Coffee, according to the women of Denmark, is to the body what the Word of the Lord is to the soul. ~ Isak Dinesen

Captain’s Quarters (Ed Morrissey) Privacy Board: Terror Surveillance Program Protects Civil Rights

This will not keep people from claiming that the TSP and Swift programs inherently damage civil liberties. In this new kind of warfare, though, we have to ensure that we maintain the quickest gathering and analysis of the potential threats arrayed against us — and that requires intense effort in preventive intel operations. Thankfully, the board can confirm that the Bush administration has taken its responsibilities in defense of both the nation and our liberties seriously.

GOPProgress (Liz Mair) Weekly 10: Ten myths being broadcast by the DNC

(h/t Conservative Grapevine)

Today will be the 10th (? I’m losing track) day of deliberations in the Scooter Libby scape-goating trial. The best live commenting site has to be JustOneMinute. See the Monday Morning Thread (yes, someone has already mentioned that it’s Tuesday) for today’s speculation and jury watching.

UPDATE: A new JOM/Libby thread is here.

The powers of a man’s mind are directly proportioned to the quantity of coffee he drinks. ~ Sir James Mackintosh

It must be tough trying to portray yourself as a moderate to the country while at the same time making sure your base is convinced of your far left bona fides. It was the later Hillary was kowtowing to the other day.

“Believe me, I understand the frustration and the outrage,” Clinton said in a speech to the Democratic National Committee meeting that brought the party’s nine White House hopefuls together for the first time. “You have to have 60 votes to cap troops, to limit funding to do anything. If we in Congress don’t end this war before January 2009, as president, I will.”

I heard a sound bite of that last sentence on a radio news broadcast yesterday afternoon. She was definitely using her Shrill Hill™ voice; the same one she was using when she made this statement:

“And let me add one other thing, and I want to be very clear about this,” she said. “If I had been president in October of 2002, I would not have started this war.”

Dan Conley had this take:

Her nutroots base may be happy to hear those sentiments,but I’m willing to bet she hopes the rest of the country wasn’t listening closely.