Seeing the Forest: The voters are smarter than the media.

Newshoggers: They're also wiser than the high-ranking officials who feel the American public lacks "the maturity to recognize the seriousness of the threats" to our national security and that "the correction for that… is an attack." Hmm, maybe a domestic propaganda campaign would aid that agenda.

Glenn Greenwald: It's also easier to deceive the public when "actual journalists" serve as uncritical, dismissive government spokespeople.

Amygdala: The New, New Colossus, in a cruel, mocking land where decency knows no home.

Human Rights Watch: Is waterboarding more like swimming freestyle, or the backstroke? Have these officials no shame about widespread and systemic abuse authorized straight from the top? Let's put Jack Bauer on it, because when you're secretly, radically overturning constitutional and international law, who needs expert advice or historical fact when you have specious reasoning and fantasy on your side?

Guest roundup by Batocchio. Please e-mail submissions and tips to Batocchio9 at yahoo dot com. Thanks!