It's quite sad how little attention this is getting outside the corners of the internet where tech-savvy people gather, but perhaps the media thinks those are the only people who would understand it.  The overriding theme, the sound bite, the message, it's loud and clear and it can't be argued against:

Internet Service Provider X shuts down access to deep dark portion of the Internet where only pedophiles hang out.  Your children are safer now!

You have carte blanche to do whatever you want in this country if you can somehow, in some vague way - with connections basic enough so Joe-casual-news-reader can understand - tie it into protecting the children.  If the appearance of the children being protected looks good enough, it doesn't matter what reality actually is.

Besides, a good portion of people out there probably have no idea what Usenet is.

I don't like the conclusion of this Charlotte Observer analysis but it appears to have good logic.   I'm posting it because it shows what needs to be worked on before November if Obama, Kay Hagan (Senate), Harry Taylor (House) and Larry Kissell (House) are going to win.

I have possible action items to counter the analysis at the end of the diary.

After years of watching the GOP in action, I think they actually have a well defined process to control political dialog in the USA.

Tonight Obama himself was TV responding to a Red Herring.   Not Good.  It shows that McCain has defined Obama and MSM automatically accepts any deviation from McCain's definition as a flip flop.   Pathetic reporting but something we all need to combat.

I'll put on my business person hat and lay out what I believe the GOP is doing.

Key Concept:
RED HERRING

any diversion intended to distract attention from the main  issue

Dictionary die.com

Kudos for Smitheus and the excellent work on Real ID as a potential wedge issue. This Orwelliian law is both a boon for organized crime and a boondoggle for state governments.

The law is also a red herring designed to deport those ubiquitous "Mexicans." It will not and cannot protect us from terrorists since all of the Sept. 11 hijackers LEGALLY entered this county, no thanks to the idiots at the State Department that issued visas to 15 Saudis that just happened to be on the Terrorist Watch List.

Much of politics is theater, as has been noted before.  The timing of the decisively 1-2 punch of Ferarro's boneheaded, if not blatantly racist remark comes the same day that New York state governor Eliot Spitzer was forced to resign due to a still smolderingly sex scandal.  Both horrific mistakes should serve as cautionary tales for all politicians and people in power:  what you do, as well as what you say, can and will come back to haunt you.  

GET THIS STORY OUT.  TELL EVERYONE. If you are on the ground in Texas or Ohio, and notice any irregularities, you can report them to the Clinton campaign via this form: "Polling Problems." (And report irregularities in the comments below.)  

Jeralyn at Talkleft has the breaking story, "Dirty Tricks in Texas and Ohio?":

I'm receiving reports that contrary to Texas Democratic party caucus rules that preclude registration forms from being submitted before either 7:15 pm or the last vote at a precinct has been cast, Obama volunteers are handing out the forms at precincts today and asking people to fill them in and then collecting them. For Obama to submit the forms on the voters' behalf without the voter physically being present at the caucus would violate the rules.

I participated last night in a diary about the likely upcoming Superdelegate conundrum, which presents Democrats with the prospect of the winner of the "committed" delegate contest (delegates chosen by primary voters and caucus-goers) being overturned by the "Superdelegates" (an offensive concept in and of itself) who are bound by nothing other than their personal whim - and who comprise 20% of the total Convention delegates.

But the debate about the Superdelegate issue isn't what I want to address here.  Rather, I'd like to dispel a talking point that developed in the course of that discussion: that the FL Democratic Party was bound by the decision of the GOP-controlled FL legislature and Governor to a January 29th date for the selection of Democratic Delegates.

Not being one who subscribes to the current victimhood craze, I decided to check for myself as to whether a state Democratic Party could actually be dictated to by the GOP.  Most of you won't be surprised by what I found.

More below.

I say we all give a big hand (fist) to Micheal Vick and Senator Craig.  For the August news cycle these two men have worked tirelessly to keep the American people amused and entertained.  Special thanks need to be given to the formerly Honorable Gentleman from Idaho who has given the media another chance to blur the lines between homosexuality and inappropriate or predatory behavior.  We also need to recognize the efforts of the media in providing these two dedicated red herrings a fetid cesspool in which to swim.

I'm sure that everyone has heard by now, Alberto Gonzales is resigning. He'll be headed off to "spend time with his family" sometime mid-September...'bout the same time that Gen. Patreus is doling out bits of information re: the long lauded Progress Report discussing how the Surge is going.

But as I sat and scanned the news errr...CNN last night at 9 ball, I'd noticed something interestingly ubiquitous...everything else was being covered but the AG's departure. Oh...and this thing about how bin Laden almost sorta got caught only Tommy Franks wouldn't give up the troops to do the job right.

Tim Keller, Executive Director of the Institute for Justice – Arizona Chapter, wrote a spate of editorials which appeared in newspapers across our country this past President’s Day weekend. In them, he calls for the reversal of Arizona’s Clean Elections Act, a constitutional appeal on the basis of ‘Free Speech’ which was heard by the 9th U. S. Circuit Court of Ap-peals in San Francisco last week.

It appears to me that Mr. Keller is promoting those who believe in the power of the dollar to elect candidates, using market forces to elect our representatives, rather than a pluralistic Democracy. Is this Privatization of the polling place?

The Coalition for the Advancement issued the following statement in response to a position paper issued earlier today by the White House.

thank goodness the republicans are around to tell me what to worry about.

also of great concern to republicans is god almighty, who, rather to my surprise, has been elected chairman of the texas republican party.

I don't know where the student stands on immigration or the current debate. This is my response to the e-mail, and old Tedday.

"If (they) politicize our nuclear case, we will use any means. We are rich in energy resources. We have control over the biggest and the most sensitive energy route of the world," Pourmohammadi was quoted as saying by the official Islamic Republic News Agency.