And the Democrats....accepted this. They didn't do the one thing they could have done to challenge the tyranny of the majority on this absolutely crucial issue of American liberty and constitutional government: stand up and walk out of the hearings in protest. Refuse to take part in a seedy, cynical farce. No, they just settled down to ask their "tough questions" while AG-AG sits back and coolly swats them away, either by regurgitating the standard "war powers-national security-loose lips sink ships" dodge or, even more cleverly, simply agreeing with his critics on the odd point here and there -- such as a judicial review of the program, etc. Why the hell not? Who cares? He can say anything he likes; no one can hold him to it.

That's the way it is. We can report, and discuss, and analyze, and live-blog this stuff until the cows come home and go back out again, and it won't make a bit of difference. You have got to quit looking to these chumps on the Dem side and the egregious, bootlicking toadies on the Republican side to do anything -- anything at all -- to stop the Katrina-like floodtide of authoritarian rule. They aren't going to do anything about it. And soon, they won't be able to do anything about it, even if they tried. We're now living in the P.D.A. -- Post-Democracy America. As Dylan told us 20 years ago: "Democracy don't rule the world/You better get that through your head./This world is ruled by violence;/But I guess that's better left unsaid."

It's certainly left unsaid in Washington, where the "opposition" puts on clownface and jumps into the center ring, waiting to be smeared with pies and sprayed with seltzer by the smirking, murderous ringmaster. But violence is ruling us now more than ever: violence to the Constitution, violence to our liberties, violence -- real, bloodsoaked, gut-shredding violence -- being done in our name all over the world. When the 2006 elections come -- wired, rigged, filled with "stunning upsets" that cement the Bush Faction further in power despite their deep unpopularity -- the game will already be over. And sitting there in a nice panelled room, in well-wadded chairs, asking "tough questions" of a torture-enabler who doesn't even have to pretend to give truthful answers is not the action of people who want to save the Republic from the vast ruin that hangs over us.

So we will blog no more on the hearings from this popsicle stand. We will do what the Democrats are too spineless, clueless and co-opted to do: we will "walk out" and leave the clowns to their stupid, pointless, malevolent gags.