A few quick things...

Sometimes I get carried away up here in Left Blogsylvania and forget that there's another (I won't say "real" life outside of the "net". I actually get sort of grumpy when that "other" life intrudes.....but intrude, it has, and with a vengence. The "civic" responsibilities I've taken on are requiring a substantial amount of research and due dilligence....more than they should actually...and there are some professional obligations (C.E.U.'s) that are making me nuts....soooooooo blogging will be sparse for the next 48 hours....

Dave
LoLo
JenJen

Want to jump in?

I'll post a couple of things here and then head off to the "other" world.

BREAKING NEWS! REPUBLICANS DISCOVER "OVERSIGHT".

I like Glenn Greewald's take on this. It seems suddenly, the Republicans in Congress (especially the House of Representatives) have discovered that their job is "oversight" of the Executive Branch. This is breath-taking. It's like Columbus discovering America....except it was probably Haiti....and...except it was probably done several hundred years before by the Vikings....but what the hell....it's still important. (Repub "crybaby" thanks to firedoglake)

Here's what it's all about:

The House Judiciary Committee yesterday held a hearing concerning the FBI's illegal use of NSLs to spy on Americans. The Inspector General who revealed (at least some of) the abuses, Glenn Fine, along with the FBI's General Counsel, Valerie Caproni, testified.

And a sample snip of the newfound, Republican outrage:

From the attorney general on down, you should be ashamed of yourself," said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif. "We stretched to try to give you the tools necessary to make America safe, and it is very, very clear that you've abused that trust."

And if you have a weak heart, hold on..."our own" (sarcasm off) Congressman James Sensenbrenner (R-CooCooVille) even found it necessary to criticize the Bush Administration:

Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) expressed surprise at how widespread the use of national security letters had become, asking: "Do we have that many potential terrorists running around the country? If so, I'm really worried." He said the inspector general's report shows that "the FBI has had a gross overreach," and added that its officials "can't get away with this and expect to maintain public support for the tools that they need to combat terrorism."

But to be honest, Glenn expects that the newfound outrage was for show purposes and won't really last among the Republicans. He predicts that they'll return to their old ways once the glare of the "kleiglites" if off.

Speaking of Kleiglites...it seems that Bush found a particular fascination for the word in yesterday's [s]temper-tantrum[/s] Press conference. The Rude Pundit mocks it here.

snippet:

"...And Bush also has a concern about the lighting of his aides in a hearing situation: "if you haul somebody up in front of Congress and put them in oath and all the klieg lights and all the questioning, to me, it makes it very difficult for a President to get good advice." Yes, the klieg lights. Those goddamned klieg lights. When you're used to hovering in shadows, squatting in dark corners to hiss out your counsel, klieg lights might reveal the pasty, sweaty face of evil.

Digby has some thoughts (coughsnarkcough) on the subject of the press conference which are worth this snippet:

Wolf(Blitzer, I think..ed note) says he was very, very strong and very, very tough and something about the president's pleasure and ... oooh baby. If he'd had on a loin cloth and a nice mullet his testosterone-addled cartoon manliness would have been right out of "300." Too bad King Codpiece's toothless little tirades are about as convincing as Village People machismo these days.

Lest we be accused of NOT pilling on when it was called for, Tbogg joins in:

One thing that is fascinating about George Bush is how little he has grown in office. No, that's not right. It's not that he hasn't grown, he has gotten smaller; less Presidential, more sad little man watching his paper boat circle the drain. After six years of playing The Decider he should at least have a thin candy shell of gravitas as opposed to coming across like one of those guys on Peoples Court who not only has an unshakable belief that people won't see through his bullshit, but that no one will notice his artful comb-over either.

Click on any of the links.....you'll enjoy the posts....

By the Way......I have a question for you?

Isn't this much more FUN than it was before November 7 of 2006?