By Greg Sargent - July 3, 2008, 9:45AM

Yes, this is today’s daily FISA post, and yes, you’ll get mad about it, but this needs to be flagged.

The networking group set up on Obama’s Web site with the sole purpose of urging him to oppose the FISA cave-in bill has now rocketed up to the number one group on his site, with over 14,000 members.

I’m in the group. Are YOU?

I love Burn Notice. Love it. I’ll easily admit that I only started watching Burn Notice because The Bruce Campbell is init, and God knows I’ll watch anything he’s in (including SciFi movies, but only once). The show, however, really grew on me from the first episode on. Now the whole family is addicted. Me, my wife and our 14 year old son because the stories are great and the acting is solid, my 5 and 3 year old daughters because the love Bruce Campbell from watching Army of Darkness WAY to many times. What? I never said I was a perfect parent. They love that movie.

But there’s another great reason to watch Burn Notice:

The wackiest talent showcase (yes, wackier than America’s Got Talent) is back with Comedy Central’s The Gong Show. Hosted by Comedy Central veteran Dave Attell, The Gong Show will feature seven to ten bizarre acts each episode that will be judged by a rotating panel of celebrities. At the end of each show, the act with the highest score will be crowned the winner.

The premiere episode will be judged by Brian Posehn of Just Shoot Me, Steve Schirripa of The Sopranos, and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Other judges include Adam Carolla of Drawn Together, Kate Walsh of Private Practice, Andy Dick of Less Than Perfect, Ron White, Dave Navarro, Greg Giraldo, Jim Norton, and JB Smoove of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

I think this is worth a viewing — especially for those of you who can sit through America’s Got Talent. The new Gong Show should be funnier and have even more bizarre acts (none of the touchy-mushy back stories either).

The series premiere of The Gong Show with Dave Attell is on Thursday, July 17th at 10 p.m. ET on Comedy Central.

Dave Attell is perfect for this gig. I can’t tell you how much I miss his Insomniac in the middle of the night.

From KSL:

Daggett County Attorney Bryan Sidwell had a contract for four years, but today county commissioners told him he was being fired. The commissioners didn’t give a solid explanation as to why they were letting Sidwell go, but many in the county say it’s because he was doing his job almost too well.

Unlike other county attorneys, Sidwell is an appointed attorney, not an elected one. His contract states he can be let go with six-month’s notice. Today he got that notice, and residents who were there to witness it say it’s just another example of the “good ole boy” network in action.

They fired the guy leading the investigation! That’s not AT ALL suspicious, is it? Well, that was yesterday … what about today? Anything suspicious to do today?

From KSL, again:

A voting fraud scandal that’s unfolding in remote Daggett County has left a lot of residents asking a lot of questions, including the county’s computer expert who has not been allowed to examine a voting computer used during the election that happens to be under investigation for rampant fraud.

Yesterday, we reported on the Daggett County Commission’s decision to fire the County Attorney who was investigating the fraud case. Tonight, we pick up the story with a look at a computer under lock and key.

While looking through court documents filed by Daggett County attorney Bryan Sidwell right before commissioners fired him Tuesday, we came across three pages written by the county’s Information Technology worker, Kym Slagowski. She writes “From the day I started, May 23, 2007, to date, I have been denied access to the County Clerk/Treasurer’s Office.” She also writes “There is a county policy that has been in effect since April 1, 2008 that states that I am to have physical access to all county technology equipment.”

Wow … it’s like a sitcom on CMT about a crooked, bumbling city government. Like Boss Hogg from the Dukes of Hazzard, without the class and charm.

Kudos to Alex Cabrero for keeping on top of this mess.

Bush to Close Gitmo? ABC’s Jan Crawford Greenberg: “President Bush will soon decide whether to close Guantanamo Bay as a prison for al-Qaeda suspects, sources tell ABC News. High-level discussions among top advisers have escalated in the past week, with the most senior administration officials in continuous talks about the future of the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay–and how it will be dramatically changed and/or closed in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling that gave detainees there access to federal courts. Sources have confirmed that President Bush is expected to be briefed on these pressing GTMO issues–and may reach a decision on the future of the naval base as a prison for al Qaeda suspects–before he leaves for the G8 on Saturday. An announcement, however, is not expected before he leaves the country. High-level administration officials say the Court’s decision dramatically changes the legal landscape–and raises questions about whether the government has solid evidence to present to federal judges to justify ongoing detentions.”

So … while I hope that this stain on our national colors (Gitmo, not Bush, per se.) does indeed close, I have a hard time believing that this could possibly be true. AND! If it is true, what sort of backwater hellhole will they move these prisoners off to? Good Lord … it might be Boise … those poor bastards.

Morgan is fighting an uphill battle against Republican Rob Bishop in the first district, and his stance on this issue sets him apart not only from our current representatives (including Democrat Jim Matheson, UT-2) - who have repeatedly defended the “break the law now, we’ll make it legal later” precedent this bill creates in defense of AT&T and Verizon - but it also distinguishes him from every other candidate running in Utah this cycle.

