What I suspect here is that they've signed up with several different e-mail addresses; not underhanded, just over-involved, and it's probably a small percentage, since there are whole pages of list without duplicate names. And why are y'all obsessing about people not using their real names there?

(Hsll, there are people in my high school class who have multiple accounts at Classmate. It happens. I doubt they're involved in fraud.)

Posted at July 3, 2008 12:39 PM in response to Group Urging Obama To Oppose FISA Cave Now Biggest On His Web Site

Trust doesn't even enter into it.

I don't trust politicians to do the right thing.
Every time we start trusting them, we get the short end of the stick. Think about what's happened in the past.
'Checks and balances' and 'due diligence' and 'oversight' are also about not trusting the other guys.

St Ronny got it half right: verify. But don't trust.

Posted at July 3, 2008 10:46 AM in response to Group Urging Obama To Oppose FISA Cave Now Biggest On His Web Site

Make that 9100 ....

Posted at July 1, 2008 5:36 PM in response to Anti-FISA-Cave Group On Obama's Web Site Keeps On Growing

I just checked on it as part of telling a friend I'd joined.

It's now over 8500 members.

Posted at July 1, 2008 2:53 PM in response to Anti-FISA-Cave Group On Obama's Web Site Keeps On Growing

Social Security is the most poorly designed retirement plan of any Western nation, and it's been treated as general revenue for decades now.

It wasn't intended to be the sole source of income - it was supposed to make up the difference between your savings and pension income and the actual cost of living.

Then we got politicians who decided that pensions were unnecessary (except for executives and elected officials), all interest on savings was as taxable as earned income, and Social Security itself was an excellent piggy bank for their pet programs - none of which ever seem to bring in money, only spend it.

Oh yes, and that the ceiling on contributions should not be raised, because somebody making a couple of hundred thousand a year might not be able to afford to live with less money. [/snark]

Posted at July 1, 2008 2:06 PM in response to What Do Working-Class Voters Want? They Want A Fair Deal

I went to public schools that had no holiday pageants. (We had patriotic events like duck-and-cover civil defense drills.)

And fireworks? We got sparklers in the back yard, with supervision and a hose and a bucket handy. Most places don't allow fireworks because they're a hazard for amateurs. (I found neighbors setting off (illegal) bottle rockets under a pine tree one year.They hadn't even thought about it.)

The Pledge? I figured out by the time I got to high school that it's a prayer, not a promise, and it doesn't do anything for patriotism.

Posted at June 30, 2008 3:39 PM in response to Obama's Patriotism Speech Stresses Life Story, Criticizes MoveOn

He can talk, can't he?
He can make it clear he's against it, and maybe, possibly, sway some of the undecided or undeclared senators to vote against it.
He could put a hold on it - he's a professor of Constitutional law, he damned well ought to have a clue about how bad this bill is.

Heck, if he'd already spoken on this, he could have had an effect on the House vote.
It isn't because we're not letting him (and others) know where we stand.

Posted at June 20, 2008 1:37 PM in response to Further Thoughts On FISA

Time for a third party ... or a genuine second party.

Clearly, the GOP has blackmailed about half of the Dems, and most of the rest are bought and paid for.
Some of them have to know they were lying through their polished teeth, but they'll only admit it on their deathbeds, if then.
I plan to support any non-R who runs against any of these turkeys. Maybe Rs, too, if they abjure Bush and Cheney and all their works.

Posted at June 20, 2008 12:54 PM in response to Today's Must Read

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman John "Jay" Rockefeller (WV), Senate Intelligence Committee Vice-Chair Kit Bond (MO), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (MD), and House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (MO)

No Speaker of the House, no Senate Majority Leader, no House Judiciary Committee chair, no Senate Judiciary Chair.
'Leadership' seems to be missing there. I see only second-rank (and second-rate?) congresscritters.
I hope that the real leaders (I'm looking at YOU, HRC and BHO, as well as Feingold and Durbin) will do whatever it takes to shortcircuit this piece o'crap.

Posted at June 19, 2008 2:31 PM in response to "Bipartisan" Solution on Surveillance Unveiled

What I want to say to Nancy, to Steny, to Jay and to Harry:

You don't represent me, you don't represent your constituents, you don't represent the party you say you belong to, you're clearly ignorant of the Constitution and of your duties, and you're in violation of your oaths of office.
Fsck off, please, so we can get people in office who can do the job the way it's supposed to be done, instead of selling out to anyone who will hand out a dollar now and a promise of larger rewards to come, or anyone with a government-issue cubicle who can say '9/11 terror terror booga booga' with a straight face.

Posted at June 19, 2008 1:05 PM in response to Lawmakers Reach Deal Over Government Surveillance Powers