This is a follow up to a previous post. I think I will keep a lemming count. First was Jonathan Altered States. Now we have Holy Moly Joe Conason:

Recklessly and audaciously, George W. Bush is driving the nation whose laws he swore to uphold into a constitutional crisis. He has claimed the powers of a medieval monarch and defied the other two branches of government to deny him. Eventually, despite his party’s monopoly of power, he may force the nation to choose between his continuing degradation of basic national values and the terrible remedy of impeachment.

Now THAT is a great Chicken Little immitation. I thought Altered Boy was good, but Holy Moly Joe is out there ringing the alarm bells: “The end of the world is nigh!”. Of course I have highlighted what a normal person would call the ‘seperation of powers’ and our governments inherent ‘checks and balances’. Not to mention the fact, being a democracy, we have the option of changing our voting habits if we think it is wrong to monitor Al Qaeda communications from outside this country to contacts in the country.

Only a tried and true liberal lemming would call for the impeachment of a President who is trying to track down an Alq Qaeda contact in the US, and possibly nearing their target. When did the left decide that, once Al Qaeda reached our shores they had a safe haven to communicate, coordinate, plan and execute as they saw fit? Why is Holy Moly Joe pushing for a right to privacy for Al Qaeda operatives or sympathizers in the US?

We know the FISA process, while faster than pre 9-11, is not fast enought to keep up with even a modest plan of deception using cell phones, email identities, multiple ISPs, Instant Messenger, internet forums, etc.

I was about to explain a whole series of ways to out maneuver FISA if their response time is a pathetic one hour, but then I decided why show the terrorists how it can be done. Trust me when I say it is easy to out maneuver a one hour response time. It is tough when the response can be to a single email or call.

But Holy Moly Joe is not interested in protecting Americans from Al Qaeda agents in the US.

Until Mr. Bush openly proclaimed as commander in chief that he can brush aside the law, cries for impeachment were heard only on the political fringe, although most Americans have long since realized that he misled America into war. Much as he is disliked and disdained by liberals, even they have shown little enthusiasm for impeachment. In addition to the obvious obstacle of a Republican-controlled Congress, there appeared to be no firm proof of an offense that justified such action. To mention the word was to be dismissed—even by people who believe that this President may well have committed “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

Translation: I have been dreaming about this for a long time, and before I was afraid to voice my fantasies because I would have been labled a fanatical nutcase.

As political strategy and as public policy, the impeachment of Mr. Bush is an unappealing prospect. (Besides, if he could be thrown out somehow, who would want Dick Cheney to succeed him?) And yet, the actions and attitudes of this President raise the question of how else we can preserve the bedrock principles of a democratic republic.

Translation: Holy Moly Joe does not care about all the reasons Bush is right or Impeachment is a dumb idea, he really wants to save the universe (and his shallow ego). Denial of reality runs deep for Holy Moly Joe:

The President says that if he is to protect the nation from our enemies, he must be able to order the surveillance of American citizens without seeking the authority of a court.

No, what Bush said is (a) if the FISA process would be too slow to respond, and (b) there is a contact being made to someone within the US from a known or highly probable terrorist overseas, and (c) internal review confirms these two conditions, then he would use this process to monitor the communications. Holy Moly Joe has become panicked that Bush can at anytime, for any reason, monitor any call! He probably needs to cut back on the meds – he is hallucinating.

The rest is transparent rationalization built on half truths and conspiracy nightmares to create the impression that Holy Moly Joe is one seriously paranoid dude.