It was a bold move in defense of our Constitution that is not without it’s political risks. And now we have an opportunity to send a firm thank you message to a candidate who is showing, among so many afraid to do so, that real leadership is an asset, not a liability.

The goal here is modest: 100 Donors in 48 Hours (any any donation amount is helpful, so if $10 is all your budget allows - like mine - that helps too). Make time today to visit Morgan’s ActBlue page and give encouragement for his raising of the bar by defending our right to privacy. After you make your donation, please forward this email to family, friends, co-workers and colleagues who may be up for the challenge of helping us hit this goal.

Learn more about Morgan at www.bowenforcongress.com
More on FISA at FISA Fact Check
And Morgan on ActBlue: http://www.actblue.com/page/morganbowen

Morgan Bowen, Democratic Candidate running against Rep. Rob “Invisible Congressman” Bishop, took a very strong stance on Bush and Rep. Matheson’s retroactive immunity wishes for telecom companies who broke the law because Bush decided to once again disgrace the Constitution.

From Bowen’s Blog:

Benjamin Franklin said “Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.”

As a candidate for the United States Congress, I oppose granting retro-active immunity to telecommunications companies - who willingly broke the law, when so many others refused to do so - and the illegal wiretapping of American’s on the notion that no entity or body of government is above the law, according to our Constitution.While we do face serious threats to our national security, I believe it is possible to combat these threats without the erosion of our most basic liberties, and the protection from an invasive government body that the founding fathers made great efforts to include when drafting the Bill of Rights.This administration’s and our current congressman’s thinly masked agenda to grant retro-active immunity and remove oversight from the surveillance process is not so much about protecting American’s from realistic threats, but rather protecting this administration, and the representatives who supported them from accountability and their sworn duty to uphold our constitutional rights as American citizens.

Thomas Jefferson wisely said: “When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”

It is time our Utah values of respect for the United States Constitution, liberty, and a just and free America are defended once again.

This. Is. Inspirational.

Bowen is really on the ball here. He’s setting himself as an example of strong, patriotic and responsible leadership. Good Job, Morgan! You deserve SOME POSITIVE NOTICE from anyone, in any state, that cares about changing the un-American, un-Patriotic behavior of the United States Government.

Here they are, Newer One’s First:

The Famous and Lovely Holly Braithwaite:

And the lovely Nikki Norton

From Theorris Boonasty

2 from Bob Aagard:

1

Submit your entry TODAY!

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Here’s the folks who don’t understand what a photoshop contest is:

He also appeared in dozens of movies, including A League of Their Own, Con Air, Hook, The Fan, and Best In Show. He died this week at age 65.

From Gate World

With great sadness we must report that veteran actor Don S. Davis passed away on June 29, 2008. He was 65 years old.

Don co-starred on Stargate SG-1 for the show’s first seven years, helping to launch the enduring science fiction franchise. Davis played Major General George Hammond, base commander and a father figure to many of the show’s characters.

He is also well-known for his portrayal of Major Garland Briggs in Twin Peaks.

From his people:

So many of you have been touched by not only the work and art of Don S. Davis, but by the man himself, who always took the time to be with you at the appearances he loved, that it is with a tremendous sense of loss I must share with you that Don passed away from a massive heart attack on Sunday morning, June 29th.

On behalf of his family and wife, Ruby, we thank you for your prayers and condolences. A family memorial where Don’s ashes will be scattered in the ocean will take place in a few weeks, and should you wish to, please make a donation to the American Heart Association in Don’s memory.

Seven months before the end of his term, President Bush’s approval rating is at an all-time low.

In the just-released Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll, the president won approval from 23% of all registered voters — including 3% of Democrats and 58% of Republicans. Those numbers are down from February, when he had an approval rating of 35%. His high mark, according to the poll, was in November 2001, just after the 9/11 terror attacks, when the president’s popularity rating among registered voters was at 85%.

Perhaps the most interesting number is that 50% of self-described conservatives disapprove of the way the president is handling his job.

Well, there it is.

The rest of the hour went pretty good, though.

Left of the Dial - Candidate Bennion Spencer

Bennion Spencer for Congress Website

My secondary favorite part is that Rep. Bishop and Jason Chaffetz’s people have, quite rudly, declined to come on and debate the two Democratic challengers. It may be Left of the Dial, but, come on, it;s 50,000 watts and an FM transmitter.

The Prize: There can be only one … winner, and I get to pick. The entry that makes me laugh the hardest gets a T-Shirt.

SO FAR:

Here’s the folks who don’t understand what a photoshop contest is:

From KSL:

Today is National HIV Testing Day. Public offices across the country will be making testing available to citizens who want to be screened for the virus that causes AIDS.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says a quarter million Americans have HIV and don’t know it.

Fill it out and the send me a link to your graphic.

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Like these:

I didn’t think so.

Poor kids. All they get are some dipshit billionaires from out of town trying to make money from taxpayers by making them use billionaire from out of town built private schools.