Oooh, nuance!

It's Friday - or as I would call it today, "F-day" - and just as in the "Electric Company" days of my youth, I am honoring the letter "F", which played such a big role in the events of yesterday and this week.

My Friends, as the McMaverick would say, let us begin.

"F" is for FISA, Filibuster, Fearmongering, Fuck You and Finally.

The letter "F" served quintuple duty in Congress this week. FISA loomed large on the horizon, as the Senate, after holding the line for months and staging Filibusters to stop telecom/Bushie immunity from being included, realized that Bush's Fearmongering would make it impossible to keep immunity out of the bill. So, the Senate agreed to pass immunity and allow the House to review the bill.

Now, the House had already passed another bill, the Protect America Act, in August, and that bill did not include telecom/Bushie immunity. That bill expires at midnight tonight, at which point, the old FISA bill takes effect. No immunity in that one either. In a spectacular Fuck You to the Deciderer, Speaker Pelosi and the House decided not only to avoid extending the PAA, which Bush had promised to veto in any case, but to take Congress out of session for the next two weeks. As House Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes stated, "We'll be Fine." On the same day, the House also passed criminal contempt charges on Harriet Miers and Josh Bolten, who had illegally ignored their subpoenas to testify before Congress on Bush's orders.

FINALLY! At least for now, Congress is Firmly standing up to the Unitary Executive theory, and reasserting its status as a co-equal branch of government. Let us keep our Fingers crossed, and keep sending those emails and Faxes in support of our newly-vertebrate Congresscritters.

"F" is for Fascist.

In a brilliant Special Comment last night, Keith Olbermann spoke these words to the Cheerleader-In-Chief:

It is bad enough, sir, that you were demanding an ex post facto law that could still clear the AT&Ts and the Verizons from responsibility for their systematic, aggressive and blatant collaboration with your illegal and unjustified spying on Americans under this flimsy guise of looking for any terrorists who are stupid enough to make a collect call or send a mass e-mail.

But when you demanded it again during the State of the Union address, you wouldn’t even confirm that they actually did anything for which they deserved to be cleared.

“The Congress must pass liability protection for companies believed to have assisted in the efforts to defend America.”

Believed? Don’t you know? Don’t you even have the guts Dick Cheney showed in admitting they did collaborate with you? Does this endless presidency of loopholes and fine print extend even here? If you believe in the seamless mutuality of government and big business, come out and say it! There is a dictionary definition, one word that describes that toxic blend.

You’re a fascist — get them to print you a T-shirt with fascist on it! What else is this but fascism?...

In the same comment, Keith also excoriated the Fascists in the House, who, standing up bravely AGAINST the rule of law and Fearlessness, staged a walk-out.

And your minions like John Boehner, your Republican congressional crash dummies who just happen to decide to walk out of Congress when a podium-full of microphones await them, they should just keep walking, out of Congress and, if possible, out of the country.

For they and you, sir, have no place in a government of the people, by the people, for the people.

The lot of you are the symbolic descendants of the despotic middle managers of some banana republic to whom “freedom” is an ironic brand name, a word you reach for when you want to get away with its opposite.

This "Special Comment" was a clarion call, louder and more powerful than ever when backed up by the actions of a suddenly emboldened Congress. In addition, it was a masterpiece of Framing - a strong blow in the battle to Call Things Aright, which the traditional media has not done for a long, long time.

Yes, the "F" reigned supreme this week. May there be more Fearlessness, Finally and Fuck You to come.