Why Obama's Support For FISA Cave-In Is Such A Downer

[babsbunny]

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/06/why_obamas_support_for_fisa_ca.php

By Greg Sargent - June 20, 2008, 4:32PM

Here's what's so dispiriting about it. One of the riveting things about Barack Obama's candidacy is that since the outset of the campaign he's seemed absolutely dead serious about changing the way foreign policy is discussed and argued about in this country.

Time and again, in his debates with Hillary, and now with John McCain, his whole debate posture on national security issues was centered on the idea that he could challenge and change what it means to talk "tough." His candidacy has long seemed to embody a conviction that Democrats can win arguments with Republicans about national security -- that if Dems stick to a set of core principles, and forcefully argue for them without blinking, they can and will persuade people that, simply put, they are right and Republicans are wrong.

Obama has done this already in this general election -- repeatedly. And no doubt he will do it again and again and again in the months ahead.

To be clear, I'm not even talking about whether opposing this would or wouldn't have carried political peril. It really doesn't matter. Because if there were ever anything that would have tested his operating premise throughout this campaign -- that you can win arguments with Republicans about national security -- it was this legislation. If ever there were anything that deserved to test this premise, it was this legislation.

[msongs]

1. why so glum he is part of the washington insiders club, not the new messiah nt

[comradebillyboy]

2. Do I detect a proper level of reverence here?

If Obama is supporting the FISA bill it must be the correct thing to do. Otherwise he wouldn't do it now would he?

[Hoof Hearted]

4. So, whaddaya think? Thumb screws? Waterboarding? Backstreet Boyz CD's? What?

:rofl:

[thewiseguy]

3. Yesterday you were bashing Obama for his stance towards gays...

And today this?

And you dare to sell Obama T shirts on your website? While at the same time you bash him?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

5. Best thing to do is to rewrite the whole darn thing

[KoKo]

6. Digby has more insight...that Pelosi & Reid must have had Obama's okay...on this...

Friday, June 20, 2008


Sistah Soljah'd ?

by digby

There's lots of blogospheric angst today, and for good reason, around this FISA legislation. Senator Obama's commitment to support the "compromise,"(while promising to "work" to remove the offensive telcom immunity) is a big disappointment to many.

I am tempted to say this is a Sistah Soljah moment, wherein Barack makes it clear to the Villagers that he is not one of the DFH's, despite all their ardent support. Nothing is more associated with us than this issue. It may even make sense on some sort of abstract level. He's obviously decided that he has to run to the right pretty hard to counteract that "most liberal Senator" label.

But, I actually have no idea what his motivation is any more than the rest of the Democrats, who seem stuck in some 2004 time warp, fighting the battle of Fallujah with Don Rumsfeld. He may genuinely think the legislation is good or just be afraid that the Republicans will use it against him. (I don't think that's going to help frankly --- he voted against it last time and that's all they need for the scare ads.) He does say that if he wins, he promises not to abuse the power it gives him, so I guess we should feel good about that.

I do know this: they would not have made this "compromise" and then brought this to the floor without his ok, and probably without his direction. He is the leader of the Democratic Party now, in the middle of a hotly contested presidential campaign. If he didn't come to them and say to get this thing done before the fall, then they came to him and asked his permission. That's just a fact. They aren't going to do anything he doesn't want them to do.

So, it's not really a capitulation. It's a strategy.


Update: Jack Balkin says Obama just wants the power as president. He may be right. That would also be a good reason to keep him from having it.

[EndElectoral]

7. Dissapointed in Obama on this FISA and NAFTA retreating

I supported Obama in the primary. I don't get his thinking on this, but totally disagree with him.

Bit disturbing.