A round up of comments in Obamaland (Talking Points Memo and Crooks and Liars, I dare not tread the threads on the DailyKos, not enough disinfectant in California to delouse me later) on Senator Obama and FISA:
105 Democratic representatives voted for the bill. Obama doesn’t have the political capital to win this battle. It’s silly for him to make his last stand here when he’s fighting for the presidency–the larger war.
Because the Constitution is just a scrap of paper.
Let’s keep in mind that Senator Obama is a Constitutional lawyer, and calm down until we know exactly what we are talking about.
More like he lectured on Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago, I don’t think he ever practised in the field and he certainly isn’t practising in it now but hope springs eternal.
People have to remember. Obama is the Junior Senator from Illinois who is getting a lot of press. Three weeks ago he wasn’t even the Party’s Nominee. He’s expressed his concern regarding the retroactive immunity (a poison pill the R’s have thrown into this) but as of right now he is NOT THE PRESIDENT. Maybe some people thought the election is already won but to be honest the guy doesn’t have the kind of political capital we’re ascribing to him here in the netroots. He’s got a WAR to win and I can see already that driving himself into a buzzsaw with his own party over this one issue will not win him the election. He needs to keep his eye on the prize and as others have stated not look weak grandstanding over something he can’t change anyway.
Apparently, an election matters more than the Constitution.
The O! is our shepherd.
Well, he certainly pulled the wool over your eyes.
He will fix it when he’s President.
And he’ll give us healthcare, solve our energy problems, and bring about world peace the moment he walks in the Oval Office just because he’s Obama, the messiah.
Here’s how it will go down:
Obama, Feingold and a bunch of others who oppose retroactive immunity will first move an amendment stripping that clause from the bill. There will be spirited debate, including a stirring speech by Obama on why retroactive absolution for illegal acts is bad. The amendment will then go to a vote and be soundly defeated. Pure theater; everyone knows it. Then, in debate on the main motion — the “compromise” as received from the House — Obama will either repeat what he said in today’s statement — that the bill is better than nothing — or he’ll stay silent. Feingold and a few others will refuse to cave, and vote no. Obama will vote yes. The bill will pass overwhelmingly. The netroots will sulk for a few days; the general public will hardly notice. Who’s going to make immunity an election issue? Certainly not McCain. Whereas if Obama votes no, he’ll be tarred as soft on terrorism.
That’s how the game is played. I’m disappointed, too; the constitution is a terrible thing to waste.
But I take some comfort that — despite everyone clamoring for him to take a position — Obama needed 24 hours of soul-searching before concluding he had to sell out. Face it, right now his Job 1 is getting elected president. Feingold can afford to take the high road; Obama has to do what it takes to win.
No, his job as United States Senator is to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. That’s why they take an Oath:
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.
The biggest mistake this country ever made was to stop requiring civic classes in high school. The Constitution, capital C there buddy (that mere fact should tell you something), a terrible thing to waste? Please get me a sedative before I collapse from the stupidity of that statement.
I suspect that most of Barack’s voters understand the difference between political necessity in the current climate vice a character flaw. I suspect most of us aren’t so childish that we would bite off our nose to spite our face.
I, for one, am not a single-issue person. There are larger things at stake than a couple of executives who shared some billing records. I am willing to give the guy the benefit of the doubt until elected.
The bar will be raised much higher at that point, but for now we have to be a little more expedient with our All or Nothing mentality. It doesn’t win elections and certainly doesn’t lead to governing majorities.
True, there are larger things at stake than a couple of executives who shared some billing records like upholding the law, the right against unreasonable search and seizures, and the Constitution. Politics is not just about issues, issues come and go. Politics, at its core is, about principles. Sacrifice those and what’s the point of politics?
Where does McCain stand on the constitution? Will McCain preserve the 4th admendment?
When all else fails, deflect the question. And again it’s the Constitution, not the constitution.
To be fair, there are plenty of very upset and embittered Obamaphiles including many who now claim they can’t support him but there is still a potent kool-aid element out there.
A note to the non-US readership, the FISA bill is a retroactive immunity bill for telecommunication companies that may have violated 1978 FISA law that prescribes procedures for requesting judicial authorization for electronic surveillance and physical search of persons engaged in espionage or international terrorism against the United States on behalf of a foreign power. Here’s the background on FISA.
