

And if the story is true, a $450 million slush fund would finance a lot of little October surprises. (Since Rove always operates at the margin, a lot of little surprises are more likely than the one big surprise that the BCW expects). It would finance, for example, any number of corrupt programmers if the election is close enough to steal. (Remember the Diebold programmer convicted of "tampering with computer files?)

And if the story is true, it fits perfectly into the pattern of Bush's life: Whenever he fucks up, someone with more money always bails him out. And $450 million is a lot of bailing.

To our story. The key phrase to keep in mind is "meritorious initiatives," and the key question you want to ask yourself is this: What would seem "meritorious" to a desperate Republican administration with $450 million to spend?

Onward: Read more…