Yes Virginia, the United States is a Banana Republic

I did not have the opportunity to watch the political circus, umm, excuse me, hearings put on today by Abu Gonzales. However, reading Daily Kos and Atrios I would say...that man smiles too much.

So first ol' smiley Abu decides he does not want to testify under oath and he gets a sweet nod from his followers. Democrats sought — and failed, once again — to have Gonzales sworn in. Then Abu was asked before the Senate panel whether he could promise that no one besides suspected terrorists were being eavesdropped upon under the Bush Administration's domestic wiretap program, Smiley Abu today remarked that he could not promise that agents were not listening in on non-suspects' calls.

Then Sen. Baseball cap, um, sorry I mean Biden asks:

“Can you assure us, General, you are fully, totally informed and confident that you know the absolute detail with which this program is being conducted? Can you assure us you personally can assure us no one is being eavesdropped upon in the United States other than -- other than someone who has a communication that is emanating from foreign soil by a suspected terrorist, al Qaeda, or otherwise?”

To which Abu replies: “Sir, I can't give you absolute assurance.”

But the American people still did not get an answer to 1)Why was it necessary to avoid the FISA court? 2)Who were they spying on that the FISA court wouldn't have given warrants for?

I sure hope Digby is correct, but he definitely got it right about "being dumbstruck by the totality of the Republicans' abdication of their duty." [more]

And thanks to C&L we are able to watch Glenn Greenwald, a man who shows there just might be some hope in getting this country back on track.