the two Pats

In a hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee yesterday during which allies of the Bush administration once again defended the warrantless wiretapping of American citizens in direct defiance of the Constitution of the United States, there were a number of heated exchanges between opponents of the illegal wiretaps and administration supporters.

Toward the end of the day, committee chairman Pat Roberts, senator from Kansas, once again rolled out his latest rubberstamp of the administration, angrily telling critics of the program that "I would only point out that you really don't have any civil liberties if you're dead."

Well, Pat, in the immortal words of another Pat, American hero Patrick Henry, a patriot in deed rather than in choice of lapel pin, "give me liberty or give me death."

You see, Pat, the problem is that under your president, we don't seem to have any civil liberties while we're alive.

Pat Roberts, the embarrassment of the United States, the shame of Kansas.