We are in a war for our lives. The war is between the 1% elite and the 99%. You are hopelessly

[Savannahmann]

81. I would have chosen one different word.

Your post is excellent, and outlines the status quo very very well. But there is one word I would have changed.

Unfortunately the progressives not only have to battle the idiot Republicans, but also the conservative Democrats that carry water for the 1%.

Change that one word to Statist. Because Nancy Pelosi is hardly conservative, and is a big supporter of the NSA/FBI/Does anyone know all the letters that should go into this thing?/CIA/DHS spying program. So it is not just the Republicans, and the Blue Dog Democrats, it's many that we herald as Liberals who are convinced that such things are necessary to look strong on the war on Terror.

Those people believe that anything the State does is a good thing, which means they are really working for the 1%, the Intelligence Industrial Complex, The Military Industrial Complex, and not working for those of us who tapped their name on voting machine.

Go back and look at the record, a lot of "good liberal" representatives voted for the PATRIOT ACT reauthorization and so it isn't just the blue dog conservative Democrats that need to be jerked back to the party line on this.

Senate Vote on reauthorization from 2005. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/109-2006/s29

House Vote on reauthorization in 2005. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/109-2005/h627

In 2011, a new President, a President who had said that he would oppose the PATRIOT ACT when he was fighting tooth and nail to get the nomination. The act is again up for reauthorization. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/112-2011/h376
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/112-2011/s84

In 2005 with 9-11 still fresh in the minds, and the nation clamoring for action. 251 votes were cast by the House in favor.

In 2011, now a new President, one who we said was a good man, a good moral man who would oppose it. This cooling public support for the PATRIOT ACT was obvious given the support that Candidate Obama got during the Primary. In this era of cooling public support, when tolerance of the NSL's and the whole FISA thing was already starting to cause rumbles of discontent, what change happened in the vote? How could it have passed, it must have been such a close thing. 250 votes in favor. One less vote than in 2005.

Passed again. Passed again by God.