President Gas Is Tap Dancing

A banker in a tired suit
Is counting in his head
He's standing in your overcoat
He's lying on your bed
President Gas is tap dancing
For the banker he's a thief
He isn't very honest
But he's obvious at least

Critics scoff at Obama's professed desire for a debate.

"When he says he wants to have a debate on this issue, he passed on every opportunity to have a debate about it," said Jennifer Hoelzer, a former aide to Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who has been a top critic of the secret programs. "You had to wait until someone illegally disclosed it? That seems disingenuous."

Jameel Jaffer, a top official at the American Civil Liberties Union, said a genuine debate was difficult as long as so much information still remains secret.

"The president said he welcomes a debate and we welcome one too, but it's very hard to have one when so much information is classified," he said. "Information that's been released through unofficial channels in recent weeks makes clear that what was being withheld should never have been classified in the first place."

On the other side of the spectrum, Marc A. Thiessen, a former aide to Bush and defender of his counterterrorism policies who wrote a book subtitled "How Barack Obama is Inviting the Next Attack," has spent the last couple weeks defending Obama for authorizing the secret programs.

New PRISM slides: more than 100,000 'active surveillance targets,' explicit mention of real-time monitoring

Notably, the new slides appear to confirm whistleblower Edward Snowden's claims that PRISM allows the NSA and FBI to perform real-time surveillance of email and instant messaging, though it's still not clear which specific internet service providers allow such surveillance. (As originally reported, PRISM providers include Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, YouTube, Skype, AOL, and Apple.)

In notes accompanying the new slides, the Post claims that "depending on the provider, the NSA may receive live notifications when a target logs on or sends an email, text, or voice chat as it happens."

Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.
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Shiny Not New

Shiny and New is Thematic Photographic 249.

These are not new, but the falling water is shiny. And that building reflecting the cloud in the sky is in downtown Columbus.




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The Schaden Freudes Itself II

(Yes, I have many posts with that tag, but this only the second to earn the title.)

Take it away, Miriam Elder.

The gate closed. A detachable staircase pulled away from the aircraft. The Airbus began to roll backward. "He's not on board," said Nikolai Sokolov, an Aeroflot gate employee, his eyes wide. "I was waiting for him myself."

Around two dozen journalists settled in for the 12-hour journey to Havana – a flight on which no alcohol is served, much to the chagrin of the reporters, many of whom aren't used to going half a day without a stiff drink.

For more journalism, here's Charles Pierce's best blog post (imho) on the topic to date, covering Glenn Greenwald's appearance with David Gregory on Meet The Press Sunday morning.

Now, if he had any self-awareness, the Dancin' Master would have considered the question to be asked-and-answered, licked his wounds, salved his well-kicked hindquarters, and moved on to other matters. But he heard the distant strains of the harpsichord and the faint laughter of the king and queen and he feared for his place at court. So, we got this. Dance, monkey, dance.

GREGORY: "Well the question of who's a journalist may be up to a debate with regard to what you are doing."

Dan Froomkin ‏@froomkin:

The elite media’s identification with the ruling class, rather than the public, has never been more obvious than in reaction to Snowden.

Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.
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Your WaPo Headline of the Day

Headlines coming to the WaPo soon:

"No clear answers why Social Security hasn't been cut despite my demands" by Fred Hiatt

"No clear answers why Iran and Syria haven't been bombed back to the Stone Age despite our wildest dreams" by Hiatt, Diehl, Lane, Krauthammer, Gerson, Thiessen, and Rubin

P.S. Seen at Atrios' place:

From McClatchy: Obama’s crackdown views leaks as aiding enemies of U.S.

Government documents reviewed by McClatchy illustrate how some agencies are using that latitude to pursue unauthorized disclosures of any information, not just classified material. They also show how millions of federal employees and contractors must watch for “high-risk persons or behaviors” among co-workers and could face penalties, including criminal charges, for failing to report them. Leaks to the media are equated with espionage.

Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.
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Curvaceous

Thematic Photographic 248 - Curvaceous

This statue is in front of the Ohio Statehouse. I think that is General William Tecumseh Sherman in front.

This curvaceous rock is in the Grand Canyon. I took the picture in 2009.

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On The Water

Thematic Photographic 247 - On the water




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Snake Snake Bunny

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Tonight's Youtuber Is Dedicated to Dianne Feinstein

Luminaries such as Karl Rove, Lindsey Graham, Ari Fleischer, Saxby Chambliss, and John Yoo are all defending Obama's NSA spying.

Isn't that fine company? Doesn't that make you feel good about this policy? But tonight's song is dedicated to Dianne Feinstein, who is very upset that some criminal/patriot let the people know what the government is doing.

How did Dianne become one of the richest members of Congress? That's right...the old fashioned way.

For you, DiFi.



UPDATE: That is, of course, Dianne Banker Buttlicker Margaret Thatcher Feinstein, a dragon-lady with no fuckin' heart.



Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.
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Concrete Results, Butterflies

Carmi's Thematic Photographic 246 is Concretely.
I took a picture of this wall during construction last September. Now it's finished! (Note: bonus four lane closing fender bender law enforcement action.)



More concrete results: I first started trying to grow mountain laurels in front of the house in Berkeley Springs back in 1998 or some such (details are sketchy). It took a couple years before I learned that without a fence, Bambi will eat them in the winter. Anyways, for the first time ever, I saw flowers on one of them!


In other news, some butterflies.


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Little Goose Poop

A pair of Silvery Checkerspots enjoying some fresh goose poop. Messy enough?



Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.
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Messiness and Lake Siri Critters

Thematic Photographic 245 - Messiness





UPDATE: Seize the Carp!


Furthermore.

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