[Peace-discuss] Obama's perfidy on FISA

[C. G. Estabrook]

[Glenn Greenwald has a detailed account of Obama's going back on his pledge to 
oppose a free pass for illegal spying <http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/> 
  (putting him to the right of our Republican Congressional representative). 
Here's a bit of it.  --CGE]


Greg Sargent reports on Obama's latest FISA comments from today and his 
explanation as to how he can support a bill with telecom amnesty when he 
previously vowed to filibuster any such bill. Obama explained, in essence, that 
he won't jeopardize our National Security in order to hold telecoms accountable 
under the rule of law ("My view on FISA has always been that the issue of the 
phone companies per se is not one that override the security interests of the 
American people"). Apparently, we can't be safe unless we immunize telecoms. 
Dick Cheney couldn't have said it any better himself.

Obama's comments today will undoubtedly please the likes of this typical 
anonymous "senior Democratic lawmaker" -- quoted in a Wall St. Journal article 
documenting Obama's drift to the Right -- who is too cowardly to attach his name 
to his comments:

"I applaud it," a senior Democratic lawmaker said. "By standing up to MoveOn.org 
and the ACLU, he's showing, I think, maybe the first example of demonstrating 
his ability to move to the center. He's got to make the center comfortable with 
him. He can't win if the center isn't comfortable."

That's the sickly mentality dominating the Democratic Party: Democrats must 
stand up not to George Bush, the Iraq War and rampant lawlessness, but rather, 
to the ACLU. That's exactly why they are currently in the process of trampling 
upon core civil liberties and the rule of law. That's how you stand up to the 
ACLU and show how Tough and Centrist you are.


[But, "Would you rather have McCain?" Thus our political system's good cop/bad 
cop  set-up is supposed to mean that we're not to be able to oppose government 
lawlessness.  And Obama plays his part.  --CGE]