Since Russ Feingold will not be running for President, I will now be endorsing Al Gore for President for 2008. I am asking anybody who supported Russ Feingold for President to support Al Gore for President so we can restore the rule of law to the White House and restore the system of checks and balances to our Constitutional system.

Like many of us, I was not enthused by Al Gore in 2000. I voted for Nader as a way of pushing the Democratic party to the left and thus creating a Green Revolution. I thought that Bush would not be that bad of a President anyway, as he would be bipartisan and supposedly be above the fray. In the meantime, we could move the party and the country to the left and everybody would be happy.

Apparently there is another cliffhanger regarding the Patriot Act agreement.  The Senate may possibly return to the floor to work out Sensenbrenner's balking at the lates compromise.

Here's the latest link up at AP; the CNN "Situation Room" is covering it now.

Here's the opening lede:

House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner threatened Thursday to block passage of six-month extension of the Patriot Act, Republicans officials said, leaving open the possibility that the anti-terror legislation enacted after the attacks of 2001 might expire at year's end.

A spokesman for the Wisconsin Republican declined comment.

Don't know if this will be more high drama or more hi-jinks.

Sensenbrenner is getting ready for a news conference as I'm typing this.

On September 26th, 1983, we almost died. Stanislav Petrov was an obscure commander at a Soviet missile site who had the authority to launch 5,000 nuclear missiles and kill us all. On that morning, alarms went off saying that the US had launched 5 missiles at the Soviet Union. Standard Soviet military doctrine required him to push the launch button and notify his superiors in Moscow immedately. However, his heroic decision not to launch saved our lives and the lives of the rest of the world.

The reason he did not launch 5,000 missiles in retaliation was because something did not seem right to him -- why would the US only launch 5 missiles at the Soviet Union instead of  thousands? He could not be sure -- he had to trust his judgement. He judged correctly that the US would not be so stupid as to launch only five missiles at the Soviet Union, as they would survive to hit back. This judgement saved the world. For now.

As you may be aware, Sens. Leahy and Sununu introduced a legislation to extend the expiring provisions of the PATRIOT Act by 3 months so that the reauthorization legislation can be debated thoroughly before most of the act becomes permanent.

It is critical to pass this extension before the Senate recesses for the holidays, and I'll leave it to you to imagine the political calculus, given that 16 provisions will expire on 12/31.

The bill number is S. 2082, and it currently has 48 sponsor+co-sponsors. If we have 3 more senators onboard, the bill will have the 51 votes required to pass. Please help push it past that mark.

Key Words: Patriot Act, Defense spending bill, National Deficit, Legislative Activism, Activism

An observation: the run away Bush National Debt. which stood at $8.1 trillion on 12/15 will soon hit the National Debt Ceiling that was raised in November of 2004 to $8.18 Trillion (yes, after the election).

A simple estimation shows that the Federal Government will default on its payments, effectively a bankruptcy, from around the 12th of January, if not earlier, unless the Congress plays along with this grotesque mismanagement by Bush, Cheney & Co and raises the debt ceiling again.

Being X-posted across: Daily Kos, My Left Wing, Booman Tribune, myDD, political Cortex. Volunteers for posting this at Democratic Underground (I can't post a new topic there yet) are welcome.

If you missed the Bush radio address this morning, you missed a vapid defense of the Patriot Act, complete with the usual vague, detail-free justifications. But you know the really weird thing?  Bush missed the address, too.  Because instead of delivering the scheduled radio address, he made a TV appearance to deliver a much more pointed message.

Bush's points this morning:

1. Senators who block the Patriot Act are helping terrorists.

2. Yes, I did authorize spying on Americans without a warrant.

3. I'm going to do it again whenever I want.

4. Open democracy be damned.

WASHINGTON - The Senate on Friday refused to reauthorize major portions of the USA Patriot Act after critics complained they infringed too much on Americans' privacy and liberty, dealing a huge defeat to the Bush administration and Republican leaders.

In a crucial vote early Friday, the bill's Senate supporters were not able to get the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster by Sens. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and Larry Craig, R-Idaho, and their allies. The final vote was 52-47.

Wonder how much this had to do with the vote...and the longer this goes on, the less likely the bill is to pass.

Full story Here

Update 1: The house voted in favor of the conference report on wednesday by a 251-174 vote with 44 Democrats voting to pass the conference report (alas). Roll call.

I have added C-Span 2 feed below the fold. A must-watch on Friday (if you take headphones to work on Friday you can keep tabs on the developments all through the day). Thanks.

Russ Feingold is taking questions about the Patriot Act and his just-finished performance over at the TPM Cafe

Since there are many here at the Cortex interested in this issue, including a recent diary posted by a first-time diarist here on actions you can take, check out both of these.

Ok, this is a commentary by Doug Thompson @ Capitol Hill Blue, via LeftCoaster.  Be nice if he sourced the rant, but worth reading for the comedy value alone:

GOP leaders told Bush that his hardcore push to renew the more onerous provisions of the [Patriot] act could further alienate conservatives still mad at the President from his botched attempt to nominate White House Counsel Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court.

"I don't give a goddamn," Bush retorted. "I'm the President and the Commander-in-Chief. Do it my way."

"Mr. President," one aide in the meeting said. "There is a valid case that the provisions in this law undermine the Constitution."

"Stop throwing the Constitution in my face," Bush screamed back. "It's just a goddamned piece of paper!"

". . .  and he stamped his foot so hard into the ground that his whole leg went in. He then was so angry that he pulled so hard to get his leg out and he split himself in two then disappeared!"  [Rumpelstiltskin]

Life imitates art.

remember in 2003 when democratic state legislators high-tailed it from austin to albuquerque to prevent a vote on the texas redistricting plan...?

   While Texas Senate Democrats remain in New Mexico, their counterparts managed to get some work done in Austin.

    Passage of the map remains far away from a full vote, especially since 11 Texas Democrat senators say the hospitality in Albuquerque, N.M., suits them just fine.

    The Democratic legislators say they'll stay in New Mexico until Republicans and Gov. Rick Perry take the redistricting issue off the table, and said they're prepared to remain out of state up to 30 days, the maximum length of a special session.

remember THIS part...?

The title (and subtitle) of the article says it all (emphasis mine):

"FBI Scrutinizing Records Of Ordinary Americans:

The practice of domestic surveillance under the USA Patriot Act is growing exponentially."

The Sunday Post has a 5000 word piece on the increasing practice of using the Patriot Act to spy on US citizens who have done nothing wrong.

Of course, we are told that none of this is happening..."quit your hand-wringing" and the like.  Well, jump down and check out some of the 'highlights' of how Bush is trampling on innocent US citizens.