I'm hoping for a party line vote on Gonzales, but recent history tells me that a substantial number of Dems will vote for him, so as not to appear 1)weak on terror,2) obstructionist, 3) send the wrong signal to Osama 4) like the care at all what happens to their party. Nobody, my friends, is going to pay one second of prison time for "torture memos" or torture, or anything else the Bush regime is/has done. They've stolen elections, for chrissake, and nobody cared. In the words of the Beatles....."they have a ticket to ride". And ride they will, all over what used to be the constitution of the United States. We may not be able to vote them out of office, period.

T2, Maybe things will go better than you think if more dirty laundry is aired and Hagel and McCain can be recruited. You never know, he might be stopped. We have to at least give it a shot....

The only answer is to inundate our Reps and Sens with letters, email---whatever. Next weekend I plan to spend it writing letters to all those who represent me. I was afraid that a letter sent between the election and the holidays would not be noticed. Tell them to stop putting up with the BS that they've been taking for so long. From now on, every time a Repub lies, a prominent Dem has to say---aloud---he/she just lied. And then proceed to put things in context. Dems have to take over the storyline. If you get my drift.

The scumbags assume that, because they control the elections, they will never be called to account. David Vitter, being a prime-cut asshole, will go along with the program. Mary Landrieu, born on a military base and yadayada, should stand up for what's right, but won't. Bobby Jindal, my newly-elected congress critter will proclaim (with a bright smile) that torture is god's will so Abu Gonzalez was doing the lord's work and all is well. The only thing keeping me sane is that I'll soon retire and move back to Ireland.

Hang in there Brian, as a resident of South Carolina I know the feeling. At my age retirement is not an option, but I am seriously
thinking of job prospects in blue states. Tonight I am having severe redneck fatuge.

Goonzales may be stopped; won't be us protesting. Somebody with a brain will stop him because the guy is WRONG on all shit. May be the over reach we're praying for that could do Prez Dick Bush in...for a time until the next bright idea looming over his head, like a lead balloon, appears.

Don't you love the 'bout face on the aid to Asia? Over reach may be beginning in 05 already. First the fucker said 15 mil US aid, now it's up to 350 mil? And hasn't Powell been Presidential in this awfullness? In spite of his extreme fuck--ups in the past, I felt reassured hearing his voice on the radio. And you know I never watch TV as a matter of living the Bush Life. Thank God too, I haven't seen coverage or photos of the devastation, it's too heartbreaking to read about it in the newspapers. I gave to OXFAM and plan to give more next payday. Now I heard the # of dead in South Asia is over 150,000.

Gonzales will clear.

This administration will never admit that they were wrong. Is it possible that they can use this memo to help prove that the admin knew about the torture or at least allowed it?

rlprather, don't bother looking in this blue state, Michigan. Job prospects are only dwindling: big layoff at the auto supplier I work for, right before Xmas. though we'd love to have you, and the weather is relatively balmy right now. The sun's actually out, maybe the new year will be good.

In the above I meant to add that I fear that Gonzales will pass and probabally quite easily as the DC dems again show no backbone. Assuming
American history goes well in the future this will be seen as another blackmark on one of the darkest periods of our history. They will have a hard time understanding what we were thinking.

Thanks for the advice Sharon, I'm realistic enough to know that the pacific three CA.OR and WA (I can't afford Hawaii) have the most likely job prospects. I am also considering 'flipable' red states with promising futures such as FL and close by NC. Demographically SC is getting worse, we're getting in-migreants who think neighboring GA and NC are too liberal!

Sorry for going off topic new years can have funny effects on people.