The McCain-Lieberman Constitution Annulment Act of 2010

This would be a far more accurate title for this thing.

They are so stupid it hurts

As Greenwald points out as the Right Wing suddenly rediscovers the dangers of unbridled governmental power: All of the enabling legislation underlying this Surveillance State -- from the Patriot Act to the Military Commissions Act, from the various FISA "reforms" to massive increases in domestic "counter-Terrorism" programs -- are the spawns of the very right-wing movement that today is petrified that this is all being directed at them.

They are really so incredibly stupid that it hurts to even think of it. For years I have wondered why they thought this was a good idea. Did they ever stop to consider if they wanted Hillary to have this kind of power, for example? They're just lucky it's Obama.

Panetta has the right enemies

Considering the abject failure of the Democratic congressional leadership to exercise oversight over the Bush torture regime, the mere fact that Sen. Diane Feinstein doesn't like the Panetta pick is more than enough reason to enthusiastically support it.

Congress has done a piss poor job of protecting its prerogatives for years, removing an essential check from our system of checks and balances. There's little hope that will change under the Democrats, as they have little interest in abstract political theories, but at the very least they can stay out of the way as Obama fixes some of the damage.

Bailout appears unconstitutional on its face to me

As written this bailout bill seems to me to be completely unconstitutional, as it delegates legislative powers to an executive agency while denying review to the courts.

More details to follow, but I have to say this looks like just another awful, rushed Bush administration power grab.

Fourth Amendment repealed

So as far as I understand it, the FISA "reform" bill amounts to this: So long as the Attorney General certifies that the illegal search is related to a terror investigation, then a federal judge must dismiss any challenge to the search. The only possible grounds for a challenge is that it isn't really the AG's signature.

There is no requirement that there actually be a terror investigation, merely that the AG say there is.

This is more than adequate because we know for a fact that every future AG will be a person of impeccable character and will never, ever misuse or abuse his or her power.

The Constitution doesn't defend itself

Good summation from Hilzoy on why the FISA controversy is important: http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/2008/06/fisa-why-it-mat.html

Clinton missing the vote

Evidently Hillary is too busyt trying to save her campaign to bother voting on the FISA immunity bills today.
Obama is there, joining Dodd and most of the Democrats trying to stop this bad policy. Of course, 18 Democrats and all the Republicans continue to conspire in the emasculation of their "co-equal" branch of government by legalizing whatever illegal things the executive branch does.
Law and order only applies to the little people, don't you know?
So now the battle turns to the House.

Under what definition is Bush a conservative?

It's certainly not one that includes respecting the Constitution.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/01/30/bush_asserts_authority_to_bypass_defense_act/

Bush asserts, baldly, that he doesn't have to follow Congress' explicit instructions on spending money related to defense. He asserts that some "theory" of inherent powers trumps the explicit and plain language of the Constitution. Unfortunately for the Republic Congress seems to have little interest in protecting its powers.