Barack Obama vs. Barack Obama Supporters
The Huffington Post is reporting that all is maybe not well between Barack Obama and his liberal lapdog supporters...
Only weeks into the general election campaign and already a notable tension is beginning to materialize within the Democratic Party. At question is Sen. Barack Obama's relationship with the progressive netroots, the online community that helped aid the Senator's rise to the presidential nomination, but has since seemingly played second fiddle in terms of courted constituencies.
Whaaaaaat? How can this be?
Here's how it all went down. Over the weekend, Barack Obama announced that -- although not in favor of the idea of retroactive immunity for the shady corporatations that helped our own government spy on us -- he supports the FISA legislation that the Senate is about to pass that will magically make all the illegal wire-tapping that the White House did legal after all.
But it's all alright, because he super double-dog swears that, as president, he won't take advantage of the power to watch over all of America like Big Brother...
"Given the legitimate threats we face, providing effective intelligence collection tools with appropriate safeguards is too important to delay. So I support the compromise, but do so with a firm pledge that as president, I will carefully monitor the program," Obama said in a statement hours after the House approved the legislation 293-129.
Oh, well, he seems like a nice man. How can you mind surrendering your Constitutional rights to someone so charming?
Anyway, uber-lib Glenn Greenwald over at Salon was quick to get all "Waa waa waa, I don't want the Constition Constitution* torn to shreds" on Obama's ass...
It is absolutely false that the only unconstitutional and destructive provision of this "compromise" bill is the telecom amnesty part. It's true that most people working to defeat the Cheney/Rockefeller bill viewed opposition to telecom amnesty as the most politically potent way to defeat the bill, but the bill's expansion of warrantless eavesdropping powers vested in the President, and its evisceration of safeguards against abuses of those powers, is at least as long-lasting and destructive as the telecom amnesty provisions.
The bill legalizes many of the warrantless eavesdropping activities George Bush secretly and illegally ordered in 2001. Those warrantless eavesdropping powers violate core Fourth Amendment protections.
And Barack Obama now supports all of it, and will vote it into law. Those are just facts.
Isn't it just like a liberal to want to conserve our inalienable rights and keep the federal government from amassing too much power? Fucking predictable.
* I am the wurst spellor on the planit.
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Obama looks very weak on this issue. He contradicts his earlier statements on telcom immunity. He mischaracterizing the rest of the FISA bill, which further erodes free speech and privacy rights. He agrees to give Shrub everything he wants.
Not all change is good. Making the Bill of Rights into words without meaning is not good change.
Honestly, this is no big surprise to us Ron Paul supporters - Obama voted to extend the Patriot Act.. he's also voted to fund the war. He has said he would invade Pakistan and he certainly won't be leaving Iraq or Afghanistan. Not to mention how he wouldn't pardon non-violent drug offenders.. they guy is just another corporate-approved politician - part of the two-headed beast that owns We The People.. and will continue to own us as long as we fall for portrayed character instead of substance.
this is bad news for obama. if he abandons the very people who got him where he is, he (and all of us) are in for a rude awakening in november. there's still ralph nader out there, and i know many disgruntled and uncompromising progressives who didn't learn anything in 2000. this is not good.
oh, obama. why'd ya do it??????
Obama had a chance to be a real leader; one who takes chances to do the right thing. He failed. A chance to send a historic message not unlike JFK or FDR. Now he will be just BO. Now the media rhetoric has changed so as not to embarrass him. This does not improve discourse. This is Orwellian and it scares the crap out of me. Oberman does not have Johnathan Turlley on to analyze. No. Instead its the bald pinhead, yes-man. Way to fake the news, Oberman.
The best thing about this is watching Keith Olbermann contort his pomposity like a sideshow freak in order to make Obama's stance on telecom immunity make sense.
Here's a message to anyone from Obama's campaign that reads this blog post:
The issue of telecom immunity and Obama's support for the bill that will grant it has the potential to rot the foundation of his campaign. The internet invigorated his run and it can sink it. He's at idealogical odds with Harry Reid on this for godsakes, Harry Reid!
And O's explanations for his support of the bill while "disagreeing" with retroactive immunity would make any top-notch bullshitter blush.
How is "retroactive immunity" even an allowable concept under our system of government?
Consider that this is coming from a black guy, who lives in Brooklyn, donated to O twice, and voted for him in the NY primary.
Maybe I'll write in Ron Paul...
P.S. The Daily Show has TWO black dudes now! woo hoo! Yes We Can! Yes We Can! Yes We Can!
Ha! Ha!
The voters on the left are suckers just like all those suckers with W bumper stickers who supported (and continue to support) George Bush and his big government policies!
This is why politics is such a waste of time.
Not one red cent more to Obama's campaign!
My money will go to fund those who fight to overturn the FISA fiasco and telecom immunity.
"The overriding lesson of the last seven years is that political figures, more than they need anything else, need checks and limits. "
-- Greenwald
Although I supported him in the primary, I cannot ignore his about face on FISA, NAFTA, and now his apparent support of the death penalty. I will not vote for Obama in November - we can, and should, do better.
The telecoms shouldn't get out of this one without paying a termination fee.
Dissed like Scarlett Johansson.