Uh, Graham, where did you get your information that "no intelligence-gathering anywhere had picked it up"? I don't believe it, since information on a similar plan was picked up in the Philippines about two years ago, maybe more.

Sorry, folks, but though I disagree with his manner I'm in agreement with Catscradle on this one. I absolutely do believe that some of my elected representatives would let that happen again (except for Patsy Mink, who voted no). I'm not naive enough to think that the government has learned anything from those affairs, except how to do it better and with more arrogance. We do still have a Constitution, but Mr. Bush and the people behind him are trying their best to ignore it, as far as I can see. Wartime necessities? The Constitution still says that Congress has the power to declare war. I'd call this a blatant power grab, and money grab---look at the billions that were just given to Ford and IBM et al in order to "stimulate the economy", with nothing given directly to the ones who actually lost their jobs. Oh, well, I don't expect anybody to agree with me, but that's the way I see it. Enough ranting, I'm going to the beach.

Aloha,
Mark